Like Water, Love Will Find A Way

“I am not going to teach in an orphanage mom!” Maria Palomo argues with her mother.

“Why not?” Mrs. Palomo demands. “You have been to 15 interviews in ten days. You need a job now!”

“Mom,” Maria complains, trying to calm herself, “It’s a sad place.”

“Then bring your own happiness,” her mother suggests walking into the kitchen. The silence pulls her back into the dining room and she stares at her daughter as a light shines on her face. “Baby, are you alright?” her mother asks.

“Yes mom, I will bring my own happiness with me. They are the only ones who called me back, and they are offering me the job.”

“Take it, honey,” her mother encourages.

Ten days later, Maria Palomo accepts the job at St. Francis Orphanage as a Language Arts teacher. There were 18 boys between the ages of 6–14 years old, and 22 girls between the ages of 6–12 years old.

One girl stood out in a class of four boys and five girls. Seven-year-old Crystal Anderson, and for the entire month of September and October, Maria never saw a smile on her face.

Even when they served hamburgers and fries for lunch. The children’s favorite. She always took the empty seat at the back of the lunchroom, and no one bothered her, not even George the giant. He was the bully and most of the children feared his size and presence.

Maria tried to reach out to her, but each time she blocks the entrance with her silence.

As the excitement of Christmas looms and the children become happier, it didn’t affect Crystal.

On a field trip to the park, she sat down on the grass watching while the other children were playing. A lady with a cocker spaniel on a leash was too close, and she reaches out and touches the dog. The dog stops, wags his tail, and licked her hand. The lady stops and gave her a minute with him and Maria saw something she never saw before.

These words flow from her lips without the help of her brain as the lady walked away, “Why are you always so sad?”

The child looks into her eyes, and her sadness touched Maria’s soul with these words, “I miss life and living.”

Crystal’s words punctured Maria’s heart and in tears recounting the events to her mom, she asks, “she is seven years old Mom, she hasn’t lived life yet. How can she miss what she doesn’t know?”

Every Christmas, each child would write a letter to Santa telling him what they want for Christmas. The letter would be shared among the businesses in the community who would contribute to granting Christmas wishes for each child. Maria took Crystal’s letter as each staff was encouraged to help if they can.

“Oh, Mom!” Maria said in tears, “Look what she wants for Christmas,” handing the letter to her mom.

“And we are going to give it to her,” Mrs. Palomo vow after reading it.

On Christmas Eve, the St. Francis Orphanage was busy and filled with excitement. The children were happy and playful, looking at the gifts as they arrived, but, Crystal was still sad. Maria was nervous and followed her around all day while waiting for her mother to come with Crystal’s gift.

A siren pulls her to the window and when she looks out, she saw her mother stepping out of a squad car. She hurried to meet her and was shocked when she saw Family Court Judge Justice Annmarie Townsend with her.

Inside the office, they sat as the judge hands an envelope to the matron and said, “this one is a special delivery.”

She tore it open, read it, then said, “Ok, but I don’t understand, she has been here from birth and she has never written a letter to Santa before?”

“You mean this is her first letter?” Maria asks, trembling, as someone took her hand. It was her mother.

Crystal was bought in and the judge said, “You ask Santa for a mother for Christmas?”

A light appeared in her eyes and she nods.

“Maria is willing to adopt you,” then he went on to explained her adoption.

Tears followed her smile, and she took Maria’s hands and said, “You were sent here as a gift for me. I promise I will be the best daughter a mother would want and I will spend the rest of my life making you as happy, as you just made me.”

All four women hugged her and cried.

Sometimes, life will make the right decisions for us, with the help of love. Because the best part of many of us comes from our heart.

Thank you for reading this piece. I hoped you enjoyed it.

Copyright 2020 by Annelise Lords