A Plea and the Two Witnesses by James Gerard (best fiction novels to read TXT) 📕

Wait, why am I writing you?  Oh, the questions.  Well never mind answering them because I suddenly realize you answered them long ago.  Please forgive me once again for not remembering you are always there with me even though I am lost from time to time.  THANKS for the help and especially thanks for being my best friend,

All my love to you: Plea from a Lost Soul

Excitement sent Kenny zigzagging through the crowd of giants hoping to catch a good look at the colorful cloud slowly moving down the avenue.  Finally, an opening through the forest of giants was just ahead and he raced to the spot.

Kenny stood in amazement.   Giant red and white candy canes beckoned him to come up for a lick of the sugary mint.  He stood hypnotized by the dancing of red and green glittery fingers of strands swaying in the breeze.  All around the floating cloud were elves wearing funny looking green and red hats, pointed green shoes, and standing tall and straight in green coats and pants that looked more like pajamas.  They all stood tall while waving and smiling as if to tell him and him alone, that Santa could not wait to meet the little boy who had written him such a sweet and loving letter.  To hug the boy who had left a plate of cookies, a tall glass of cold milk and a thick and fluffy blanket just in case Santa needed some extra warmth in the cold and windy night.

And to his joy, there was a personal note from Santa next to the empty plate and glass and the blanket.  He smiled so wide when his mommy read Santa’s written words of love.  Santa took time out of his busy schedule to thank him for the cookies and milk.  Mommy also read that Misses Claus made sure Santa had enough warm clothing to keep him nice and toasty in the open sleigh.  And not only was Santa kind enough to leave the letter, he also left the toy train that Kenny wrote him about.

Kenny stared down the street.   Butterflies flying about in the stomach only reminded him of his wish to see the man that was as good as any man there ever was or is or could be.    The butterflies began to fly about his stomach at a fast and furious pace.   Just the thought of seeing Jolly ol’ Nick had him dance up and down with jittery legs and goofy giggles.

Kenny knew Santa had to be close because his faithful elves had just floated by on a cloud.  He could only imagine how he would look.  First there would be the faithful reindeer slowly flying by towing Santa’s sleigh.  Rudolph with his nose so bright would be up front because Santa needed a light to see the way in the dark night and all the snow falling from the clouds.  Then Santa, all dressed up in a red suit and black belt and shoes, smiling and waving, bellowing out his ‘ho ho ho’ to all the little kids that adored him, would light up the spirit of the day with his rosy cheeks and dazzling eyes.

“Where is he?” Kenny asked his daddy.

His daddy did not say a word.

He looked up to ask his dad again but noticed there was something terribly wrong.

“Daddy!” he whimpered.

All of a sudden his family was gone.  Tears poured out of his eyes.  His daddy and mommy and all his brothers and sisters were nowhere to be found.  They had abandoned him, left him alone in a world filled with mean monsters which looked to hurt little boys and girls when they were all alone.  A spirit of fear came up to paralyze him with the thought that he was all alone and there would be no one to help the lost little boy.   He stood alone and trembled as the thought that the boogeyman was waiting to hurt him when nighttime came. 

“Mommy!” he cried.

 But the voice of his mommy was not heard.  There was no response at all.  All he could hear was the laughter of children and the blaring of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ from one of the floats passing by.  All he could see were other mommies and daddies pointing out the floating clouds to their kids. 

Turning around Kenny stared down a very long alleyway that stretched for what seemed like miles.   And just like that the tears stopped.  All of a sudden he was not scared.  As he looked down the alley a spirit of adventure came on him.  All the worries of being lost and all the sad feelings of never seeing his mommy or daddy or brothers and sisters again just melted away.  Without thinking his feet stepped into and down the alley.  He did not know why or how he had done so, but he knew there was nothing to be afraid of.  And even more than that, Kenny realized that somehow and in some way he was going to find the way home.

With the excitement of the Christmas day parade fading away, Kenny found himself surrounded by backyards to both the left and the right.  The first few looked like they were filled with plants and trees of the darkest forests and jungles.   And undoubtedly, he believed, they were all filled with tigers and lions and bears.  Luckily, he noticed all the mean animals were locked away behind metal fences.   Eyes looked for the monkey people flying above in the sunny sky.  He knew from watching television that the bad witch used them to take a little girl to the very dark castle of the bad witch.  He had no doubt that she wanted to lock him up in a dark room so she could steal his brand new tennis shoes.  But as he stared into the sunny sky all he could see was a big airplane.

Feeling a little hungry Kenny looked to a big tree behind a grated fence.  While he giggled, he tiptoed up to the fence then stuck out his tongue hoping it might throw him an apple to eat.  When the tree did not throw any apples at him, or for that matter say anything to him, he shouted “hey tree,” but the tree just stood there doing and saying nothing. 

He continued to skip down the alley passing backyard after backyard.  He was not even thinking about any dangers.  In fact, as he skipped along, he saw no other mommies or daddies or kids.  Not only that, there were no cars or that big and noisy trash truck with its nice and friendly strong men lifting the metal trashcans and dumping all the dirty stuff into the back.  They must be at the parade too, he thought.

And in an instant there it was.  His eyes looked at the most beautiful thing in the world.  And it was just laying there waiting for him.  Wow! he thought.  In its shimmering face was the reflection of a telephone pole right by its side.  It called to him.  He could hear the invitation to come to it and jump in.  But then he remembered what his daddy said when they went to the beach, ‘not to go too far into the waves or you will drown.’  Wondering how deep the water was he threw a couple of small rocks onto the surface but the water only splashed and rippled.  Finding a twig, he put one end in the water to see how deep it was but his fingers got wet before the twig touched bottom. The temptation to jump in still was there.  But then he figured his mommy would be mad when he came home all wet and decided to continue the adventure.

Coming to a street, Kenny knew to stop like his mommy and daddy had told him to do.  He could see that the alley continued on the other side and knew that is where he was supposed to go.  He took a few steps over to the rounded part of the curb and stood there looking both ways for any cars.  He remembered his mommy and daddy telling him ‘to always look very carefully when you cross the street or else a car will hit you.’ Kenny also remembered what the nice policeman taught him and his friends in Misses Kraft’s kindergarten class.  He said they were ‘always supposed to cross the street where there are traffic lights, but if there are no traffic lights, then to look very carefully before you step off the curb.’  He stood there and whispered, “I’m a big boy now.  I am five years old.”   Kenny was so proud of himself for knowing how to cross a street without a traffic light.  Following the advice of all, Kenny looked very carefully for cars then stepped onto the street and slowly walked to the other side.

Now there were even more backyards filled with wondrous forests and leafy jungles.  He imagined them filled with friendly chimpanzees and knew that Tarzan and Jane were somewhere around swinging from tree to tree making sure that no boy or girl got hurt by any mean lions and snakes.

Without a care in the world Kenny all of a sudden noticed cars zipping by the entrance to the alley just up ahead.  He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him.  Coming out of the alley he suddenly saw buildings that looked familiar.  Then a big, bright smile showed up on his face.  Kenny turned to the right; for he knew that was the way that would take him home.

Text: James Gerard Burch
Images: Right to use purchased from NikkiZalwski-Fotolia.com
Editing: James Gerard Burch
Publication Date: 08-05-2014

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