IN TIMES LONG GONE

 

IN TIMES LONG GONE

“We have a son! I will teach him to be a good carpenter.”

“Are you sure? I know you promised but ...”

“Hush, Mary – I meant every word.”

She slept until voices woke her. “Find another shelter – my wife’s just had a baby.”

“The angel told us – that’s why we’re here.”

She moved her cloak aside, and weathered faces worshipped while baby hands bestowed blessings. But Joseph was protective. “You’ve seen him – now leave us in peace.”

“We all wish for peace,” they said, and returned to their flocks, leaving a lamb to warm mother and child.

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I was determined to squeeze a Christmas story out of whatever image Rochelle chose this week, and it was a struggle, but I hope you like it.

Too many people have talked and written about 'These Difficult Times' that I won't add to them, except to say that nothing can 'Cancel Christmas'. It will be different. For most of us it will be much quieter, which for some may be no bad thing. For others it will be sad, and they have my sympathy - I will not be able to visit my mother in her nursing home. But we will still celebrate whatever we believe in - the birth of Christ, or simply the love of family and friends - and it will be Christmas, despite Covid. 

Have a good one.

STABLE - a Christmas story

STABLE

“We have a son! I will teach him to be a good carpenter.”

“Are you sure? I know you promised but . . .”

“Hush, wife – I meant every word – now sleep.”

She lay back on the straw holding her son to her breast and slept until voices woke her.

“Find another shelter – my wife’s just had a baby.”

“We know; we were told to come – we’ll leave the flock outside.”

She moved her veil aside to show the child, and weathered faces worshipped while his baby hands bestowed blessings.

“You’ve seen him,” Joseph said, “Now leave us in peace.”

“We all wish for peace,” they said and departed, leaving a lamb behind – mother and baby snuggled into its warm fleece and were comforted.

Later, more visitors came, rivalling the star-shine with their gifts, and as Joseph hid the treasures from thieves his last doubts vanished - Mary’s story of an angel was true.

That night Mary woke weeping. “I had a dream,” she sobbed into Joseph’s arms and he said, only half in jest, “Not another one!”

“I dreamed he was sold for thirty pieces of silver.”

“Our son will be a simple carpenter, wife – who would sell him?”

                                                             *********************

There's no 100 word challenge this week, so I chose a story that I wrote a year ago in response to a different forum's challenge to write 200 words inspired by the word SILVER.

The photograph I have used is of the crib at Reina Sofia Airport in Tenerife, where I live.

Thank you for reading my blog, and for the lovely comments I have received over the year.

I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL 2015.