Another original fairytale by Vikki Anderson.

It was very quiet in the hospital that night. The security guard made his rounds quickly and raced back to the office where he was watching a Christmas special on TV. It was quite odd for the month of December to be so quiet here, but it was almost, excuse the expression, dead!

“I don’t know why we’re here,” Angela asked Mary.

“We’re here because we are angels and we’re supposed to wait to help someone in need,” Mary replied in a matter of fact manner.

“Well, it seems so different this year. So many people were more interested in us last year….I wonder why that is?”

“Ours is not to question. Ours is to be patient and wait to be of help.”

“It’s so quiet here,” Angela complained, “do you think anyone will notice us? I mean, there’s not a lot of activity so how can we be of service?”

“Patience is a virtue….”

“Yes, but …”

“Enough. We will wait until we are needed.”

The hospital lobby had a few visitors each day. The lovely Christmas tree was beautifully decorated by the local kindergarten class as the angels looked on.

“They are so precious. I’m glad they are not in need of help. Children everywhere should be loved, safe and warm. That’s all they need.”

“Yes, Angela, but some children don’t even have parents. Some don’t even receive a gift from Santa on Christmas morning. Those are the children we are here to help.”

They remained silent in the hospital lobby for some time. They moved to the Christmas tree hoping that passers-by would see them and be reminded of the giving of the Christmas season. Also that Christmas was a holy time; one in which they should go out of their way to help the needy and the lonely.

“I don’t understand it. Most of the other angels have all been chosen and are gone. There are ten of us left. Do you think we will be left out this year?”

“My dear, if God wants us to help, he will send someone to heed our message. Fear not.”

Angela and Mary hovered around the Christmas tree and watched the patient visitors go in the hospital rooms and then leave just as quickly. Everyone was in such a hurry these days that no one but the children seemed to be looking their way.

Angela, the younger of the two, was getting impatient. She tried fluttering her wings to a man who looked at his watch and sprinted for the door; she tried dropping an ornament on a woman’s shoe, but Mary caught it in time and put it back in place. Angela looked up towards heaven and Mary waited patiently for someone to notice them. Angela started to drift off to sleep.

She was comforted by the Christmas carols played over the intercom system. Some of the songs about Our Lord were especially consoling to her. Yes, Mary was right, she thought. When the time was right, she would be of service to God and to perhaps a family in desperate need.

Before she realized it, there was a little girl…Emily was her name. Angela heard her mother call her to leave.

“No, mommy. Look! There are angels on the tree.”

“We really have to go, honey. Mommy has to get back to work.”

“The angels, mommy.”

“Oh for goodness sake. They are only paper ornaments. Look, there is a whole string of them around the tree. We can make some at home if you’d like.”

“Why do they have words on them.”

“I don’t know, honey. We have to go.”

“What do the words say?”

The mother looked at Angela and read out loud: “Please give a child in your community a chance to have a wonderful Christmas. We have listed a child’s name, age, sizes of clothing and a toy he or she would like more than anything else in the world. If you are financially able, won’t you please consider giving the gift of Christmas to an orphan. God Bless You.”

“Mommy, what’s an orphan?”

“It’s a child without parents.”

“They are all alone and Santa doesn’t give them a present because they have no one to love them?”

Mother looked at Emily. “I suppose Santa just can’t find their homes because they don’t have a mommy or daddy to write to the North Pole to tell them where they live.”

“You can give my presents from Santa to one of the orphans.”

Mother smiled. “No, what we will do is take the whole string of paper angels from the tree and go shopping for these children. I can give some of them to friends and relatives. I’m sure everyone would want to contribute to such a good cause. Besides, Christmas is for children, isn’t it?”

Emily carried the string of angels carefully in her hands as Angela silently smiled while Mary whispered, “Patience is a virtue…I told you,” and both had fulfilled their mission of compassion and peace this year because of a very small child.

Copyright 2002 by Vikki Anderson. Do not reprint without permission. www.VikkiAnderson.com.