Angel Gifts

by Mia Rodriguez

  Alma Aurora eyed her carefully. “Snowy, do you honestly think Jesus would be impressed with these people?”

  Snowy grew pensive for s few moments and then shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “You really don’t know?”

  As Snowy’s sight dropped to the floor, she shrugged her shoulders again.

  “Snowy, I personally know Jesus,” continued Alma Aurora as she placed her finger underneath Snowy’s chin and pulled her face up. “There’s only one way to impress him and I can assure you that it’s never ever about popularity, money, or power. With Jesus, it’s always, always about what’s in your heart and not what’s in your bank account or your fame. Understand?”

  “I think so,” Snowy murmured.

  “Let’s follow his lead, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, okay,” Snowy murmured.

  Chapter 9

  “Let’s check out what’s in people’s hearts before we admire them for their clothes, money, status, prestige, fame, popularity, name or the like,” said Alma Aurora. “What do you think?”

  Snowy sighed. “Yeah, okay.”

  “Follow me to Stewy’s room.”

  As they climbed the steps to his room, Alma Aurora couldn’t help staring at all the expensive Christmas decorations and other décor of the mansion. She knew what everything was worth because London Blair had personally given a tour of her parents’ mansion on her reality show. All the art cost an enormous amount of money. Some of the paintings hanging from the walls were worth millions of dollars. Snowy just couldn’t believe she was seeing these priceless objects in person!

  “Snowy, you’re not really impressed with all this stuff here, are you?” murmured Alma Aurora.

  “Maybe a little impressed,” Snowy said with a small voice. “Last year, we delivered gifts to many mansions, but this one takes the cake.”

  “Would Jesus be impressed by this mansion?”

  “I suppose not,” Snowy mumbled.

  “Why not?”

  “I suppose he must live in an even more luxurious mansion than this one.”

  “You’d be surprised. Actually, he’s more into stables with lots of animals.”

  Snowy’s eyes opened wide in a completely startled expression. “Really, he doesn’t live in a huge palace made of gold?”

  “No.”

  “But he’s Jesus!” Snowy exclaimed, upset. “He should live in a place even better than this one.”

  “Better?”

  “Yes, better! Way better!”

  “Do you think he should’ve been born in a palace instead of a stable, Snowy?” Alma Aurora murmured.

  “Well, no,” muttered Snowy. “I guess that with him having been born in a stable makes him more accessible to us.”

  “Right. Do you think he cared about things—even very expensive and prestigious things?” Alma Aurora questioned.

  “I suppose not.”

  “Right, Snowy. Things are of no particular importance to him. They’re not that valuable no matter their cost, and no matter who says they’re valuable. Things only have the value you humans place on them. Humans have much to learn about what’s truly valuable.”

  “Okay, I’ll try not to be impressed with things.”

  “Your life will be much better and fulfilling if you understand what’s truly important and valuable.”

  “How do I figure that out?” questioned Snowy.

  “You can’t go wrong following Jesus’s lead.”

  “Can it be that simple?”

  “Yes.”

  “Really?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Chapter 10

  “Simple, huh?” questioned Snowy.

  “Yes, I need to warn you of something, though.”

  “What?” Snowy asked with curiosity.

  “Humans often bypass the simple for the complicated.”

  Snowy’s eyebrows came together in a perplexed stance. “Why is that?”

  “Humans like to complicate things.”

  Snow frowned. “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “It isn’t but unfortunately, it’s a twisted type of reality that humans make of their lives.”

  By this time they had arrived at Stewy’s bedroom door. Alma Aurora stood for a few seconds with her hand gripping the door knob.

  “Are you going to open the door?” Snowy questioned.

  “Are you ready for this? It won’t be pretty.”

  Snowy nodded solemnly. “Let’s go in.”

  Alma Aurora turned the knob. Snowy hadn’t known what to expect with the strange way the angel was acting, but it was clear that Stewy’s room was a pretty normal bedroom for a 12-year-old boy. The only difference about it was that it was full of many high end gadgets like a top of the line tablet, TV, and computer. Stewy’s parents certainly bought him the best of everything like they did for their daughter, London Blair.

  Suddenly something moved from a corner of the room. Snowy jumped back out of pure reflex.

  “Don’t be scared, Snowy,” Alma Aurora said, smiling.

  As Snowy’s eyes focused more and adjusted to Alma Aurora’s natural angel glow that kept the darkness from being too dank, she realized the movement from the corner was coming from a dog. With an abrupt jolt she realized that she knew the dog. Snowy quickly eyed the boy soundly asleep in his bed and gasped. The mutt kept coming towards them while wagging his tale but fortunately not barking.

  “I know Stewy from last year!” burst Snowy.

  “I’m glad you remember. You gave him the dog,” asserted Alma Aurora as she bent down to pet the enthusiastic mutt.

  “There were so many kids that I can’t remember everything about that night. Still, I’m surprised I didn’t remember the Worthington mansion when I saw it on TV.”

  “Last year the Worthingtons were in their house in Aspen, Colorado at this time,” Alma Aurora explained.

  “So we didn’t come here?”

  “No.” Alma Aurora waived her hand at the dog. The golden flecks floated around the dog. “Go to sleep, Corky. Snowy and I have a lot of work to do.” The dog scampered over to his corner and promptly fell asleep.

  “I gave Stewy the dog because he was very lonely,” murmured Snowy.

  “That’s right.”

  “Some of his story is coming back to me.”

  “The rest of the sad story will soon be clear. Brace yourself.”

  “You keep saying that. What am I bracing for?” Snowy questioned as she glanced at Stewy.

  “You’ll see.”

  Snowy sighed. “Okay.”

  Chapter 11

  Alma Aurora extended her hand toward Snowy. When Snowy took it and Alma Aurora waved her other hand, the golden flecks immediately started floating. Suddenly, Snowy and the angel were in a room even darker and gloomier than the one they had been to previously.

  “Are we in… in…” Snowy started to say.

  “Yes, we’re in Stewy’s mind.”

  Snowy nodded disconcertedly. The place was so depressing that it was affecting her mood. She looked around and was surprised to come upon a banner like the one inside London Blair’s head and it said the same thing—‘Be worthy of being a Worthington’.

  “Same sign, huh?” asked Alma Aurora, reading her mind.

  “It’s surprising.”

  “Not really. Check under the sign.”

  This time it was Snowy who jumped up and tore the banner down. To her astonishment underneath was also the same sign as before —‘Am I good enough’? “Wow!” It was all she could manage to say.

  “I told you, Snowy. Most human beings grapple with this.”

  Like in London Blair’s mind, the first banner came back up by itself.

  “But why are humans so insecure about being good enough?”

  “They don’t realize that if God made them then they’re automatically worthy. Instead they complicate things and do silly things to prove their wor
thiness to others when to God they’re already worthy of what’s most valuable—love.”

  “Love?”

  “It’s what human beings yearn for, but they complicate things and make it some sort of a prize instead of accepting the free flow of it coming from everything in the universe. They attach love to many silly, silly materialistic things and ideas, but love is a verb meant to be shared and flowing. Simple—like Jesus showed us.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “How much do you love your parents? Give me a number from one to ten—one being the smallest.”

  “I can’t put a numerical value on my love for them. It’s too big!” explained Snowy.

  “Do you think they feel the same for you?”

  “Yeah. I hope they do.”

  “Would you love your parents even more if they were billionaires?” Alma Aurora asked.

  “No, of course not.”

  “Would you love them more if they were famous?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “You didn’t need any time to think about the answers you gave me. Then your love for them is simple, right?”

  “Yeah, I think I understand now.”

  “You share love with your parents, right?” asked Alma Aurora. “You’re love for them isn’t one sided.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Well, it’s not so simple for Stewy.”

  “But, on the reality show, his parents are always saying how proud they are of their children. Stewy must feel his parents love for him.”

  “It’s not so simple for him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Alma Aurora sighed. “As I keep telling you, humans complicate things.”

  “How?”

  “I’ll show you. Let’s go into his closet.”

  Snowy was more than a little curious as to what they would find in Stewy’s closet. Would it be food like in London Blair’s closet? Snowy was still wondering about the meaning to that, but she knew that she’d soon find the answer. Alma Aurora would eventually tell her or show her. Snowy just had to do the very thing that was nearly impossible for tweens and teens to do—be patient with a capital P.

  As Alma Aurora swung the door open, Snowy did what Alma Aurora kept telling her to do—brace herself. What scary thing is in Stewy’s closet?

  Chapter 12

  Snowy inhaled a deep breath, but to her surprise nothing tumbled out of the closet as it had done in London Blair’s mind. Instead, Alma Aurora bent down and pulled something out of a dark corner.

  Alma Aurora held up a baseball glove and a ball.

  A startled Snowy shook her head. “That’s what I have to brace myself for?”

  Alma Aurora sighed. “This is very, very sad.”

  A puzzled Snowy eyed her. “I don’t see how there’s sadness in a baseball glove and ball.”

  “Remember things only have the value that you humans put on them.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “This baseball glove and ball have the value that Stewy puts on them. That’s why it’s sad. You’ll understand more as we continue.”

  “Okay,” murmured Snowy. She told herself to just be patient with the answers. There was no getting around it.

  Alma Aurora held out her hand. Snowy took it and once more she waved her other hand, unleashing the floating golden flecks. Alma Aurora and Snowy found themselves on the stairs of the Worthington mansion again.

  “Follow me,” Alma Aurora entreated.

  Snowy nodded. “I’m right behind you.”

  When they arrived at a door, Alma Aurora turned around and eyed Snowy with a very solemn expression. “Brace yourself, Snowy,” Alma Aurora expressed.

  Snowy sighed. “Another baseball?” she blurted.

  “It’s just that human reality can be very rough.”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “Remember that I’m your friend and I’m here with you.”

  “Okay.”

  Alma Aurora swung the door open. Snowy didn’t know what she was expecting, but of one thing she was certain of—she certainly wasn’t expecting the unbelievable, morose scene at the other side of the door. This was for sure something to brace yourself for!!!

  Alma Aurora stepped in to what appeared to be Elvinia Worthington’s study. Snowy reluctantly followed the angel—a sickening swirl in her stomach.

  “Are you okay, Snowy?” Alma Aurora asked with concern. “Your face is turning green.”

  “It’s just that I’ve seen Mrs. Worthington like a zillion times on London Blair’s Fabulous Life, but I’ve never seen her like this!”

  At the moment, the greatly sophisticated and much admired Elvinia Worthington was slumped over her desk with her right hand tightly clutching a bottle of spirits. Her usually expertly applied make up was smeared, and her usually perfectly coiffed hair was sticking out with not a single hair in place.

  “I just can’t believe what I’m seeing,” cried Snowy, upset.

  “This is a far cry from the way you see London Blair’s mother on TV, right?”

  Snowy nodded solemnly. “It’s unbelievable!”

  “Don’t ignore what’s before your very eyes. Humans are good at not seeing what they don’t want to face.”

  Alma Aurora was so right. Snowy desperately wanted to step out of the room and forget what she had seen. It would be so easy and such a relief to put Elvinia Worthington’s startling and disgustingly blatant drunkenness out of her mind, but Snowy knew Alma Aurora would never permit it. Alma Aurora was about truth—no matter how difficult it may be.

  “What happened to her today that made her drink like this?” Snowy questioned, her voice shaky. In her opinion, Elvinia Worthington had been up there with Mrs. Brady in the best TV mom category except Mrs. Brady hadn’t been real but Mrs. Worthington was the authentic article.

  “Today?” murmured Alma Aurora.

  “Yeah, is Christmas Eve difficult for her?”

  “Every day is difficult for her,” murmured Alma Aurora.

  “Every day? But on the reality show…”

  Alma Aurora sighed. “I told you. There’s often very little reality in a reality show.”

  “She is so happy, together, and perfect on London Blair’s Fabulous life!”

  “Snowy, you need to realize that no one—not one single person on earth—is perfect. Humans may fit into God’s perfect plan, but that’s as far as perfection among people goes. God purposely created you imperfect, so you’d need one another and work on yourselves. Elvinia Worthington definitely needs to work on herself.”

  “Does she drink like this all the time?” questioned an incredulous Snowy, her mouth chalky dry.

  Is the classy and refined Mrs. Worthington a beautiful lie? It was way too difficult for Snowy to accept that one of her heroes was evaporating before her very eyes!

  “Snowy, I think it’s time to go inside her mind.”

  Chapter 13

  Snowy was actually shaking when she and Alma Aurora reached their destination. Elvinia Worthington’s mind was every bit as murky, dusky, and dreary as her daughter’s and son’s had been. Snowy’s eyes shot up and found a banner.

  “’Be worthy of being a Worthington’,” Snowy murmured, reading the sign. “Same banner here too?”

  “Are you surprised?”

  “Frankly yes.”

  “Why?” Alma Aurora questioned.

  “Why would Mrs. Worthington wonder about being a worthy Worthington?—she’s the mother.”

  “Do you feel pressure about being Santa’s granddaughter?”

  “Yeah, a lot!”

  “Do you think people have expectations of her being the Worthington mother?”

  Snowy grew pensive. “Yeah, I mean, even I, who doesn’t actually know her, have expectations of her.”

  “Right. The problem is that you humans complicate things so much—allowing the silly expectations of others to def
ine you, damage you, and grab you by the neck.”

  “We do that?”

  “A lot. Most of you suffer from group pressure mentality.”

  “Group pressure mentality?”

  Alma Aurora nodded solemnly. “Commercials, ads, the media, TV, movies, politicians and etc. give you messages over and over again until you accept them as truth and are brainwashed into a group pressure mentality. Then you insist on others believing the way you do.”

  “Really? That’s how it works?”

  “Yes. Elvinia Worthington is a victim of ‘what-other-people-think-itis’.”

  “Does what other people think of her affect her that much?”

  “It affects most humans. Let’s check underneath the banner.”

  Snowy jumped up and pulled down the banner. The sign underneath was the same one Snowy had seen before—the ‘Am I good enough’? one.

  “Not that banner again,” Snowy grumbled.

  “I keep telling you that most humans grapple with that question.”

  “I just don’t understand why Mrs. Worthington struggles with it. She’s the most respected and envied socialite ever! How can she be insecure? You’ve gotta be wrong about her, Alma Aurora! Gotta!”

  As in the previous times, the first banner suddenly re-hung itself in front of the second one.

  “Let’s go to Elvinia Worthington’s closet,” murmured Alma Aurora.

  Chapter 14

  As Snowy and Alma Aurora stood in front of Elvinia Worthington’s closet, Snowy felt a deep dread in her stomach. She really didn’t want the closet door opened, but Alma Aurora’s hand was already on the knob.

  “Snowy, step away,” Alma Aurora said solemnly.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Okay.” As Snowy stepped away from the closet door, she felt even more dread. “Do we have to open it?”

  “The truth must come out. It’s the only way to face it.”

  As Alma Aurora turned the knob, a resonating crashing sound exploded. More and more empty alcohol bottles plummeted down and shattered into sharp shards and pieces. Snowy stared at them with horror, her mouth wide open.

  “There’s so many of them,” she murmured when the last one had hit the floor and smashed.

  “They coincide with her woes.”

  “With her woes? Really?! She’s got problems?”

  “Of course. Every human has problems.”