A Love so Great 3

A Love So Great

part 3 of 3

September 2010 
by Tiffany

            It had been three long days since Chin’s capture.  She sat idly at the table missing her old life.  She missed the hour of learning how to read with Father Nathan each day, and the hours of sitting on her bed watching him study, but most of all she missed Father Nathan himself.  Not that life at the Lawrels was bad, in fact many orphan girls would have given a lot to be in that household, but she wasn’t loved like she had been with Father Nathan.  Although Mr. and Mrs. Lawrel had a lot of time, they weren’t used to having a little girl on their hands.  Mrs. Lawrel noticed a decline in Chin’s health and that the little girl hardly did anything now.  She tried to interest Chin with puzzles, mazes, dolls, and all the things that she had loved as a girl, but had no success.

               “Oh, Harry! What are we going to do? I mean I love the girl, I do, but it is no good keepin' her so.  She won’t do anythin’ an’ I’m worried that she’ll catch ill or sometin’. We gotta give her back, it isn’t good for her health. An’ if we really...”

               “Quiet Women! While I think!” Mr. Lawrel thundered in a harsh tone.  A pause followed before he threatened, “No! We will not give her back.  Look at what HE has done to her already not providing proper things for her health.  Obviously she is not at all tolerant to change because of HIM, and she was not properly taken care of.  So do not even think about it Harriet, or else.” 

            Harriet left the shop shaking her head and muttering something to herself.  Chin meanwhile had taken the liberty to look at a shiny pot nearby. She looked curiously at her distorted reflection and for all her grief she actually giggled.  Mrs. Lawrel burst into the kitchen, flung off her apron, and was already halfway through the front door before she called back,

               “Chin, darling, I’ll be back soon. I just have an errand that I need to take care of.”

               Chin somewhat startled watched Harriet disappear around the corner. “I wonder if Papa Nathan really doesn’t want me?” Chin asked aloud the question that she had asked herself a million times throughout the past three days.  But this time hearing the words out loud, it sounded fake.  She suddenly remembered the hours that he had patiently tried to teach her how to read, the nights when she had been afraid and he had let her snuggle into his own bed, the kind nuns who would chat with her as they hung up laundry, the time that he had bought her a beautiful carved crucifix, and finally the words echoed through her mind “Why yes! Of course I love you. What made you think I wouldn’t?”.

               “No!" she thought, "He must love me! He must! I only wish he would come save me like in the stories Mr. Lawrel use to tell me.”  It never occurred to Chin to go to Father Nathan herself, so she waited, confident now that he would come and get her.  She resumed her examination of the pot and thought that she looked so funny that she burst out laughing.  The joyous sound rippled through the room and Chin thought that the kitchen looked so much more cheerful.  But suddenly Mr. Lawrel exploded into the kitchen and demanded,

               “Where’s my wife?”

               “She went on an errand. But she said she would be back soon.” Chin answered as she ran over and hugged Mr. Lawrel’s legs.  Her confident smile beaming up at him soothed his disturbed heart.  He almost wanted to do what was best for her, but that was broken by a knock on the backdoor.  Without waiting for permission to come in, two figures burst into the kitchen.  It was Harriet and Father Nathan.  Chin left Mr. Lawrel and ran toward Father Nathan laughing,

               “Oh! You came to save me!” She cried.  Suddenly Mr. Lawrel caught her up and her joy was cut short.

               “OH! No you don’t! You're not going to HIM are you, not after all we’ve done for you, little Chin?” Mr. Lawrel asked, but to no avail.  Chin squirmed and kicked, reaching out to Father Nathan.

               “Mr. Lawrel, give Chin back!  By law she belongs to me.  And as we both know you don’t really love her.  So give her here!”  There was a fire in Father Nathan’s eyes that Chin had never seen before.  She was promptly released and she ran over to Father Nathan, jumping into his arms.

              “Fine! Have your little cargo! I'm surprised you didn’t bring the police with you to arrest me.” Mr. Lawrel growled.

               “No, I’ve decided not to have you arrested, or to put charges against you. But if I hear of you doing something of this sort again, I will witness against you. Furthermore, you must not harm your wife because of this good deed she has done, or I will press charges against you for harassing your wife.  Now we will take our leave.” Then turning toward Harriet he murmured,

            "Thank you Ma'am for informing me, I am very grateful. May the Lord bless you for it."

             The fire that had burned in his eyes before dimmed until there was hardly a trace of it, only gentleness shone from his face now.  That fire, Chin would learn when she was older, was the passion of love.  A love so great that one would even die for the cherished one.

             Father Nathan and Chin walked out the door down the alley hand in hand.  The same alley that three nights before had only brought terror, now looked cheerful, bright, and full of happiness because she was with her Father Nathan.  

The End

                                 

A Love so Great 2

A Love So Great

part 2 of 3

September 2010
 by Tiffany

               Soon afterward Chin entered the small room that had been her home for more than a year.  She handed Father Nathan his food, sat down on his creaky bed, and ate her own in silence.  Does he really love me?  Chin couldn’t find an answer, so finally she did what any five year old might do.  She asked him.  Walking over to Father Nathan, she patted his shoulder cautiously.

               “Papa Nathan do you really love me?”

               “Why yes! Of course I love you. What made you think I wouldn’t?”  Father Nathan responded giving her his full attention.

               “Oh. Nothing I guess, just wondering."

               “Well, I love you very much, and I’d hate to lose you.”

               All doubts flew from little Chin’s mind, at least for the moment, and she threw her arms around Father Nathan’s neck.  She could then eat her lunch in peace.  But the peace did not last for long.

            Father Nathan finally rose from his desk at dinnertime, and wearily asked Chin if she wanted to help him get the dinner.  Chin wanting to diminish any thoughts that might still be lingering in Father Nathan’s mind about her question that afternoon, told him that she could get the dinner herself and would be back soon. She flitted out of the room and down the stairs.  She then bolted across the courtyard and out the gate into the deserted street.  Chin happily skipped down the street.  She passed the first alley, then the second, but just as she was passing the third a pair of hands suddenly reached out, grabbed her, slapped a hand over her mouth, and drew her into the dark alley.

               Chin was rudely pulled along and she kept stumbling as she was hurried down the alley. Eventually Chin’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw that her captor was a tall man with a pointed crimson beard.  Chin looked about for land marks but only saw mangy cats rummaging in the trashcans.  Before long they halted in front of a backdoor and the captor shoved it open with his shoulder.  Chin was pushed inside and she blinked from the bright light.

               “Bob! What are you doing with Chin, pullin’ her along so?  Now leave, and I’m ashamed of you! I'll take care of her now."  Chin heard a familiar voice scold.  She was given one last push, then the door creaked, and her captor was gone.  Her eyes had adjusted to the light and she saw that she was in the kitchen of Mr. Lawrel.  Chin ran to him and asked trustingly,

               “What happened? Why am I here?”

               “Why little Chin, your old Father Nathan was bored of you, so he sent you to get the dinner, but he had hired Bob to capture you.  Good thing he came here otherwise you might have been out all night in the cold with Bob!”

               Poor little Chin’s heart was broken.  The man she loved was now rejecting her and no longer loved her!  Yet a small flicker of doubt sifted through her sorrows and she wondered did he really not love her?  After all Father Nathan had just told her he loved her very much.

               Chin was hurried to the table and Mrs. Lawrel set before her a great steaming bowl of soup.  She was urged to eat and forget about Ol’ Father Nathan.

            "You can stay with us just as long as you like, dear," Mrs. Lawrel assured her.

               Meanwhile, Father Nathan was getting very worried back in his small room.  It was well after dark and Chin should have come home a long time ago.  Why? Why, did I let her go by herself? he thought anxiously.  Finally he couldn't stand it any longer, so he rushed down the stairs (careful not to step on the church's cat) and hurried toward the Mr. Lawrel's shop.  He entered, great anxiety written on his face, and addressed the shopkeeper. 

            “Mr. Lawrel, have you seen my little Chin?  She hasn’t come back to my room.  She was supposed to have come here!”

               “No, I haven’t seen her since lunchtime.  But you really shouldn’t have sent her out all alone at night to get your food.  What kind of guardian are you?  If I find her I'm not sure it would be wise to hand her over to you again. You probably would only lose her!"  Mr. Lawrel's words stung and Father Nathan left the shop in despair.

               Mr. Lawrel closed up his store and returned to the kitchen.

               “… And you get the whole attic all to yourself," Mrs. Lawrel was explaining to Chin, "It is such a nice room.  Now once you’ve finished your dinner you can go up to your room and sleep.  Oh! Hello, Harry!”  Plump and rosy Mrs. Lawrel greeted her husband.

              “Well, Chin! I just saw your Father Nathan!”  Mr. Lawrel began.  A little gasp of hope escaped Chin, her eyes fixed upon Mr. Lawrel eager to hear what he was going to say.

            “He came askin’ if I had seen you?" he continued. "Well, I asked why and he said that he hoped I hadn’t cause he was wantin’ to get a rid of you and it would be awful if I had.  So seeing that you would be much better off with me, I simply… Hey! Wait!"

               Chin burst into tears and ran up the stairs to her lonely, empty attic room and cried herself to sleep.

A Love so Great

A Love So Great

 part 1 of 3

September 2010
 by Tiffany

            Little 4 year old Chin Yo lifted her eyes to the face of the giant of a man that loomed in the doorway.  This man, whose name was Father Nathan, had an almost kind face.  This face, that would bring back warm memories and love in the future, now only struck fear in the little heart of Chin.

               She looked down at her toes, then once again met Father Nathan’s gaze with her big brown eyes.

              “Hello, little girl. What is your name?”  The man asked in a soft, mellow voice.

               “Chin Yo?”  The little girl ventured back.

               “Well, what a wonderful name! I’m Father Nathan,” he informed Chin.

               “Papa? But you’re not Papa! He died!”  Chin sniffled, bravely fighting back the tears that welled up. Father Nathan knelt down beside the sobbing child and comforted her.

               “It’s okay Chin.  I’m here to take care of you now.”  With a sudden impulse Chin threw her little arms around the priest's neck. 

            “Now you can come with me and everything will be all right!" the priest soothed. "Come on.”

            Chin followed obediently out the door and took one last look at the house that had been her home.  Although Chin had been very sad, there was a certain excitement that came with going to new places that was irresistible and soon took effect on little Chin.

               The train that she boarded was a great wonder to her, and poor Father Nathan had the hardest time keeping her sitting down.  When the whistle blew and they got off the train, Chin was sorry to leave the great “Running houses” as she called it.  But the town they soon entered (it seemed like a city to her) was so interesting with its shops and strange buildings that she soon forgot completely about the train ride.

               The streets were lined with houses and stores, some were very tall, others only one story high, but to Chin they all were very tall. The two entered a very large building with a high wall surrounding it.  Following Father Nathan, Chin began walking through a large courtyard with a drab fountain sputtering in the middle.  Beyond the fountain Chin noticed some ladies dressed in black as if they had just come from a funeral.  She wondered if they were going to her parents' funeral.  She inquired about this and Father Nathan absent-mindedly answered,

               “Why, yes, of course Chin.”

              A small squeal of delight escaped Chin and she happily skipped along, thinking that life here might not be so bad if these people had known her parents and loved them too.  They didn’t seem very sad, but well… Chin dismissed it from her mind and looked at the surroundings as they passed the veiled ladies.  They climbed a steep stairway at the top of which was a door.  Father Nathan unlocked this and they entered.  Chin thought it was a lovely room with two windows, a large bed in the corner, and a smaller one next to it.  To this smaller bed, Chin ran and buried her face in the covers with pleasure.

               “Is this my bed?” Chin inquired in her small voice.

               “Yes, that’s your bed, right next to mine.” Pure joy shone from Chin's face.  Her sorrows were forgotten.  She was a completely different person than the woebegone child that had stood in the little room when the two had first met.

              That night lightning flashed and thunder rolled.  Father Nathan was sleeping peacefully next to the small bed that was supposed to contain Chin.  But she was not there.  Something tugged at Father Nathan’s pillow.  He rolled over, opened his eyes, and saw Chin’s frightened face.

               “What is it Chin?” he murmured sleepily.

               “Can I come and snuggle in with you?”  Chin’s timid voice and trembling body were too irresistible, so Father Nathan drew back the covers and waited for Chin to climb in.  Within minutes after Chin was safely under the covers, she was soundly sleeping, her little body rising and falling in peaceful slumber.

-   -   -

            Chin was five years old now, old enough to get Father Nathan's and her own food from the shopkeeper down the street.  She was sitting on the stool intently listening to one of the shopkeeper, Mr. Lawrel’s numerous stories.

               “And they lived happily ever after.  Oh, and here's your food, little Chin.”  Mr. Lawrel reminded her, handing her the food while stroking her head lovingly.  “And how is Ol’ Nathan doing, is he taking care of you well?”

               “Why, yes!  Of course, why wouldn’t he be?” Chin answered confidently.

               “Well him being single an’ all.  And I don’t think he really loves you!  I mean, think about it, how much time does he spend with you?”

               “Well, not that much, but....”

               “See? He just makes you get his lunch and clean up his room. Whereas here you would get a mother and you wouldn't have to work those little legs of yours so much. But anyway I'm using up your time. You'd better get along to your Father Nathan."  Mr. Lawrel said the last sentence in a mocking tone that made Chin think a bit.

               Soon afterward Chin entered the small room that had been her home for more than a year.  She handed Father Nathan his food, sat down on his creaky bed, and ate her own in silence.  Does he really love me?

 

Treason in the Realm 2

Treason in the Realm

Written November 2010 

(section 2 of 2)

by Kimberly

            As dusk fell, the guards set out for Pull-Yur-Fur inn.  They were lead by Edgar the Grumpy, a fierce black dog who had won several battles for the king.  Carefully they got in their positions around the Inn and listened intently.  Fur-Ball the Tiger-Eyed was speaking.

            “Now that our plans are made, we must return home and wait until the appointed time.”

            Edgar the Grumpy inwardly sighed.  They had missed it, he thought, now the only evidence was what the chihuahua could give.

            “Wait!” came a sly voice silencing Edgar’s thoughts. “If we are to capture the king tomorrow, who will be in charge of fighting the guards?”

            “You may be in charge of that if you wish,” Fur-Ball easily granted.

            “Thank you,” replied the sly voice.  From within the inn came the sounds of chairs being moved as the cats prepared to leave.  With the inn fully surrounded, Edgar the Grumpy gave the order for his smaller group to advance into the inn.

            “You are under arrest for high-treason!” Edgar declared as they entered. Immediately the place was in an uproar.  One of the guards shouted to another in the midst of it, “It’s well named the Pull-Yur-Fur Inn!”  The cats were screeching, scratching, hollering, meowing, running, and jumping out of the windows and doors.

            The guards' orders were to capture Heart-Breaker, Fur-Ball the Tiger-Eyed, Horrid-Joe, and the five main supporters whose names the chihuahua had given to the captain of the guard. 

            When all the noise finally settled, the Inn was empty and the guards held captive the eight offenders, who were quickly marched to jail to await their trial.

            At the trial the cats could produce no convincing evidence of innocence, so sentences were quickly issued.  Heart-Breaker, Horrid-Joe, and Fur-Ball the Tiger-Eyed were to be drowned in a nearby river the following morning.  The five others simply had to swim across it.

            Despite the chilly morning, many animals arrived to see the last of Horrid-Joe, Fur-Ball, and Heart-Breaker.  The citizens watched with mixed feelings of relief and horror as the three evil plotters sunk beneath the water.  The five other cats then bravely swam across the icy river, but never again wanted to get into water of any sort.

            From then on in remembrance of how the water had closed so coldly over the traitors’ heads, mother cats warned their kittens never to swim in the river.  The tradition soon spread so that within a few short years most cats would avoid contact with any water if possible.  The present generation of cats probably doesn’t have a clue why they hate water, but now you know.

            As the story of how the three traitor cats were caught and drowned was passed on from generation to generation, the tension between dogs and cats seemed to grow.  Many years after the good king had died, a civil war split the kingdom into two nations: one ruled by dogs and the other by cats.  A group of dogs developed that would make sport of chasing cats.  It became such a popular game that these days only especially genial dogs don’t chase cats.

            Whenever you see a dog chasing a cat, or a cat fearfully avoiding water, remember Fur-Ball the Tiger-Eyed, Heart-Breaker, Horrid-Joe, the king who always tried to be just, and Edgar the Grumpy.

The End

Treason in the Realm

Treason in the Realm

Written November 2010

(section 1 of 2)

by Kimberly

Have you ever wondered why cats seem shy or even scared of water?   

How about why dogs chase cats?

               Well, read this story for in it might be the answers.

Once long, long ago in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a king who tried to rule his dominion justly.  Now, his kingdom was not the kingdom one may think of, not of humans that is.  He ruled a kingdom of animals.  He himself was a regal golden retriever.  His wise brow would sometimes darken as his subjects would humbly present a case of injustice before him.  He was known far and wide as the Just King.    One fair autumn day a Chihuahua entered the king’s court and squeaked:

            “Your Highness!  I have made a great discovery that may interest you.  BUT it must be told in great secrecy!”

            “Is that so?” mused the noble king.  His head was bent in the familiar way, with one glossy ear raised in thoughtfulness.

            “Very well,” the king consented.  The fair golden retriever sauntered into his private counsel chamber, as the Chihuahua pattered beside him.  When the heavy sound-proof door was closed, the king turned and asked,

            “So what is this great discovery?

            “Well, sire, it is not so very great,” the Chihuahua chirped.

            “But you said…”

            “I beg your pardon, your Highness, what I mean is that it is not very good news.  Indeed it is rather disturbing.”

            “Oh?” The king’s golden brows drew together questioningly.

            “Sire,” the small dog began somberly, “I have discovered a plot against your majesty.  You see, I was hurrying home only a few nights ago, but as I scurried past the Wild Cat Tavern, I heard loud meows and shouting.  I knew that those cats had been drinking again, so I hurried passed.”

            “Good idea,” murmured the king.

            “But then, your Majesty, I heard something that made my blood nearly boil.  One of the cats shouted, ‘Oh! Don’t fear, I’ll have that king down in no time! Indeed, he’s a weakling! How would it be to have a rule of cats?!’”

            “I was indignant!” continued the Chihuahua, “Indeed, I was horrified. ‘Treason!’ I breathed from my place near the Tavern.  Then I heard a great clatter of dishes and cheers from those drunken cats. Well, your Highness, I have been keeping an eye on those cats, with the help of trusted friends, and we have discovered who their leaders are.”

            “Oh?” commented the king, not quite sure what to think of this new information.

            “Sire, there are three main plotters, five main supporters, and a mass of uncivilized cats who simply follow because it sounds exciting.  I believe that as soon as it doesn’t seem appealing to part of the mutiny, this mass will change and once again become content under your noble rule.”
            “Ah, but my friend,” inserted the king, “the trouble comes in doing justice to the plotters.”

            “But I have their names so it should be easy to…”

            “No, you see, if the punishment is a whisker too harsh the cats are sure to be bitter against our rule and it will only be a matter of time before they get their revenge.  But if the penalty is not severe enough it may not prevent another uprising, or it may cause the dogs or other animals to believe that I favor the cats because of my lenience.”  The king sat a moment in thoughtful silence before he asked,

            “May I have their names?”

            “Of course, sire. The main three are Fur-Ball the Tiger-Eyed, Heart-Breaker, and Horrid-Joe.”

            “Oh? But Fur-ball the Tiger-Eyed is in my court!”

            “Treason!” shouted the easily excitable chihuahua.

            “Yes…But are you sure these are the ones?”

            “Very sure, sire.”

            “Hmm… Well, you should return home, but do not tell anyone what you have just disclosed to me. I do not want any bad consequences falling upon you.”

            “Yes, sire. The conspirators will be gathering at Pull-Yur-Fur Inn tomorrow night just after dark in order to put some final touches on their plan.  If I may suggest, sire, you may want to listen to their plans a little before you capture them so that you have enough evidence.”

            “Very thoughtful.  I thank you for informing me of this matter.”

            The chihuahua bowed and left the king to his thoughts. Shortly afterwards the king called an assembly of his most trusted guards and they made a plan. 

(to be continued in the next post)

Blog dedication

For a number of months I've wanted to post some of the stories I've written.  I figured the best way to do it would be to dedicate a whole blog to it.  I hope you enjoy this new blog!