Chapter Seven: Count Your Blessings
Star yawned. “Isn’t Cloudy back from talking to that bratty girl?” she grumbled, glancing at the sky. “From the position of the sun, I’d say it’s almost five o’clock or so.”
“Aw, be patient,” Arrow said. “She’ll be here.”
Scazzarda nodded in agreement. “She’ll come when she’s ready.”
Then Star heard something. From her right came the sound of someone running, and she leaped up eagerly, expecting to see Cloudy returning. But to her consternation, it wasn’t Cloudy at all. It was Wylanda!
“Oh, no,” Sharkell muttered. “What is she doing here?”
Wylanda slowed and walked right up to the group. Star bristled and backed away from the girl, baring her fangs.
“Why are you here?” Arrow coldly asked.
To Star’s surprise, Wylanda didn’t mock or make fun of them as expected. Instead, she seemed very contrite and kind. “I know exactly why you’re acting afraid of me, and in no way do I blame you,” Wylanda said, pressing her palms together. “I just wanted to say that I regret all the mean things I’ve done to you, and I’m sorry.”
“Huh?!” Star stared, speechless, at her. This wasn’t the Wylanda they had always known!
“Whoa, talk about a drastic personality change,” Zach said to Star under his breath.
“Yeah. Since when is she so friendly and nice?” Star said to herself. She was getting suspicious, certain this was some sort of trick to win their trust.
Wylanda looked around at their stern, cold expressions and sighed. “Cloudy finally showed me the truth, and I accepted Christ,” she explained. “He’s changed me from the inside-out. I’ve made a commitment to Him, and I will never go back to my old lifestyle.”
Sniper and Sharkell looked at each other, their eyes wide. Scazzarda frowned. Wylanda seemed so sincere—but how could they trust she really had changed?
“Prove to us that you’re not the same person you were,” Nika challenged. “How do we know you’re really saved? Do we know it’s not a trick?”
“It’s not a trick,” came a familiar feminine voice from behind Wylanda. Cloudy stepped into view, the porcelain rose lightly bumping against her chest with every movement. The children seemed confused by her wearing the necklace, but made no comment.
The knight took a step back. “Cloudburst,” he breathed, but said no other words.
“Wylanda is changed,” Cloudy said firmly. “She is now a daughter of the King.”
“How wonderful!” Scazzarda said, taking Wylanda in her arms and hugging her. “I’m so happy for you, child.”
Wylanda embraced her in return. “Thank you.” Then she glanced up at Scazzarda’s bright blond hair into which was stuck the white rose. She reached up to touch one of the soft petals. “You’re wearing a rose!”
“Naturally. It’s Thanksgiving,” Scazzarda said. “And in Dreamland, the symbol of gratitude is a rose!”
“I know!” Wylanda said. “That’s kind of cool.” She scratched her head. “But I wonder why? Why a rose?”
Scazzarda put an arm across Wylanda’s shoulder. “The rose was chosen specifically because many of our Pilgrim ancestors associated the rose with Jesus.”
“What does Jesus have to do with Thanksgiving?” Star asked. “I mean, I get He brought our ancestors safely to Dreamland and all, but I don’t get. . .”
“Well, dear, let me explain,” Scazzarda said. “See, Jesus is more associated with the theme of Thanksgiving, which is gratitude. When we get saved, how should we respond to Christ for saving us?”
Star’s eyes shone as brightly as her name. “Thanksgiving!” she exclaimed. “Gratitude! Of course!”
“Exactly, my dear!” Scazzarda went on. “Anyway, these Pilgrims chose the rose because of the symbols the flower held.”
“What do you mean?” Yodi asked.
“You know how a rose can have thorns?” Scazzarda asked. Several of the children nodded. “Well, the Pilgrims associated that with the crown of thorns, or the suffering and agony Christ had to endure on the cross.”
Cloudy gasped and Star seemed intrigued.
“Most people think red is the main color of rose petals, so the Pilgrims chose that color to represent Jesus’ blood, or the cleansing of our sins.”
“Golly!” Arrow exclaimed. “I never knew any of this stuff before!”
Scazzarda gently hushed him and then continued, “And lastly, the green of the stem and leaves represents rebirth, or the renewal of our bodies and spirits in eternal life.” She looked away across the pasture and up, gesturing to the sky, and everyone looked up. What they saw made their hearts nearly skip a beat.
The sun was setting, fading behind the thick greenery of Whispy Woods. Blue, purple, and gold entwined in one marvelous spiral of color to create an unusual-looking but picturesque painting of God’s spectacular handiwork. White flamed the edges of the clouds stretching away beyond the peak of Mount Moonstem, and the edges of the usually-golden sun seemed tinged with red fire. The mountain peak was a dusky blueish-gray in the fading light.
The children were captured by the awe of it all. “Truly God’s the Master Designer of this wonderful world!” Star whispered.
“No one can ever paint such a glorious sunset as well as God can,” Cloudy said to Wylanda, who nodded her head.
“Thanks be to God,” Scazzarda murmured. “It’s by His mercy we are able to stand here before Him and admire His handiwork. It’s by His grace that we are not struck dead by His hand right now.”
“Amen,” Eloise said. Then she looked to Wylanda. “Oh, um, by the way, Wylanda, I wanted to apologize for those awful things I said to you. I didn’t mean it, really.”
“Apology accepted,” Wylanda said, then looked around at the group with a smile on her face. “So, does this mean we’re all friends now?”
“Well, of course!” Miriam said, dashing over to Wylanda. “We’re friends now!”
“Cool,” Wylanda said. “Well, what do you want to do first?”
“I think the feast will take place in forty-five minutes or so,” Eloise said, looking at her watch. “Let’s go to the house and help set up the picnic tables Mrs. Turner provided.”
Wylanda started to walk toward the house, but halted and looked back at the knight. His sun-colored eyes glared at her from beneath his mask, his body wrapped in his cape. Wylanda wanted to say how much she was sorry for insulting him, but felt too afraid to approach him. Instead, she smiled apologetically, hoping that would communicate the message. He seemed to understand what she was trying to tell him, for he kindly nodded. Feeling better, Wylanda ran off to join her friends.
Scazzarda chuckled as she watched the kids start a game of tag on their way to the house. “Magnus, what do you think of those children?”
The knight’s eyes landed on Cloudy, her green eyes sparkling in the last light of the sun, her kind smile seeming to illuminate the dark, her necklace swaying rhythmically from side to side as she darted left and right, trying to deviate the others from touching her. There was something about her that set her apart from the rest of the children, but he wasn’t sure what.
“They’re different,” was all he would say.
* * * * *
Showerstorm caught Cloudy and Star as they were trying to push two picnic tables in line with one another. “Psst,” he whispered, handing each of them a large bucket. “Go out and collect as much money as you can from the people here—that is, if they want to donate. Okay?”
“Why?” Star asked.
“Don’t ask questions. Just go.”
Star looked like she was about to argue, but Cloudy stopped her with a warning look. Star looked puzzled as the two sisters walked off together through the crowd. “Why are we doing this?” she whispered.
Cloudy gave her a surprised look. “Don’t you remember? It’s for Miriam’s mom,” she said. Then she added in a whisper, “But don’t tell them until Mommy says so.”
“Okay,” Star agreed, and the two sisters went to work collecting money.
* * * * *
Springtime smiled nervously as the people filed among the row of picnic tables and took their seats. All the tables were arranged vertically except for one in front of the house, which was arranged horizontally. That was the table at which Springtime, Showerstorm, the Covens, and the Stellarums would sit.
“It’s starting in a minute,” Miriam said to her mother. The two were standing together on the porch.
Meredith groaned and placed a hand to her forehead. “I don’t even know why you brought me out here. I don’t feel good.”
“Cloudy said her parents had a surprise for us, but wouldn’t say what it was,” Miriam said.
Cloudy rushed up the steps and stopped before mother and daughter. “Are you guys gonna join the feast?” she asked.
“Yes,” Miriam said gravely.
Meredith sighed. “Sure, I suppose so. But I’m not feeling very well.”
“That’s expected when you’re having a baby,” Cloudy said nonchalantly, her eyes roaming over the packed crowds.
Meredith started. “What did you say?”
“You’re pregnant, Mom!” Miriam cheered. “Miss Springtime said so!”
Meredith was stunned. Slowly the tears filled her eyes. “A-A baby?” she murmured.
Miriam nodded and did a pirouette.
“Okay, everyone, welcome to our Thanksgiving feast!” Springtime announced into a megaphone. “We’re pleased and proud that you would join us, and we will say grace in a few moments. But first,” she said, “we have a special surprise to present to a Mrs. Meredith Capperdale and her daughter, Miriam. Please come here.”
Meredith and Miriam looked at each other and Miriam shrugged. The two walked sedately down the steps and over to the front table.
Springtime cleared her throat and looked to her husband, who picked up the two buckets and pushed them toward Meredith. “This is to help pay off your loans,” he said in a low tone.
Meredith peered into one of the buckets and gave a sound gasp. “Good grief!” she cried out. “How much is in here?!”
“There’s just as much in the other one!” Miriam exclaimed.
Showerstorm winked at his wife and picked up a third bucket, bigger than the other two, and pushed it to Meredith. The woman’s eyes were wide. “We sent out a third recruit to gather money when Star and Cloudy got tired,” he said, casting his gaze on Nika. She smiled proudly.
“So this is for you, Meredith, and we hope you will be able to stay in this neighborhood,” Springtime concluded. She looked out toward the audience. “And I’d like to extend out warmest and sincerest thanks for all those who donated to help this family!”
There was a thunderous applause and cheers and whistles filled the air. Meredith was speechless and shocked while Miriam was amazed. The two looked to Cloudy, but she shook her head and pointed to her parents. “It was their idea,” she mouthed.
Meredith smiled warmly. “Thank you,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “I will pay these loans back as soon as we get home.”
At the word “home,” Miriam cheered and began dancing around. Everyone laughed and smiled at the little girl.
“And now to proceed with the feast,” Springtime said once everyone had quieted down and taken their seats. “But before we do, I want to give an overview of our history and how we came to celebrate this special holiday.
“Three hundred years ago, the Pilgrims left their home in Leudon and sailed on the Moonflower to escape religious persecution in their hometown from James I,” she began. “They sailed for sixty-five days before finally reaching the place which we call Dreamland. Many died that first winter, but when spring came, Indians such as Squinto, Missosoit, and Sumosot helped them and taught the Pilgrims many things. And that first fall in the New World, they had a huge feast. That feast day became known to the world as Thanksgiving.”
Then she held up a rose, apparently snipped off one of Cloudy’s rosebushes. “This rose became the symbol for gratitude, and we will have Scazzarda Stellarum explain why.”
As Scazzarda again explained the meaning of the rose, Cloudy looked around at the joyous crowd and smiled. She thought over the events of the past two weeks. Just a few days ago Miriam’s family was in debt, Wylanda was a jerk, and nothing seemed to be going right. But now Miriam could stay in Spring Breeze, Wylanda was saved, and everything had turned out wonderfully. Cloudy knew only the hand of the Lord Himself could have worked things out in such a mighty and marvelous way.
“And now,” Springtime said when Scazzarda had finished, “we will have a few stand up and say what they are thankful for.”
A young woman stood up. “I’m thankful for my husband and my family and for the grace the Lord has shown, thought I went astray in previous years while battling drugs and rehab,” she said.
A middle-aged man was next. “I’m thankful my wife, though she’s ill with cancer, is still alive, and that I’m able to be with her at the hospital. I’m thankful for my children and what they are becoming.”
“I’m thankful for my mommy and baby brother,” a little girl about three years old said.
Wylanda then stood. “I’m thankful for my best friends and that I’m a child of the King—and that we’re all able to be here tonight as God’s family,” she said firmly.
Miriam was next. “I’m so grateful for my unborn sibling and for the fact that God is with us and that I’m able to stay in this neighborhood,” she said.
A few more people went before Cloudy stood and prepared to say what she was thankful for. Her eyes landed on the knight, who was holding his mother’s hand. Scazzarda smiled at him, and his eyes glowed light blue.
Cloudy lifted her head and said strongly, “I have many things I am thankful for, but before I begin, I want to say something.
“I am aware many here are struggling with past trauma, and I will not say I can relate, because I cannot. But I can tell you this: If you have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life, you are in good hands. The Lord will preserve you if you trust Him.
“I am also aware that many here may not have ever made a personal choice to accept the Lord. If so, the time is now. Today is the day of salvation; don’t wait any longer. You’re not promised tomorrow, nor your next breath.”
Springtime listened to her daughter speak these bold words and smiled at her husband. He nodded imperceptibly and listened.
“And now for my thankfulness list: I am thankful for my family and my friends. I am thankful that we are all here to tonight. I am thankful that I have shelter, food, water, a good school, and good hygiene,” Cloudy said. Some people chuckled at the last statement. “But most importantly, I am thankful that Jesus is my Friend and that He will never forsake me or leave me. I am thankful Jesus is Jesus!”
Everyone began to clap. It started out quietly and then grew louder and louder until Cloudy thought she would become deaf. She pinned down her ears to block out the roar of the mass of clapping hands and paws. The applause went on for so long that finally Springtime had to stop it.
“Now who wants to say grace?” Showerstorm asked.
“I will,” Scazzarda volunteered.
While Scazzarda payed for God’s blessing over the food, Cloudy looked over at the knight. He seemed ill at ease and rather uncomfortable with the fact that his mother was praying. Cloudy felt a bit concerned and sorry for him. He didn’t strike her as the kind to trust others, and she felt it had something to do with his past. She made up her mind to be his personal friend. So while the others were praying, she quickly grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen and scribbled down a short but powerful poem. She folded it carefully and tucked it away as Scazzarda finished her prayer.
“Now let the feast begin!” Springtime announced.
As happy hands passed around the food from table to table, Miriam leaned over and whispered to Cloudy, “Isn’t it amazing what the Lord can do?”
“Yes,” Cloudy said softly—and she meant it.
You must be logged in to post a comment.