Short Stories

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Her name is Harriet, being named for a great (or great great) aunt. But tonight she felt like her name is “Harried At”. It had been a hectic day of Easter shopping with her 3 children plus the extra friend of each. Tromping trough the Mall with the six excited kids in tow past the toy stores and the Auntie Annie’s pretzel stand had been trying enough. And the egg dyeing/ sleep over night was not going well. She had finally managed to get the six children to grasp the concept that the dye was for the eggs and not each other. Finally after they had dyed six, seven (or was it eight?) dozen eggs and arranged
the eggs in their respective baskets; she had managed to corral the multi colored children into the family room and got them reasonably settled enough to watch Veggie Tales DVD’s and eat some kettle corn, when it wasn’t being flung though the air by person or persons unknown. She finally had gotten to sit down and rest for the first time in hours. But that rest wouldn’t be long. She had to finish putting the jellybeans, the marshmallow peeps, and the chocolate bunnies in the baskets and then hide them so that the gaggle of excited grade-schoolers could find them in the morning.
It was getting late. She cleared a spot on the table that was the debris field of the less than perfect egg dyeing session and laid her had down in her arms. She was tired. But she had to keep going, she had to get the children cleaned up and readied for Easter service tomorrow. She had to keep this an ordinary Easter for her children. They have been really struggling with their Dad being in Iraq so some semblance of normalcy was what they needed she told herself. She would just rest for a moment and….
Harriet awoke when she felt a presence close by her. She stirred one eye open expecting to see a sugared up, multi colored child staring at her but instead she saw a rabbit. Not just any rabbit but a white rabbit. A big white rabbit with pink eyes. A big white rabbit with pink eyes and a top hat was crouching down beside her. Now Harriet was a little more that alarmed. She hadn’t seen a really big white rabbit with a top hat in some time. Well not since her and Lord Calvert parted ways many years ago at that revival meeting in Georgia. She blinked a few time hoping maybe the rabbit would just go away after a few blinks but he remained there.
“Hello there, Harriet. I am an angel sent by God.” His voice resembled Martin Short’s and that really startled her. She stood up quickly scattering the leftover dyes and the remnants if plastic easer grass when the rabbit spoke. A look of shock replaced her sleepy face.
“You’re a rabbit.” she stammered. “I didn’t know that angels were rabbits! Especially seven foot white ones with top hats. Your name isn’t Harvey by any chance?” If this was an angel then this was very unsettling to her. The rabbit sat down plucking at his whiskers.
“No I really don’t have a name but I guess Harvey will do.” the Rabbit said. He looked at Harriet with serious pink eyes and held out a paw to her.” Anyhow I am here to relay a message to you. It seems that you have been running yourself ragged trying not to think of your husband Steve over in Iraq. But fear not He is well and he misses you and the children greatly.” The Rabbit stood up as if ready to leave. Harriet shook her head and wrapped her bathrobe around her trying to hide the bunny slippers she was wearing.
“That’s it?? That’s your great message? Where is the mighty proclamation that goes with the appearance of an angel?” the edge of hysteria was creeping into her voice. Something wasn’t right here. You don’t have angelic visitations like this and not get some special message. All the people she knew who had angels visit them told of different scenario than a giant white rabbit with pink eyes and a top hat. She was disappointed. “You’re not getting off that easy. I want my lights and smoke and I want my booming voice from God and the whole shebang. If you are going to disturb my sleep then I deserve to have the whole show and not some simple message of hope.” The rabbit shrugged his shoulders, assuming rabbits have shoulders, and looked at Harriet as wistfully as a seven foot rabbit can.
“That’s just it. He said you would respond like this. He did. This is the message Harriet. Don’t overcomplicate things. Relax. Enjoy. God can handle your worries and then some.”
The rabbit wrinkled his nose rabbit like and continued. “It seems that your hustle and bustle has caught His attention. You are trying so hard to do the right thing when the right thing is the easy thing.” The rabbit settled back in the chair and continued.
“Where in all your doing have you stopped to take the time and see what the children need? You have been so busy trying to occupy their minds that you have forgotten to lead them to the one who can out their minds at ease.”
Puzzlement crept over Harriet’s face. This was not a message she was sure she liked. Hadn’t she done the right things, made all the right moves? She had worked hard at sheltering her children form the war. She didn’t want them to be bothered with thoughts of suicide bombs and fanatics. She thought she was being the good mother keeping her children from the nastiness that surrounds the whole mess in Iraq. And she most certainly wouldn’t let them see her tears on her pillow. No she was strong for them like the good mother. And she’d be darned if she were to be lectured by an angelic white rabbit.
“Listen here, Bub!!” Shaking a green dye stained finger at the rabbit. “You have a lot of nerve coming into my house and telling me what to do, angel or not.” She stopped to gather up some choice words to show her displeasure. But the rabbit held up a paw to her.
“Harriet I have to go. I have other messages to deliver. But consider this. When I first appeared did you offer me a drink or food? Did you offer me a seat? No you didn’t. You were more concerned with my appearance and with the way you thought I should be. You are still not hearing the message; you are still making things more complex than they need be.” Slowly shaking his head he got up. He looked down at Harriet and laid a paw on her shoulder.
“You really need to stop and count your three blessings. Go make this a simple and fun Easter for them. This is why Christ has risen from the dead. To bring life to you humans; you are the creation that the Creator loves the best. You really have no idea just how much He cares. He shook his head ruefully.
Harriet jaw dropped slightly. Here she was being lectured on Easter morning in her kitchen by a seven foot white rabbit. How bizarre was that. She stood in her aquamarine terrycloth bathrobe and bunny slippers, in her kitchen listening to a Jefferson Airplane induced angel lecture her!
“So what now??” she asked sarcastically. “Do I need to go find some sackcloth and ashes?” The shock was wearing off and she was getting testy from the lack of sleep. Besides this had to be a bad dream of some sort right? Surely a little sarcasm wasn’t going to hurt her. The Rabbit looked at her and shook his head again.
“I really don’t know. The choice is yours what to do next. That is something about the concept of freewill we angels don’t really understand. The Creator decided to give you humans the ability to choose in all things. So what happens next is your choice. Besides I am late for my next assignment. I am supposed to be a salamander or a newt or so something.” He sighed “I have drawn animal duties for the next millennia or two I suppose.”

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