Halloween Ghost Story Contest -- 2001
Extras

A Christmas Tear

By
Kevin Joseph Lopes
(The Phantom)

Looking into a sullen grey December sky my mouth opens wide as I place my warm tongue gently into the frosty air. Sampling winters' down my weathered face of almost a century in time, embraces the gripping sting of the north wind. Weary tears begin to trickle from my historical eyes as the crystallized gifts of winter fall from the white heavens above.

My eyes now begin to overflow like a mountain stream in springtime with the liquefied remnants of the frozen season. The once chill of winter disappears and a joyous smile arrives to this old woman's face. My heart begins to burn like a fireplace filled with white birch as my cheeks begin to turn a rosy scarlet hue. These salty tears flow not from sadness or pain, they flow for the holiday Christmas itself.

Christmas is a time for love, charity, and hope for all people. The memories are now faded but I Sarah Helmsworth must tell my story when charity, hope, and love left me one fateful Christmas Eve.

I, Sarah was a young girl of eight years and had one brother three year old Christian. Our Father left upon Christian's birth so Mother did her utmost to keep us healthy, happy and together. Mother camouflaged her feelings for father but would always defend his memory displaying a picture of him proudly upon the mantle over the fireplace. Christian and I helped Mother with the daily chores rising every morn at five. The long hours of work made mother weak and old before her years but she always displayed her heart-warming smile muffling any signs of pain or discomfort.

Early in December of that unusually snowy year mother took ill. Strong as Mother was she could not keep her illness disguised within her withering frame. As the days and nights of December slowly passed mother's health further declined.

Simple tasks like arising from bed became an unbearable struggle. Eventually mother failed at that task also. I took care of Mother's needs as well as the chores and of course, Christian.

Mother once a large vibrant woman was transformed into a woman frail and helpless. I could do no more than comfort mother and try to claim some of her torturous pain but that would not be enough. On Christmas Eve day mother's sickness grasped the last of her will and she was taken to the hospital.

Christian and I followed close behind the horse drawn carriage as it progressed through the uneven cobble stone streets. We shivered not from the frigid December air but from fear of the plague that was destroying our beloved Mother. In her hospital room I stood by her bedside grasping her lifeless hand as Christian wept silently in the corner. Drying Christian's eyes I convinced him that Mother would soon be well and coming home. Mother turned her head slowly with lips to weak to speak, trembling in silent eloquent love. With an angelic smile she closed her distressed eyes and fell silently asleep. To hide my feelings from Christian I walked into the hallway and began to release my painful tears.

As the salty droplets drew upon my face I overheard a nurse talking with a strange man dressed in a coal black suit and ridiculously large top hat. The nurse casually mentioned my mother's name and pronounced that mother would pass during that Christmas Eve night. She then declared to the strange man to take Christian and I as quickly as possible to the state orphanage for a hospital is no place for children to be wandering around like sewer rats. I went back into the now darkened room where mother lay and grabbed Christian's hand pulling him toward the hospital exit. I explained most hurriedly that if we did not leave mother at that moment mother's sickness would worsen. I fearing a dark future for Christian and myself ran to the edge of town and proceeded deep into Mulberry wood. As we slipped further into the darkness of the snowy pines the north wind began to increase, as the blowing snow beat upon our cold, pale and wary faces. Growing tired and sleepy from winter's wraith Christian began to stumble and whimper. Placing my woolen shawl upon Christian's shoulders we trudged on through the knee-deep snow until the storm finally grabbed our legs and feet halting us within our tracks.

Looking into the painful, blinding snow I discovered an immense pine tree cloaked in virginal ivory for our shelter. Shivering and tired Christian and I huddled closely searching for any miniscule amount of warmth for comfort. Attempting to keep Christian awake and warm he began to mumble the word mother and slowly closed his trembling eyes.

Unable to awaken Christian I jumped from our snowy resting-place and vented my anger upon Christmas and all that it stood for. Christmas was now my enemy and I was not going to leave this world without a fight. Crying and shivering I searched between the snowy pines of Mulberry wood pronouncing, "Show me your horns Christmas". "Come out and do battle for I'm here to defend my love and the love of my family. Face me, and give me a chance to defend what you so selfishly wish to take from me. Show me that you are not a hallucination of all that is good and virtuous. If you are the snowy beast of Christmas that hoards all that is good let me compete for the place within each of our hearts where all our hopes and dreams dwell. If Christmas is a time of giving show yourself and I will give my heart and soul so that I may receive health and happiness for my family". Sobbing louder my anger now explosive I watched the snow begin to surround Christian's small lifeless frame. Shaking the snowy pines I looked skyward and yelled," Christmas should not be a season of falsehoods where sickness, pain and death lay reign. If Christmas is a miracle and life is the most precious miracle of all then why do you lay waste to my family? Show yourself Christmas for I will not accept this chapter of my life. Please Oh Horrible Christmas Please appear so I may relinquish this pain and fear.

With my last plea I fell to the ground and could release no more tears. I brushed the frozen down from Christian's face and began to accept our frozen ending. My once bright brown eyes began to dim beneath frozen, fatigued eyelids. As my eyes closed an immense light of yellow gold began to part the birch and pines. I struggled to open my eyes and looked into the calming light only to see a figure of a large man appear between the snowy pines. The man wore a cape of gold trimmed in snow-white fur. Upon his head a crown of gold and silver encircled his long silky white hair. His face was round and rosy as his polar white moustache melted into a beard of curly white locks. The ivory beard traveled down across his rounded belly to the tips of his shiny black boots. Shivering I struggled to my feet and asked, "Are you Christmas"?

The Christmas man began to laugh and said, " No my poor child I am not Christmas. Christmas is in your heart". As he spoke my heart pumped with cherished joy. His voice was deep and soothing releasing the entrapped anger within. "Your anger my child is found in your love for your family". "To lose one that is loved can stir all feelings including anger". Remember this my child that death is always weaker than love.

Thus death can be conquered and expelled. "How can a child so small defeat death," I asked the Christmas angel? He put his finger to his full red lips requesting my silence.

He then pronounced "Child if you have the miracle of Christmas within your heart then your battle will not be wasted". Slowly opening his cape of gold and ivory he released two small cherubs into the cold winter's night. The cherubs with wings of gold lifted a ball of snow from the peak of an immense pine tree and began to circle the golden angel of Christmas. With his arms risen toward the stars a shard of angelic light pierced the heavens and struck the two cherubs holding the icy ball of snow. The cherubs vanished, as the ice ball appeared to be glowing with the angel's golden light. The Christmas angle spoke once again.

"Remember my child Christmas is always found within each of our hearts". "Christmas is the birth of new joys, dreams, and loves and no matter the pains and tragedies we suffer Christmas is in our hearts and souls every day.

Now take this heavenly ball my child and place it upon your mother's heart and Christmas will return to your heart. I looked sadly at the angel and looked to where Christian lay. The angel smiled with forgetfulness and placed his hand into the snow pile. Suddenly the snow disappeared and Christian amazingly stood and began crying to return to his mother's bedside. The Snow angel then smiled placing his hand upon his heart and vanished into the snowy winter's night. Christian and I ran through the woods guided by the light of the angelic Christmas ball. As we returned to the hospital we quietly climbed through the window of our mother's room. There upon the bed lay our mother silent and motionless. Placing the golden Christmas ball upon her chest the room burned the same calming golden light. A tear fell from my tired eyes and fell upon the golden snowball. The ball of angelic light suddenly appeared to melt into mother's chest, as the room grew dark. I felt the warmth of the Christmas miracle within my heart as mother began to slowly rise in her bed.

Just then the nurse and the orphanage head master burst into the room and tried to collect Christian and I. Mother sternly said "Leave my angels alone". The nurse and headmaster stood dumbfounded as Mother declared, "Some one could die here with the care you give", displaying the wet spot upon the chest of her nightshirt. Let's go home children and celebrate the miracle of Christmas. I looked at Christian and then at mother and smiled. Another tear fell from my eye as I placed my hands upon my heart and enthusiastically cried out "Christmas is a miracle, a true miracle of the heart".

Merry Christmas To All

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