*****
When Antonia arrived in her husband's room the doctor was there. He finished his examination and then asked her to come out to the hallway. Although Salvatore was still sound asleep, he felt that they should not talk in front of him.
"I'm sorry to tell you but the cancer treatments have not worked well this time. Salvatore is deteriorating quickly. He is in a coma and the cancer has spread to other organs. I'm afraid he only has a matter of a few days. He can stay here and we can make him comfortable. I know your daughter is young but I would advise you to bring her by so she can say goodbye to him."
Antonia looked at him unable to utter even a word. She could not believe the doctor was saying this to her. What was she to do? How would she ever be able to care for their daughter? How would she survive without her soul mate?
That night, as she sat holding her daughter in her arms, she lifted her eyes to the ceiling and said, "Heavenly Father, whatever your will is, I will accept. Please make Salvatore's passing easy for all of us, most especially our daughter. She is the one who will suffer the most."
Alessandra heard her mother's prayer and said, "Mommy, all will be fine. Santa promised me that he would make daddy better. You will see. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and that's Santa's time to grant everyone's wishes."
The next morning Antonia's phone rang and it was the hospital calling to tell her that she needed to get to the hospital right away. It was urgent. She thought it must be close to time for her husband to pass and so she dropped Alessandra off at Helen's again and raced to the hospital. She wanted to be there before he passed so she could say goodbye to him.
Running through the hallway, she arrived at her husband's room and he was not in the bed. She collapsed on the bed and the tears just rolled unchecked off her cheeks, soaking the bed sheet. Her shoulders shook and sobs escaped her lips. She could not believe she had not been there for him.
The nurse came in and saw her collapsed on the bed. She walked over to Antonia and wrapped her arms around her.
"There, there Antonia. All is okay. I am just going to make his bed for him. I know it's a miracle but you should be happy, not sad!"
Pulling away from the nurses arms, the tears still streaking her cheeks, Antonia said, "What are you talking about? He is gone and I was not here for him. Why should I be happy about that?"
Just then, her husband came walking out of the bathroom. His hair was wet and he had on hospital pajamas. He looked at her and rushed to her side.
"Antonia, baby, I am alright now. I had the strangest dream last night. I thought I had died because I could see the light like they say you do when you pass. At the end of the tunnel stood a man and he looked remarkably like Santa Claus. He had the red suit and cap on. He had a huge belly and a white beard. He looked at me and said that it was not my time and that I needed to go back to my body. He told me that he had worked his magic and I would be healthy again. I then woke up and saw that I was here in the hospital. The nurse saw me open my eyes and ran to get the doctor on the telephone. He ordered more tests early this morning and they all came back showing the cancer gone. I am in full remission. Even the doctor did not understand how this happened."
"I spoke to the doctor yesterday and he told me to prepare. That you likely only had a few days left." Antonia replied to him.
That night, Christmas Eve, Salvatore was home and they had decorated their tree and the house finally. Antonia realized that what had happened was nothing short of a Christmas Miracle.
Later that night, when all were asleep, Antonia heard a noise downstairs and got up to see what it was. As she turned the corner into their living room she saw a man, dressed in a Santa suit, placing a gift under the tree. He looked over at her and placed a finger against his lips, shushing her. The tears fell again and she whispered, "Thank you Santa for blessing us with the life of my husband and Alessandra's father." She rushed over to him then and gave him a tight hug.
"Ho, ho, ho young lady, it’s my time of year and I am a sucker for young children who ask for nothing more than her family to be together. Now I must go as there are many other children whose wishes I must grant." He hugged her back and then shot up the chimney. She then heard what sounded like hooves running on the roof of their house and knew that Santa really did exist and he was a miracle worker.
About the Author
Haven Malone is a new author. She is retired, and enjoys spending time with her family. She loves to create fictional stories and her favorite would be love stories, although she is also partial to fantasy. Her story “Dreams” publication is a mix of fantasy and reality. Her author page can be found on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/HavenMaloneAuthor.
Anatomical Poem
By Saunie Krewson
Straw.
Stolen from scarecrows
Sprung haywire from bales
Unusual parallels in terrible tales
No explanations. Mere rhyme as reason
Sticks.
As thin as me brittle arms then
Beloved voodoo doll curse
Terce skipped. Full throttle church
Minutes careening into season
Bricks.
Of dung make the best of shit situation
walls the city and angles the sun
Lord please forgive the run
on; we're trying to keep from freezin'