“Amen!” Mr. deWit, the math teacher, ended his prayer and dismissed the class with, “Have a great Christmas vacation.”  The students dashed out, free to enjoy the holidays.

“Right!” grumbled Sylvia as she made her way past the faded Christmas decorations surrounding the door.  She dreaded the start of this vacation, because of Sunday!  “Have a nice vacation, yourself,” she mumbled. “Bah humbug!”

*     *     *     *

     William, busy as usual, performed his angel work which, of course, is doing the work of the Father.  Children need protecting, after all, and Sylvia needed special attention these days.

*    *     *     *

       “I don’t want to go to Grampa Peterson’s again!”, she spouted to Maria as they stepped from the bus.  Snowflakes melted on Sylvia’s long dark hair as she and Maria walked down the side of the road.  “Why me?  Why can’t he just, just….hire someone else to dust and shovel snow and –.”  A passing car splashed slush from the street in their direction showering her like a waterfall.  The soggy snow smacked Sylvia, soaking her socks.

Because of her duties at Grampa Peterson’s she missed most of the rehearsals for the town’s Christmas program, the biggest event of the year, held the Sunday morning before Christmas. Rehearsals began six weeks ago, under the able direction of Mrs. Myrtle Smoot.  Sylvia tried out for the youth solo.  She wasn’t chosen, because she couldn’t be at all the practices.  She was stuck in a corner of the junior choir, and Becky Burnbaum would be the featured junior soloist with the adult choir!  Sylvia was steamed!

Sylvia’s mood improved somewhat by the time she reached Grampa’s house.  She loved Grampa Peterson and was always polite.  She worked hard for the old man.  Gramma died only a few months ago, and at seventy-two his arthritis slowed him down.

Grampa Peterson knew Sylvia was skipping practices.  Sylvia’s mother made her help out after school every Monday and Thursday.  Today, of all days, Grampa needed her to help decorate the house for Christmas — on the day of the dress rehearsal for the fantastic Christmas Show!

[to be continued…]