I am really writing this yesterday late morning. (Okay, okay, so my grammar is really bad.) I suppose it is almost noon, so it will soon be afternoon. :) I wasn't sure if I'd have time in the morning to post since we will be leaving for our annual Christmas get-together with Mom's side of the family. We won't be back home until the 1st. But, since I'll have a computer, I will be posting something next Friday.
This will be the last post before Christmas, so I wish you all a wonderfully blessed merry Christmas!
P.S. You can still leave comments. (hint, hint) I'd love to know what you think of the rest of this story especially since it is supposed to go in "Ria and the Gang."
Now it is today and since I had a little time, I thought I'd get on here quickly. Last night my bother and his family came over for supper and presents. Such fun! Goof Ball (almost 4) couldn't wait to give me my present! I wish I had a picture to show you. They were red slipper socks with stuffed Santa heads on them. :) I had to put them on right away and wear them all evening. :) For their family present, I had written clues that they had to follow to find the gift. Pickle Puss (5) thought it was a great game.
Well, we'll be off to Grandma's in a little while. Going to go finish packing.The W and B Christmas
Part 4
Waking later, Ria felt refreshed and began to wonder what to do with herself. She knew that if she once began to think about what the others were doing out at the farm, she’d begin to cry. But it was hard work. She could hear cheery voices in other rooms and wished she had someone to talk to her. The nurse who came in seemed much too busy to be bothered with one lonely little girl and Dr. Friesen hadn’t come by. For what seemed to her a long time, she lay in quiet solitude. If she could only look out the window, things wouldn’t be so bad, but the curtains were drawn and she couldn’t open them from bed. True, the nurse had told her to ring the bell if she wanted anything, but Ria couldn’t get herself to do it.
“I’m afraid I will cry after all if something doesn’t happen,” she whispered to herself. “This is the worst Christmas I’ve ever had. And the loneliest.”
“Ria?” a voice whispered.
Turning her head quickly, Ria saw Ed peering in the half open door.
“What--?”
“I brought something,” he grinned and moved into the room. After him Pete, Jack, Tom, Al, Will and Phil came trooping in with smiles and “Merry Christmas!”
For a moment Ria was speechless. Then her face broke into smiles and, though there were tears in her eyes, she laughed softly. “How did you manage to get away?”
“Oh, that was easy,” Phil boasted, leaning against the wall with arms crossed while Al pulled up a chair and sat down beside his favorite cousin.
“Will,” Jack beckoned him to the window, the curtains of which he had opened. “Stand here and get ready.”
What was going on? Ria wondered for Jack then slipped out of the door, making sure it was shut behind him. She didn’t ask anything for the others were talking. She didn’t have long to wait, however, for soon Will said in low tones, “There they are.”
Then Phil took over. “Al, Ed, put our coats over Ria. It won’t do for her to catch cold. Tom, guard that door! Will, open the window. There. Now, Pete you have the rope, let it out. Ed, Will, give us a hand here.”
Something was up! Ria knew but didn’t dare ask, for the merry twinkle in her brother’s eyes as well as the grins on all the faces told her she would soon know.
There was a soft scuffling noice outside and Phil called quietly, “Shh. Ed, give him a hand.”
Suddenly Walt’s face appeared in the window and his low but cheerful, “Merry Christmas, Ria!” was no sooner spoken than Ed was half leaning out the window again and then Jimmy crawled in.
Not sure quite what was going on, Ria stiffled a giggle as Winston almost fell into the room head first.
“Sorry, Win,” Pete spoke in hushed tones.
Winston just grinned and began brushing the snow off his coat.
One lad followed another until at last, Jack,the last of the gang, climbed in, the rope was pulled in and the window was shut.
“Sorry,” Tom told her, “we couldn’t get the others on such short notice.”
Shaking her head, Ria giggled softly. “I should have known you would think of something. Now if only you could think of some way to smuggle me out of here and take me to the farm, I’d be the happiest girl in town.”
Jack, always one for adventure and excitement, was ready to try, but the common sense of the older members vetoed the plan. “It would be hazardous to our health if we even tried it,” Pete said looking at his brother, and Jack subsided with a shrug.
Letting her eyes wander with delight over the boys brushing snow off their coats and filliing the room, which only a quarter of an hour before had been so lonely, she spied Dave watching her with a mischievous look. Suddenly he pulled out a snowball from his pocket and began tossing it up in the air and catching it again all the while moving slowly closer and closer to her bed.
Just when Ria felt sure he would throw it at her, Johnny suddenly caught the ball and grasping Dave by his coat collar, shoved him over to where Jack and Pete were standing.
“Here, Jack, sit on him if he doesn’t behave.” Then he opened the window and tossed the ball out where it belonged.
“How are you feeling, Ria?” Ray and Fred had made their way through the throng of lads to Ria’s bedside.
“Still not great, but much better since you all came.”
The talk in the room was almost continuous and all Ria had to do was listen and ask a question now and then, but even that last was hardly necessary with fifteen boys standing and sitting about the room ready to fill in any gaps in the day’s happenings. Ria didn’t hear much of what was said for she was busy thinking. She had never realized just how special the whole gang was to her nor how much she meant to them. A warm feeling stirred at her heart as she glanced at the faces so familiar and thought of all the ones who weren’t there. So many people to love her and care enough to make sure she didn’t spend a lonely day. Then her thoughts drifted to Mary on that first Christmas morning. She had been far away from family and friends. Only her husband had been there. What did Ria have to complain about? Jesus had been with her all the time and Dr. Earl had come in often and the nurse, and her family had stopped by and now the gang had come. “Ria Mitchell,” she told herself, “you don’t have any reason to feel sorry for yourself!”
All at once Phil, who was standing by the door, hissed, “Hush!”
Instantly the room became so silent that the voice of Dr. Earl Friesen could be distinctly heard down the hall talking to someone.
The lads looked at one another. Was he going to come there? What would he say when he discovered the entire room full of boys? “We should have kidnapped Evie,” Winston whispered softly. “She could have kept Earl occupied.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late now,” and Tom glanced at Ed.
“Some of you should hold the door shut while the rest of us escape out the window,” Dave suggested, only to have his brother, Jack, murmur that they’d leave him to hold the door.
Lying in bed, Ria didn’t know if she should laugh at the gang’s predicament or not. Before she could decide, the door to her room opened and in walked Dr. Friesen. No trace of surprise showed in his face at the room full of silent boys. Without a word he shut the door behind him, crossed the room and looked out the window. Every eye was on him. What would he say?
After a long moment of intense silence, in which the lads were beginning to grow uncomfortable, the doctor remarked quietly, “I’d tell you to depart as you came in, but since this is the second story and the snow is rapidly melting, unless you want to end up in a room here yourself, you’d better leave by the back entrance. And make it quickly.”
The boys took the hint and with quick farewells to Ria and hopes that she soon would be better, they departed. Ed lingered after the others. “Don’t fret about missing Christmas, Sis,” Ed whispered as he stooped to drop a kiss on her cheek, “We’re waiting until you get back home.”
Putting her arms around her brother’s neck, she returned the kiss and said, “Thank you. Tell the rest of the gang I said this has been my worst . . . and best, Christmas ever!”
“I’m afraid I will cry after all if something doesn’t happen,” she whispered to herself. “This is the worst Christmas I’ve ever had. And the loneliest.”
“Ria?” a voice whispered.
Turning her head quickly, Ria saw Ed peering in the half open door.
“What--?”
“I brought something,” he grinned and moved into the room. After him Pete, Jack, Tom, Al, Will and Phil came trooping in with smiles and “Merry Christmas!”
For a moment Ria was speechless. Then her face broke into smiles and, though there were tears in her eyes, she laughed softly. “How did you manage to get away?”
“Oh, that was easy,” Phil boasted, leaning against the wall with arms crossed while Al pulled up a chair and sat down beside his favorite cousin.
“Will,” Jack beckoned him to the window, the curtains of which he had opened. “Stand here and get ready.”
What was going on? Ria wondered for Jack then slipped out of the door, making sure it was shut behind him. She didn’t ask anything for the others were talking. She didn’t have long to wait, however, for soon Will said in low tones, “There they are.”
Then Phil took over. “Al, Ed, put our coats over Ria. It won’t do for her to catch cold. Tom, guard that door! Will, open the window. There. Now, Pete you have the rope, let it out. Ed, Will, give us a hand here.”
Something was up! Ria knew but didn’t dare ask, for the merry twinkle in her brother’s eyes as well as the grins on all the faces told her she would soon know.
There was a soft scuffling noice outside and Phil called quietly, “Shh. Ed, give him a hand.”
Suddenly Walt’s face appeared in the window and his low but cheerful, “Merry Christmas, Ria!” was no sooner spoken than Ed was half leaning out the window again and then Jimmy crawled in.
Not sure quite what was going on, Ria stiffled a giggle as Winston almost fell into the room head first.
“Sorry, Win,” Pete spoke in hushed tones.
Winston just grinned and began brushing the snow off his coat.
One lad followed another until at last, Jack,the last of the gang, climbed in, the rope was pulled in and the window was shut.
“Sorry,” Tom told her, “we couldn’t get the others on such short notice.”
Shaking her head, Ria giggled softly. “I should have known you would think of something. Now if only you could think of some way to smuggle me out of here and take me to the farm, I’d be the happiest girl in town.”
Jack, always one for adventure and excitement, was ready to try, but the common sense of the older members vetoed the plan. “It would be hazardous to our health if we even tried it,” Pete said looking at his brother, and Jack subsided with a shrug.
Letting her eyes wander with delight over the boys brushing snow off their coats and filliing the room, which only a quarter of an hour before had been so lonely, she spied Dave watching her with a mischievous look. Suddenly he pulled out a snowball from his pocket and began tossing it up in the air and catching it again all the while moving slowly closer and closer to her bed.
Just when Ria felt sure he would throw it at her, Johnny suddenly caught the ball and grasping Dave by his coat collar, shoved him over to where Jack and Pete were standing.
“Here, Jack, sit on him if he doesn’t behave.” Then he opened the window and tossed the ball out where it belonged.
“How are you feeling, Ria?” Ray and Fred had made their way through the throng of lads to Ria’s bedside.
“Still not great, but much better since you all came.”
The talk in the room was almost continuous and all Ria had to do was listen and ask a question now and then, but even that last was hardly necessary with fifteen boys standing and sitting about the room ready to fill in any gaps in the day’s happenings. Ria didn’t hear much of what was said for she was busy thinking. She had never realized just how special the whole gang was to her nor how much she meant to them. A warm feeling stirred at her heart as she glanced at the faces so familiar and thought of all the ones who weren’t there. So many people to love her and care enough to make sure she didn’t spend a lonely day. Then her thoughts drifted to Mary on that first Christmas morning. She had been far away from family and friends. Only her husband had been there. What did Ria have to complain about? Jesus had been with her all the time and Dr. Earl had come in often and the nurse, and her family had stopped by and now the gang had come. “Ria Mitchell,” she told herself, “you don’t have any reason to feel sorry for yourself!”
All at once Phil, who was standing by the door, hissed, “Hush!”
Instantly the room became so silent that the voice of Dr. Earl Friesen could be distinctly heard down the hall talking to someone.
The lads looked at one another. Was he going to come there? What would he say when he discovered the entire room full of boys? “We should have kidnapped Evie,” Winston whispered softly. “She could have kept Earl occupied.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late now,” and Tom glanced at Ed.
“Some of you should hold the door shut while the rest of us escape out the window,” Dave suggested, only to have his brother, Jack, murmur that they’d leave him to hold the door.
Lying in bed, Ria didn’t know if she should laugh at the gang’s predicament or not. Before she could decide, the door to her room opened and in walked Dr. Friesen. No trace of surprise showed in his face at the room full of silent boys. Without a word he shut the door behind him, crossed the room and looked out the window. Every eye was on him. What would he say?
After a long moment of intense silence, in which the lads were beginning to grow uncomfortable, the doctor remarked quietly, “I’d tell you to depart as you came in, but since this is the second story and the snow is rapidly melting, unless you want to end up in a room here yourself, you’d better leave by the back entrance. And make it quickly.”
The boys took the hint and with quick farewells to Ria and hopes that she soon would be better, they departed. Ed lingered after the others. “Don’t fret about missing Christmas, Sis,” Ed whispered as he stooped to drop a kiss on her cheek, “We’re waiting until you get back home.”
Putting her arms around her brother’s neck, she returned the kiss and said, “Thank you. Tell the rest of the gang I said this has been my worst . . . and best, Christmas ever!”
The end until I write more of "Ria and the Gang."
Thoughts or comments about this story?
1 comment:
enjoyed reading this story!! glad you gave us a preview of Ria & the Gang..:)
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