Laurie’s Christmas Miracle - A Short Story

Laurie was a lovely girl of eight with long, red curls and shinning green eyes. She had a little upturned nose and would have been no different from any other little girl her age except for the fact that she sat in a wheel chair. Laurie sat perfectly still looking out her bedroom window. It was the beginning of October and as always at this time of year she remembered memories which should have been too painful for any small child to think upon. It had been on Christmas Eve three years ago when Laurie was five that her world turned upside down. Snow had been falling for some time and the streets of their town were slippery. Mommy was getting ready to go Christmas shopping and Laurie was eager to get going. There was a large mall in the next town which Laurie found fascinating but Mommy always said that at Christmas she didn’t like the crowds and preferred to shop at the stores in town. So off they went. Mommy drove slowly and when they reached town she left the car in the parking lot so that she and Laurie could walk from store to store to gather their purchases. Laurie still remembered how she clung to her Mommy’s hand to keep from falling. Unfortunately that same day one of their neighbor’s Mr. Craven was making especially merry. First at work and then at Paddy’s Pub. Laurie only remembered at the time that she and her Mommy were about to cross the street when Mr. Craven came barreling around the corner. Her Mommy had tried to pull Laurie back but her little legs slid out from under her and then she knew no more. When she had opened her eyes her Mommy and Daddy were standing by her hospital bed and they looked scared and worried. Laurie had spent three months in the hospital. Three months of learning new things she would never forget. She heard Mr. Craven apologizing and her parent’s anger at him and the frightening things that were said. The fact that she was handicapped and would never walk again. Then she was happy to be home again. The making the discovery that she had to go to a special school now and that her two best girlfriends Katie and Julie stopped coming around because Laurie was different now. Laurie gritted her teeth. Her thoughts were heavy because her favorite holiday would soon be here. She used to love Halloween and because she didn’t want to hurt her parents she let her Mommy dress her in costume and take her around to gather candy but she hated when the neighbors looked at her with pity and gave her Mommy more candy for her because she was handicapped.

Halloween came and Mommy helped Laurie into a witch’s costume. After Daddy had taken a picture they went out. It was the same routine and she saw Katie and Julie skipping down the street from a distance. School which Laurie had always liked had become hateful. A special bus would pick her up wheelchair and all and take her to the School for Handicapped Children in the next town. The teachers never seemed to reprimand the children because they were special. Laurie didn’t want to be special she wanted to be like everyone else. Then Laurie made a discovery shortly before Thanksgiving. After her usual therapy session at the clinic her legs were tingling. She was sitting in an armchair in her room and began moving her feet. Soon she was able to lift up her legs and put them back down. Laurie felt so excited and thought this deserved more exploration. When Daddy came to bring her down for dinner Laurie’s face was flushed but she was happy. The following day when Mommy took her to the park for their usual walk Laurie asked to be taken to the playground. Mommy was surprised because she had thought that Laurie wouldn’t want to go there ever again. As her Mommy sat upon the bench lost in thought Laurie determinedly lifted her legs up and down. The day before Thanksgiving Laurie had another therapy session and the therapist commented to the doctor that her legs were starting to feel more muscular and Laurie asked to be allowed to sit on the edge of the bed while the therapist exercised her legs. The doctor just glumly shook his head at Laurie’s Mom to indicate that it still meant nothing. Both sets of grandparents came to dinner on Thanksgiving. Her grandparents adored her lots and had been spoiling her ever since the accident. Laurie was eager to get away from everyone and asked to be put to bed early. As soon as she was left alone Laurie pulled herself up to sit on the side of her bed. She lifted her legs up and down and then in excitement reached over to hold onto the armchair and carefully slid down onto the floor. Her legs having spent so much time being useless wobbled quite a bit but held her up. Laurie got so excited that she forgot to watch out and fell to the floor. Determinedly she pulled and dragged herself and made it back into bed. But this triumph meant there was no stopping Laurie and the following morning her Daddy found her sitting in her wheelc hair. He was quite surprised but his only comment was for Laurie to be careful. She could fall and hurt herself trying to pull herself into her wheelchair and he picked her up and carried her down to breakfast.

December rolled around and Laurie longed to go shopping with her Mommy but she knew that it would be difficult for her Mommy to get her and her wheelchair in and out of the stores. So she stayed home and practiced. When her next therapy session came the therapist noticed the difference right away and asked Laurie to try to stand. However Laurie was so excited that her legs wobbled so much that she could stand but only for a few seconds. Yet she had stood. This time the doctor told her mommy he’d give her a thorough examination right after the holidays. Laurie’s Mommy was so happy she kissed and hugged her. At home while Laurie was in her room her parents had a long discussion of what it all meant and if they dared hope that their daughter would walk again. Laurie’s grandparents came to stay for the holidays and she was happy that her parents were busy. By now Laurie hardly slept at all. Her legs had stopped wobbling and she could take small steps about her room. Laurie was ready to present her loved ones with a Christmas miracle. On Christmas Eve she stood at her window and looked up at the stars and said a prayer of thanks to God and wondered if Santa knew that she had started walking and if he would leave a sled for her.

Came Christmas Day and Daddy came to take her down to the Christmas tree at dawn knowing that she always liked to be the first one downstairs. He took her down and sat her on the couch and went to get her wheelchair. While Daddy was upstairs Laurie heard everyone else beginning to move about. That was when she saw it. Under the Christmas tree was a gleaming wooden sled with red rails. She held her breath in wonder. Santa had known he’d known all along. Then her Daddy came back and helped her into the wheelchair. At that moment her Mommy can into the room and told Daddy to look under the Christmas tree. Her parents looked at each other and couldn’t understand how a sled could have been put there since Laurie couldn’t use it. In came Laurie’s grandparents and they too exclaimed about the sled. Everyone gathered about and then as usual Laurie’s parents stood by the Christmas tree and her Daddy asked Laurie to show him what present she wanted to open first. Laurie said that she wanted to take a closer look at her brand new sled and then before anyone could say anything more she pushed down the leg rests and grabbing onto the wheelchair Laurie stood up. Then as everyone stared in wonder she slowly but surely walked across the room to where her parents stood. Soon everyone was crying and laughing and there was a lot of kissing and hugging. It was truly a Christmas miracle. The rest of that winter Laurie and her best friends Katie and Julie made good use of the sled, Laurie returned to her old school and when her birthday rolled about in the spring Laurie, Katie and Julie could be seen riding their bicycles up and down the street.