FRECKLE FACES
(c) Richard L Provencher
“Donna!!"
There goes my naggy brother Chris again. He must think I’m his slave, just because he’s one year older than me.
"WHAAT??" See, I can yell really loud, too.
"Come 'ere! Hurry!"
"Why?"
“Because."
If he would explain, then I could decide.
"I want to show you something."
Mom doesn't like to see us fight. But we do. Then after awhile we're friends again. Sometimes brothers can be a pain.
"Coming," I say. My brother needs me a lot because my dad moved far away. When he left, it made us sad. But I still love him, even if he won't be with us this Christmas.
My Sunday school teacher says I should learn to love everybody. "Even my brother?" I asked.
"Yes." Then she opened up my bible and showed me John 3:16 --
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.”
I really like the bible our Pastor gave me. It’s such a nice gift. I thought it was because he felt sorry for me. "How come mom?" I asked after he did.
"Because we're new in church and..."
"And?" I interrupted.
"He said you have such cute freckles for a little girl!"
"But I'm not a little girl mom," I said. “I’ll be eight soon. Pastor could see that."
"Are you coming or not?" A loud voice tumbled down the stairs, and into my thoughts. I finally went up to my brother's room.
"Well what do you want?" I scolded.
Chris has more freckles than me. At school they tease him all the time. He said they call him 'freckle puss.' "Nobody better call me that," I said back.
"Lookit what I built for you," My brother said.
Suddenly I became very quiet. "For me?" It was a blue and white cross, made out of Lego. He knew I like to go to Sunday school. Sometimes my brother can be very nice.
We played with his Lego for a while. Then I made a house with a funny roof. With a barn in back, and some animals drinking from a pond.
I thought about Christmas coming soon. And baby Jesus. So I made a new house. This time it was not a funny house. It wasn't even a castle, just a small stable for a little boy. He would even grow up to be our Savior.
"Thank you," I said to my brother, "for letting me play with your Lego." Then I gave him a big hug. "This Christmas won't be so bad," I said.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because you're my special brother. And I love you."
He couldn't say any words. So I rushed to get my Bible. Then I sat on the floor beside Chris and read John 15:11-12.
Jesus said, "This is my commandment. That you love one another, as I have loved you."
"That goes for me too," Chris said with a big grin.
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