True Blessings

Chapter Nine

The flooding in Texas was top news for the next week and Sammy would join Christie to watch it each evening, hoping the news would give an idea how long the guardsman were needed.

By Friday, however, his longing to have his dad home became overshadowed by the tragic events he heard on the news. He watched as two girls, sisters, spoke through tears about watching a cooler, containing the turkey they were to cook for Thanksgiving, bobbing in the raging current as it was swept downriver.

"Dad was brining it in the cooler," one said, sobbing.

As she spoke, her name appeared on the bottom of the screen, also showing she was eleven. Her sister was twelve.

Sammy looked at Alice and Pete, sitting on the sofa next to him. "They're our age. If they lived here, they'd be schoolmates."

Alice nodded.

"They didn't even get to celebrate Thanksgiving," he said, shaking his head. "Their dinners washed away and they could only watch! That's awful!"

He looked at Christie. "What will this mean for their Christmas? I'm sitting here worried I may not have Dad home for Christmas but they may not have a home to celebrate it in!"

"Or presents," Pete said, quietly. "They'll spend Christmas sorting through what remains of their homes. Their gifts will be finding something important was saved."

Anger showed on Sammy's face and Christie saw Arnold in him.

Smiling, she took his hand and squeezed it. "But they have their lives and their families. Fortunately, deaths haven't climbed above twenty."

Sammy nodded slowly. "At least Dad is down there helping – doing something. I wish I could."

"I do too," Alice said.

"If I could," Pete said, "I'd spend the weekend roasting bunches of turkeys for them, giving them a late Thanksgiving.

Christie was quiet a moment, then smiled. "You can help."

"How?"

"When I visited Elenore, Wednesday, I noticed the church had a large banner up advertising they were accepting food and clothing donations for the Red Cross. Let's go print some fliers."

"Fliers?"

"Yes, we'll help pass the word!"

The next morning, Sammy, Pete, Alice, Ann, Gabe, Walt, Fred and other friends began visiting businesses in the downtown area.

"Can I help you?" the manager of Petrello's Grocery asked after Sammy and Alice had requested seeing him.

Sammy handed him a flier, remembering what Grampa had told him to say, reminding him to be mannerly.

"Sir, we are going to all Northwood businesses and asking them to please mount this flier somewhere customers can see it. The Northwood Community Church is accepting donations for the flood victims of Texas and we want all in Northwood to know."

The manager read the flier, nodded, then handed it to an assistant manager who joined him.

"Mary, can you make copies of this and have it hung at each register and customer service?"

"Yes, I can," Mary said, taking the flier.

Smiling, the manager turned back to Sammy and Alice, pulling four chocolate bars from a display. He handed two to Alice and the other two to Sammy.

"You are doing a wonderful thing on a Saturday morning when you could be home in bed or in front of cartoons. Did the church ask you to do this?"

"No," Sammy said, "My grampa, Christie Haines thought it up. My dad is in Texas with the Guard, and I wanted to help."

"How sweet!" exclaimed a cashier nearby, hearing him. "Are they seeking money donations, also? I have a change jar nearly full. I'll take it to the Coin Star and bring the coupon!"

Sammy smiled. "Thank you! We have other stores to visit. Have a wonderful day!"

"You also," the manager said.

As they left, Sammy dared put an arm around Alice, giving her a quick hug.

"Now I feel as if I'm doing something!"

He was about to let go but Alice put her arm around him and lay her head on his shoulder.

"I feel as if I am, too!" she said. "Your grampa had a great idea!"

Sammy sighed, happily.

But walking along the sidewalk was difficult and they separated, but it had felt wonderful, he thought.

Unknown to him, Alice felt the same.

******

All stores had been visited by early afternoon and, by late afternoon, donations began arriving at the Northwood Community Church.

Built from brick and with a flat roof, the church looked more like a municipal building than church. A large playground, including a baseball diamond and basketball court, lay behind the church.

But inside the main entrance and beyond the foyer was a large hall containing the nave, twenty-four lines of pews, separated by an aisle, facing a modest chancel, the pulpit only inches above the floor, with a lectern standing in the middle and several wooden chairs with padded seats to the right of the lectern.

To the immediate right in the foyer, doors led to a small dining room with tables and chairs.

The dining room buzzed from activity as many church members sorted donations – a happy, joyful buzz including laughter. An older man was humming Christmas carols as he pulled items from a box.

"Christie!" Pastor Elenore exclaimed. "Such a wonderful idea! We are receiving more donations now than received all week! Thank you!"

"You have to thank Sammy, Alice and their friends," Christie said, proudly putting her hands on both their shoulders. "They did most the legwork!"

Elenore shook their hands. "Wonderful work, Sammy and Alice. Please thank your friends when you see them.

"Come, let me show you the magic," Elenore said, turning for a door leading outside.

There, a fifty-two foot trailer sat, its rear doors open as a man and woman lifted boxes from a pile on the ground and slid them on the bed of the trailer. Three men inside the trailer moved the boxes to the front of the trailer.

"See," Elenore said. "In one day we've filled a-quarter of the truck. It took all week to get one-half!"

"But we're only part of this," Alice said, taking Sammy's hand. "The community is giving!"

"Yes," Christie said, "But you young people started it."

She hugged Sammy, who leaned into her, smiling.