Love is a Language

Christmas Presents

December sped by quickly, the days filled with Christmas activities and adventures in the snow. Miss Trelawny took them on field trips to the downtown area and Main Street so they could see all the Christmas decorations. Pierre was fascinated by one of the window displays, which had a collection of paintings depicting beautiful angels as they sang or flew through the air with beautiful wings unfurling from their backs. Henry had to tug a little harder on his hand so that he would face forward and speed up so they could catch up to the group. When he asked Pierre which picture he liked the best, Pierre got a dreamy look on his face. "I don't know," he said slowly, "but I would like to do art beautiful like that." He wore a faraway gaze the rest of that particular trip, and when they got back to the orphanage he begged Miss Trelawny for some paper and a pencil so he could try to draw.

Henry decided that he liked watching Pierre draw. He wasn't a very good artist quite yet, but he could copy what he saw really well. He covered sheets of paper with drawings of slightly-crooked Christmas trees (copied from the one standing proudly in the orphanage), misshapen Christmas presents (from a picture book Henry had read), and stick-figure angels that had bent halos (also from a picture book). Henry liked how pleased Pierre looked with what he drew. Even if something didn't turn out quite right, he was still proud of what he did. Henry was sure that Pierre was going to be an amazing artist one day.

Miss Trelawny took the children out in small groups of three or four twice a week to let them find small gifts to give to each other. Most of the time they gave each other the little crafts they made during art time, but sometimes they would go to the little dollar shops or secondhand stores to find something that they couldn't make themselves. Miss Trelawny did her best to mix up the children so that their friends wouldn't see them getting anything. Only a few children actually bought something since they already had a gift made, but they took advantage of the field trip to find thing to put on their Christmas lists for Santa Claus.

Pierre went out with the third group of kids, but he didn't buy anything. He'd already made his gifts for everyone else, and he was in the process of drawing a picture for Henry's gift. With Miss Trelawny's permission, he walked over to the shop that had the pictures of the angels in the window. He slipped inside the shop behind an older couple and wandered around inside, his blue eyes wide with wonder. There were so many beautiful artworks inside, and every time he thought he found a favorite he would find a new one that would claim that spot until another one took its place. He found himself lingering by a group of paintings depicting mermaids and of humans with glorious wings. He wanted to draw pictures that beautiful when he was older. Hopefully, Henry would think the picture he was drawing for him was as beautiful as the ones he was seeing now.

When Miss Trelawny finally came to tell him it was time to go, she found him peering up at a charcoal drawing of a shipwreck in a storm. He looked up when he felt her hand gently touch his shoulder and smiled brightly at her. "I'm going to do that when I'm grown up," he announced, pointing up at the artwork. "I'm going to make beautiful pictures too." Miss Trelawny patted him on the head (she would have ruffled it, but it was covered by a hat at the moment) and assured him that she believed he would too before steering him out of the shop with a firm but loving hand. She could hear him telling a few of the other members of his group all about the art inside the shop as they walked back to the orphanage.

Henry went with the last group a week before Christmas. He had seen a present in the dollar shop the first time they'd gone downtown, and he was hoping that he could get it for Pierre. He had seen a cord bracelet with a sideways eight on it and asked Miss Trelawny what it was. When she told him that it was the sign for infinity, which meant forever, he knew that he wanted to get that for Pierre. It was going to be really small, but he hoped he would still like it. He wondered if someone had bought it already. What if they had? What would he do then? He tried not to think about it, but the fear fluttered in his belly as they walked to the store.

When they got inside he made a beeline for the last place he had seen the bracelet. He searched all over for it, his panic rising when he still couldn't find it. Miss Trelawny, noticing that Henry was about to go into hysterics, hurried over and asked him what was the matter. He tried to tell her that he couldn't find the bracelet, but he felt himself starting to cry out of frustration and had to stop talking so he wouldn't burst into tears. What was he going to do? If he really couldn't find the bracelet then he didn't have anything to give to Pierre. He'll be so mad at me, he thought in anguish. I won't have time to make him something, and I only wanted to get him that bracelet! He'll be so mad at me for not getting him a present!

However, Miss Trelawny had a secret talent that manifests in all adults when the children they look after can't seem to find something. She had the ability to make the object magically reappear in a place that the child knew hadn't been there before because they had looked there just a second ago. So, with this magical talent, she was able to find the elusive bracelet Henry had been searching for hiding behind its fellow corded bracelets hanging just above Henry's head. She took it down and gently placed it in the little boy's hand. "Were you looking for this?" she asked, an eyebrow slightly raised in amusement.

Henry peeked down at the object he'd felt her place in his hand. When he realized what it was he practically tackled the woman in a hug, thanking her over and over again for magically finding the bracelet. She returned his hug with a gentle laugh before releasing him and getting to her feet. She guided Henry to where the others were waiting to have their presents purchased. Henry beamed happily when he saw his present get put into the bag with the other little trinkets that had been bought. Now Pierre wouldn't hate him because he didn't have a present. He'd love the bracelet, and he'd give him a big hug to say thank you. He couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he opened his present on Christmas Day.
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Author's Note:  Sorry this is so short, guys.  I'm super tired, but I wanted to make sure I had something for you guys before I crashed.  :P