Beyond C – Part 4

 Good morning, Readers,

I think it's supposed to be sunny today. Right now the sun hasn't fully come up yet. I wouldn't mind a sunny day.

This week has been filled with a lot of Camp stuff. Yep, KDWC opened her doors on Monday and Camp started on Wednesday. We have over 50 campers for our first ever mini-camp. I've been able to get some good writing on "Lawrence & Lenexa." It was hard getting past my stuck part and figuring out where to go next, but things are moving along now. I really hope to publish this story this year. Would you be excited about that?

Yesterday was the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century. Someone mentioned it at camp and all sorts of ideas were tossed around about what we could do. It was finally decided that anyone who wanted to would write a 21 word story. I wasn't sure I could, but I did. Want to read it? Of course that would mean you get a double feature today. 😉 Here you are:

    A scream split the air. It was my scream. I hadn't meant to. Then arms held me safe. My Daddy was there.

 And now for the featured story.

Beyond Comfort

Part 4

    Scooting over to the wall, Jessica just sat quietly a few minutes, then began to sing. Since she had last been to China she had learned to sing “Jesus Loves Me” in Chinese, and now sang it softly.
    And then she sang it again. Over and over she sang the song. The other babies and their caregivers disappeared from the room to eat, but still Jessica sat and sang. Finally, when the room was empty and quiet and when her voice didn’t want to sing any more, Jessica reached out to the child again and smiled.
    The tiny child looked at her but didn’t shrink into the corner even when Jessica slowly leaned forward and brushed back a bit of the girl’s black hair from her face.
    “Will you let me hold you, baby?” Jessica asked in English. “I won’t hurt you.” Tenderly, she lifted the girl into her lap. “You need a name, baby,” she whispered, rocking from side to side. “What should we call you?” As she rocked, Jessica hummed and thought. She didn’t want a normal name, she wanted a special name for this wee tot.
    All at once, she tipped her head and looked into the little face so filled with conflicting emotions. “Cherish. That’s what I’ll name you.” She pressed a light kiss on the child’s forehead. “Little Cherish.”

    “Jessica?”
    Trying to turn without disturbing the sleeping child in her lap was difficult. “Yes?” she whispered.
    Miss Pendleton came into the room. She stopped short with a quick intake of breath. “She let you hold her without screaming?”
    “I named her Cherish. Is that all right?”
    “Cherish.” Miss Pendleton smiled. “Yes, I’m sure that’s all right. Lunch is nearly over. I was sent to bring you.”
    Jessica looked down at Cherish. “Can I bring her with me?”
    For a moment Miss Pendleton hesitated. Then she nodded. “Perhaps if she wakes up, you can get her to eat. She has been refusing most of the food offered her, even her bottle.”
    “Poor baby,” Jessica murmured, shifting the child and wondering how she was going to stand up. Miss Pendleton helped her and soon she was heading toward the dining room.
    Before they reached it, however, Dr. Lewis met them in the hall. He looked at Jessica and then moved to the side and looked at the sleeping face of the child who had snuggled her head against Jessica’s neck. “Have you gotten her to eat yet?”
    “No,” admitted Jessica. “I just got her to let me hold her, and I named her.”
    He shook his head. “That’s more than anyone else has done.” Looking at Miss Pendleton, he said, “Can you make sure Jessica has something to feed–” He broke off and raised one eyebrow curiously.
    “Cherish.”
    “–Cherish when she wakes up?”
    “Of course.”

    All the rest of the day Jessica took care of Cherish. She coaxed her to eat a little and drink most of her milk. She sang to her, and changed her, and when evening came and it was time for the babies to be put to bed, she sat beside her crib stroking her hair and singing until Cherish was asleep.
    Walking back to the guest house, Jessica found Melody and Eric walking with her.
    “How’s that baby?” Eric asked.
    Jessica knew which baby he was talking about. “She was sleeping when I left. The poor little thing. She kept looking up at me as though trying to understand all the problems and suffering she’s gone through.”
    “Where did she come from?” Melody asked.
    Pausing before they reached the door, Jessica looked back at the lights of the orphanage. “I don’t know.”
    Eric opened the door for them and they all went inside.
    That night Jessica lay awake for a long time. Part of it was the time change, but part of it she knew was little Cherish. She prayed for the girl who had already touched her heart; she prayed for a forever home for her. How Jessica wished she could provide that home. “Some day,” she breathed into the quiet night, “I want to adopt.”

    The next morning, Jessica hurried to the other building to see Cherish.
    “She’s been crying for an hour,” Miss Pendleton said, looking relieved to see Jessica. “Perhaps you can calm her.”
    Slipping into the room, Jessica instantly went to the crib where her baby lay crying. “Hey,” she said softly, reaching down and lifting the upset child. “It’s all right,” she soothed.
    But Cherish struggled and fought the loving arms that held her.
    “Cherish,” Jessica said, speaking a little louder. There was no response or recognition, so she began to sing.

“Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak, but He is strong.”

    Cherish stopped fighting.
    “Yes, Jesus loves me,” Jessica sang, “Yes, Jesus love me.”
    The crying eased.
    “Yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.” As she finished the song, Jessica realized she had sung it in English. Glancing down and realizing that Cherish hadn’t relaxed, she started the song again, only this time in Chinese.
    Gradually, Cherish relaxed and rested her head on Jessica’s shoulder; worn out from her crying, her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

    All that day Jessica took care of Cherish. She took her outside and swang on a swing with her in her lap. Once she tried to get her to let one of the “aunties” hold her, but Cherish clung tightly to Jessica’s shirt or hair and refused to let go. Melody came over and by dint of much work and time, finally persuaded the little girl that she was almost as nice as Jessica.
    “She likes me,” Melody exclaimed softly, delighted to finally hold Cherish. “Well, maybe I should say she doesn’t dislike me.”
    Jessica laughed. “Maybe if you sing to her she’ll like you better. That’s what I did.”
    “But I can’t sing in Chinese.”
    “Sing in English then. She doesn’t seem to care.” And Jessica stood up from the swing to let one of the children have a turn.
    Melody looked self-conscious. “I don’t have a great voice even if my name is Melody.” But she started to sing a familiar children’s song.

Have you ever written a 21 word story?

Do you think I should make it longer?

Have you ever tried singing to a crying child?