Christmas Wishes (13 page)

“A
nd so my
gift to Baby Jesus is my teddy bear,” Molly said into the microphone. She brought her teddy bear over to the manger and stepped back to her place in the chorus as the next speaker came up to the mike.

Sophie started to relax on the front pew. This Wednesday night rehearsal was the last practice before the pageant on Sunday morning, so she and the children were in the sanctuary with th
e sound crew. So far, so good. No one had gotten sick, nothing had been stolen, and everyone—

“
AAAAAAHHHHH!” Jordan Longton streaked into the sanctuary, his shepherd costume trailing behind him like a blaze of fire—

It really IS fire!
Sophie sprang from her seat and raced toward the little boy. She grabbed him and threw him down on the carpet, rolling him until the fire went out. Carefully, she pulled the head covering away from his face, revealing his wide, frightened eyes.

“
Jordan, are you all right?” she asked.

The boy nodded.

She helped him stand and inspected the rest of his costume. Other than the headpiece and a tiny spot on the back of his gown, none of his clothing looked burnt. She checked the back of his head and found a few singed hairs, but his scalp was normal color. The boy was lucky.

“
Jordan, what happened?”

“
I went back in the room where the costumes are because I forgot my truck to give to Baby Jesus. And I found this—”

“
Fire!” Sam dashed into the sanctuary, waving his hands. “Get the kids outta here. I’m calling the fire department.” He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed, leaving Sophie to herd the children out, grabbing coats as they went. Thankfully, two moms had decided to stay and watch the dress rehearsal, so she had some extra help.

Once outside, she counted her charges. One was missing. Who was it? She went through the first graders… all eleven were there. Second graders… she should have had nine, but there were only eight.
“I’m not finding enough second graders,” she called out. “Look around and see if you can tell who’s missing.” The children stared at each other for a moment, and then Jordan Longton called out, “My brother isn’t here. He went to the bathroom.”

Cold air filled Sophie's lungs as she gasped.
“Josh is in the bathroom?”

“
Yeah. Grandma took him there.”

She couldn
’t let the children see her panic. “All right. Everyone stay right here with Mrs. Groendyke. I'll see if I can find Josh and Mrs. Longton."

The fire department arrived with sirens blaring and quickly got to work. Spotting Chief Zondervan, she dashed over to him and relayed what Jordan had told her. He nodded grimly and called two of his men, instructing them to check the restrooms for the missing people.

Returning to the children huddled in the church parking lot, she realized she needed to get them all someplace warm. Their parents needed to be notified…

She looked over at the other adults and realized they had already begun. One mom separated the children according to where they lived, and the other mom and Mabel Groendyke, the pianist, had their cell phones to their ears. Helen DeGroot and the older students in the drama soon joined them, and siblings were paired together. Helen and Sophie both used their cell phones to call parents.

Someone wrapped a blanket around her and she realized she’d forgotten to grab her own coat before leaving the sanctuary. She snuggled into the blanket. It smelled like Mitch, but when she turned her head to thank him, he was gone. He’d gone over to help comfort a frightened little boy. Angie and Joey stood close to her.

Dave pulled into the lot and made a beeline for Joey.
“I heard the sirens and looked outside — we could see the fire from our house. Are you okay? Did everyone get out?” He gave Joey a hug then asked the other adults what he could do to help. One of the moms gave him a handful of children whose parents still needed to be contacted, and he pulled out his cell phone to start calling them.

Around them, the parking lot buzzed with the commotion of anxious parents herding their children and their neighbor
’s children into their cars.

“
Sam! Did Sam get out?” Sophie looked around for the custodian.

“
He’s over there, talking to the Fire Chief.” Mitch spoke into her ear, instantly calming her. She glanced over to where he pointed and, seeing the elderly man for herself, sighed with relief.

“
Jordan Longton, where did you get that? I told you not to pick up things that aren’t yours. And where is your brother?” Peggy Longton’s exasperation cut through the chaos.

“
He went to the bathroom with Grandma Longton. Mama, isn’t this cool? I found it in that room where the tables and big candles are. I wanted to light the candles like Grandma does. There were lots of candles in there. See, you just hold it like this and push this button—”

“
Well, it’s not a toy. It’s for grownups to use—”

“
Did I just hear this boy say he tried to light the candles in the store room?” Chief Zondervan asked. “Sam, didn’t you tell me the fire started in the storage area?”

The custodian nodded
.

T
he color drained from Peggy’s face. She clutched her son tight. “Please, no,” she cried. “He couldn’t have started the fire. He’s just a baby. Please, Sam. You can’t let him be arrested.”

“
I knew it was just a matter of time before something like this happened.” Sam glared at Jordan menacingly. “Both those boys are always causing trouble. They can’t keep their hands to themselves and they run around like animals.”

Martha Longton came around the side of the church, leading Josh by the hand.
“The boys told me they needed to use the restroom, and while Josh was still in there, Jordan told me he had to get his truck. I didn’t know where he’d gone. I’ve been looking all over for him—” She spied the candle lighter in Jordan’s hand and gasped. “No—” Her hand went to her mouth.

“
Ladies, I’m going to have to talk to this young man,” Chief Zondervan nodded at Peggy. “Ma’am, why don’t you bring your son over to my car so you’re not standing outside in the cold.” He turned to Martha. “Mrs. Longton, perhaps you’ll be good enough to see that his brother gets home.” Without waiting for an answer, he led the way toward his vehicle. Peggy followed with Jordan, looking more defeated than Sophie had ever seen her.

The parking lot was lit as brightly as a football field, and she realized the blaze had engulfed the roof. There was a loud crash as the steeple sank into the church. Sophie
’s heart clenched as she thought of the danger they’d escaped.

“
Sophie, all the kids have been accounted for and picked up. Why don’t I take you home?” Mitch put his hands on her shoulders and spoke as he gently guided her toward his car. Sophie was too drained to argue. He opened the car door and waited for her to get in, wrapping the ends of the blanket around her. Angie got into the back seat, and he pulled out of the lot. But before they’d even gone a block, the tears started to fall.

Where the tears came from, she didn
’t know. But they came. In buckets. Mitch pulled into Dave and Joanie’s driveway and reached for her. She laid her head on his shoulder and let her pent-up feelings pour out. She sobbed because she could have been inside with all those kids, totally unaware of the danger until it was too late. She sobbed because of all the hard work the kids had put into the pageant, which would not take place. She sobbed because the church, the cornerstone of the community, someplace where she’d always felt safe, was gone.

A
nother day, another
list. Sophie pursed her lips as she decided what to tackle first. She should go to the church early and—

The pen fell out of her hands.
The church!
As the events of the previous Wednesday night returned to her, her shoulders sagged, her face fell, and the sense of hopeless she’d felt returned.

She set her notebook back on the nightstand. There was no point in making a list now. Setting her pillow down, she lay
back and closed her eyes, but her mind kept replaying the horror of the fire. The feeling of terror as she’d herded the children outside, counting and recounting the little bodies to make sure no one had been left behind. The sense of urgency while waiting for the parents to come. And the feeling of dejection that all their hard work had been for naught.

Even the thrill at being in Mitch
’s arms was dulled by the tragedy. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since that night. Had he regretted the closeness they’d shared?

“
Sophie? Breakfast is ready. Come on down and eat so we can get ready for church.” Dave’s voice floated up the stairs.

Joanie insisted the show was going to proceed as planned, although Sophie really didn
’t understand how that would happen. Her sister had spent most of the last two days on the phone, calling everyone in the county. Apparently the VanEerdens had offered to clear out their barn and set things up so that the service could take place there. Each family was asked to bring their own chairs. Although Sophie appreciated her sister’s efforts, she couldn’t see the whole congregation going to so much trouble to watch a Christmas pageant in a barn. Good grief, they’d have to wrap up in their winter coats and cover up with blankets! And what kind of pageant would it be without the lovely decorations that had adorned the sanctuary? Well, she would go, but she’d wager there wouldn’t be more than a dozen people to watch it. They’d be lucky to get even half the cast there. Who would want to bring their kids to a production like that? And what would they do if only a handful of the actors showed up? Joanie had told her everyone would be there, but she tended to exaggerate when she wanted to believe people were on board with her schemes.

Guess I
’d better get up
, she told herself. She’d get dressed and go, even if no one else did. They probably wouldn’t be there long. Her heart ached for the kids who had worked so hard, for the moms who had helped out with costumes, for — everyone.

Stepping down the stairs, she heard her sister and brother-in-law at the breakfast table. Obviously they didn
’t share her skepticism. They were dressed casually but warmly, prepared for the frigid temps but didn’t seemed concerned or worried about freezing to death.

“
Morning, Sophie. Have some breakfast. You’ve gotta get some fuel in you before your big day,” Joanie sang. She sounded like a cheerful little bird. Nobody should sound that bubbly first thing in the morning. Still, Sophie knew Joanie wouldn’t let up if she refused, so she sat and ate. Now that little Abbie was there, Joanie had a lot more energy and had been cooking more. It was a good thing she’d bounced back to her energetic self. It would make things easier when she moved out. The phone call she’d received on Friday had been the only bright spot in the past week. She’d wanted to call Mitch and tell him the news, but she wasn’t sure how he’d react — or if he would have any kind of reaction at all.

“
Dave, do you have everything packed in the SUV?” Joanie asked.

“
Yes, dear. Every blasted thing you had stacked by the back door is now in the car. We’ll have to strap the baby to the roof, but all our stuff will get there safely.”

Joanie gave her husband a playful swat and
got up to get the coffeepot.

~~~~

The Bennett family
arrived early to help with setup. The VanEerdens’ oldest daughter kept the baby and Joey in the house while Sophie, Dave, and Joanie went to the barn.

The minute she walked through the wide doors, she froze in her steps. The inside of the barn had been transformed into a beautiful sanctuary. Strings of Christmas lights had been draped from the beams and on the walls, brightening the barn
’s interior with a soft, gentle glow. The wall opposite the barn doors had been set up as a makeshift stage with plywood panels laid atop concrete blocks. And taking place of honor in the center was the old wooden cross that normally adorned the wall of Zutphen Community Church.

Joanie and her friends had worked a miracle. But their efforts wouldn
’t matter if the congregation didn’t show up to see it. Would they come? Would they have enough performers to put the show on?

Helen DeGroot entered behind her.
“Oh there you are, Sophie. I hoped I’d find you here already. I wanted to go over some of the adjustments we’ll need to make...” She opened her notebook and the two spent a few minutes with Mabel Groendyke. Just as they finished, Sophie closed her notebook and looked around. She thought she felt a little warmer and now she knew why. While the three women had been talking, the barn had gradually filled with parishioners. Lawn chairs, folding chairs, benches of all kinds had been set up in neat rows. Many of her youngsters waited in a group, under the watchful eyes of Martha Longton and Agnes VanMeter. She found her sister and brother-in-law returning from the house with Joey.

“
How did you manage all this?” she asked.

Joanie shrugged.
“Just a few phone calls, a few favors called in. Nothing special. Everyone wanted to help, especially with all the work you put into it.”

“
But it’s only been three days! This must have taken all your time. This whole set up — the heaters, the sound system, the decorations, the stage, the set—”

“
Archie Todd owns all the sound equipment. He used it last night at a party in Jamestown and brought it over afterward. And you know Carol VanEerden — she’s a whiz at decorating the sanctuary — she said she had all this stuff here from previous Christmas pageants.”

“
But notifying all the parents—”

“
That was a piece of cake. Donna VanderMeulen is the Sunday School superintendent, and she had the class lists and phone numbers. We got four of five moms to do the calling.”

Sophie stood still as the tears filled her eyes. She was overcome with gratitude
for the love and dedication of the people in her community who cared enough about their children and the hard work they’d done that they’d gone the extra mile to make the pageant happen, despite the tragedy.

“
Miss Sophie, are you okay?” Josh stood next to her, tugging her arm. “Me and my brother, we’re sorry about the fire. And we, uh, we’ll behave ourselves today. Grandma told us we wouldn’t get no more cookies before we come to church. So we’ll be good.”

“
Yeah,” Jordan echoed. “We’re sorry we made you cry. You cried Wednesday night, too. Mommy cries sometimes when we’re naughty. Grandma used to say it was Mommy’s fault, but now she said it’s her fault for giving us too much sugar. And she said it’s her fault we burned the church down. She said we can’t go nowhere by ourselves for a long, long, time.”

Sophie wrapped the little boy in a hug.
“I know you’re sorry, Jordan.” She hesitated before asking, “Is someone with you today?”

“
Yeah,” Josh answered. “Grandpa and Grandma DeSmit and Mommy are watching me, and Grandma and Grandpa Longton and Uncle Nolan are supposed to watch Jordan.” Sophie looked up to see the six relatives hovering nearby. Nolan cast her a grin and pointed to his eyes, assuring her he would watch his nephews very carefully. She gave her old friend a thumbs-up before looking back at the twins.

“
Well, I’m glad your grandmas and grandpas and other relatives are all here. And I know you’re both going to do a great job this morning.”

The little boys flashed identical gap-toothed grins and raced off. Sugar or not, the boys had plenty of energy.

Angie Carson took her place on the improvised stage. She smiled and waved at her family. Sophie directed a glance to where Angie waved and saw Mitch with his entire family, along with Geoffrey Billingsworth. They had set up their seats as close to the front as they could get and had their cameras ready.

Pastor Sikkema welcomed everyone with some very eloquent words about the church not being a building but a group of believers. He
began with the verse in Matthew that reads, “Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there am I in the midst of them.” He thanked the VanEerdens for hosting the service and pageant and thanked the parents for being so flexible and for sharing their talented children.

“
And without further ado, we have the annual Christmas pageant, directed by Helen DeGroot and Sophie Gardner.”

The show went off without a hitch. Well, almost. Mary dropped the baby Jesus on the floor then hastily picked him up, dusted him off with her headpiece, and placed him in the manger. Jordan Longton got a little too excited about bringing his new truck to baby Jesus and tripped over the microphone cord. But each child spoke his or her line clearly and the songs rang out with joy.

Afterward, Helen came over and congratulated her. “Wonderful job with the children, Sophie. I can’t remember a nicer program. I love the way you did so much more with the children than usual. This is a show to remember — and not just because we’re in a different place.”

Pastor Sikkema thanked her too.
“Nice program, Sophie. If you end up going to Hollywood, we’re going to see some great shows and movies.”

And then there was Mitch. He gave her a thumbs up but kept his distance while Angie gave her a big hug. Sophie hugged her
back and then gasped when she saw the little girl’s tear stained face.

“
Angie, what’s the matter?”

“
Miss Sophie, I don’t want you to go away!”

“
I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. Where did you think I was going?”

“
Daddy said you’re going to move away and that’s why you can’t be my mom.”

“
Your — mom?”

“
Yeah. I said I wished you could be my mommy and Daddy said he wished you could too, but you’re going to live in New York or California and be a famous writer.”

Sophie didn
’t know what to say. “He said — he wished I could?”

Angie nodded.
“He said he loved you as much as I do. But he said we can’t stop you from going for your dreams.”

Warmth. Blessed warmth stole through her. She squatted down and put her forehead against Angie
’s and spoke very softly. “Sweetheart, can you keep a secret?”

The little girl nodded.

“It used to be my dream to move far away, but now I’m having a very different one. Now I dream about having a house and a husband and a little girl.”

Angie beamed through her tears.
“We have a house. Daddy could be a husband. And I’m a little girl.”

“
Yes, you are. And my new wish is that you could be my little girl. But you have to promise to keep that a secret for now. I’ll tell your dad about it very soon. We’ll surprise him, okay?” She waited for Angie’s nod. “Okay, go on back to your family. Tell your dad I’ll come over later this afternoon. Tell him — tell him I have some questions about living in the Big City.”

“
Okay. See you, Sophie!”