Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. - Ruth Carter Stapleton

The booming sounds of the music system vibrated through the walls of the event hall.

   Tara stepped up the marble stairs leading to the hall. After one more mistake, she held the box of cake that she successfully made. Without the support of her mother and the guidance of her Father in heaven, she wouldn't have been able to do it.

The red and gold drapes that covered the walls were regal.  The gold lights that curled around the enormous Christmas tree added to its breathtaking view.

Students scattered around, playing with their friends while their parents mingled with each other.

Tara looked lovely in her simple pink and purple flared Ankara dress. (Picture below)

Her dressing style has always revolved around being simple. Plain t-shirts, shorts, and simple dresses and skirts make up her wardrobe.

Her legs carried her to the food section and she placed the box of cake on the table alongside other dishes of tantalizing foods. She nodded in greeting at the servers stationed there. Her eyes stopped on a tray of donuts and her taste buds tickled with longing.

Her stomach rumbled in hunger; she picked up one and munched on it. As she chewed in relish; from the corner of her eyes, she noticed a lady with a ridiculous amount of make-up on her face.

She almost toppled over in laughter. The lady looked like a plastic doll. On further inspection, she realized the lady was none other than her mother's friend and colleague, Claudia.

With that understanding, her surprise disappeared.

She approached Claudia to exchange pleasantries. "Good afternoon, Aunty Claudia. How are you today?"

Claudia looked up with a tight-lipped smile and a nose scrunched up in distaste. "Hi dearie; gosh, I am so exhausted." She fanned herself with so much vigor, that Tara was worried her hand would become numb.

Tara smiled in sympathy. "You can take a break; I am sure the servers can do things themselves."

Claudia huffed in dissatisfaction and exclaimed, "Gosh! I don't want to be here." The green neon lights glistened on her bright red lipstick.

She swung her long brown wig over her shoulder and went on. "I didn't plan on spending my Monday dealing with novices; I would have been at home enjoying a chilled glass of red wine and a fashion magazine for entertainment."

She turned and yelled at a server, "Oh, my gosh! Would you dish the food properly, for Christ's sake?"

Tara cringed at the shrill sound of her voice. However, she kept her smile on and she prayed for an opportunity to escape.

Claudia redrew her attention as she resumed her rant. "Dearie, that isn't all; oh my gosh! It is my responsibility to arrange the students properly on the stage for their performances."

She slammed her jotter shut. Her claw-like orange-painted nails curled around the journal in anger. "And for crying out loud, they are such ruffians; last year one of them stepped on my expensive Versace shoes. Can you imagine that?"

Tara shook her head as she struggled to hold her laughter in. She wondered how someone could be so self-centered. "The Lord is your strength, Auntie; I am sure you will pull everything off."

Claudia rolled her eyes and muttered, "whatever."

Tara breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed her mother's head towards them, with eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Hi, ladies. How is your day going so far?" Dora smiled at her friend with a knowing look.

"Oh please, don't even ask," Claudia said with a frown and narrowed her eyes at something over Dora's shoulder.

"Excuse me; I will be right back," she said and walked away.

Claudia faded from sight and the mother and daughter faced each other and went into fits of laughter.

"Oh my word, Mom; how did you make such a friend?"

With laughter in her voice, Dora replied, "I don't know, dear; over the years, I have learned to put up with her."

Tara smiled in understanding.

"Anyway, I got to get back to work; I sensed you needed saving, that's why I came. See you later." Dora smiled at her daughter and sauntered away.

Left all alone, Tara surveyed the area, looking for something to do.

She decided to head to the changing room; from experience, she learned there was always work to do there.

As she drew closer to the rooms backstage, the shrieks and voices of the children rang in her ear.

She smiled at the familiar sounds. What many didn't know was that she loved spending time with children. She wished she wasn't an only child. So she settled on volunteering at her mother's school events to help and spend time with children.

On entering the room, she came face to face with a jungle of mess as fifteen children dressed and undressed.

The two coordinators spotted scowls and eyes gleaming with frustration.

Stepping in fully, she announced her presence. "Hello everyone, how are you all holding up?" She beamed at them.

Each child gave her a toothed grin. The coordinators smiled in appreciation at her presence.

She felt a tap on her hand; she looked down into the face of a little girl who looked at the coral bangle on her wrist in awe.

She smiled and bent down to the girl's level. "Hi, what can I help you with?"

"I love your bangles. I have always wanted to have one like this."

"Thank you. I love your hairband as well; red is my favorite color." Tara patted the girl's cheek in fondness.

She helped the girl place her reindeer hairband properly on her head.

The girl smiled in excitement and ran off to announce to her friends probably to tell them about their conversation.

                                                                                                    ★★★★★

"Thank you, Miss Tara," said a boy who ran off after she finished tying his shoelaces.

The room door slammed shut, leaving Tara alone to catch her breath. She twisted from side to side to release the stiffness from her back. Her eyes scanned the room and chuckled at the mess the children made.

She decided to arrange the room before the children returned for more changes. After minutes of organizing, the room was in a better state than before, and she returned to the hall to enjoy the children's performance.

As she walked down the corridor, the melodious sounds of the children's voices wafted through as they sang the lyrics of the carol Oh Holy Night.

Oh, holy night;

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear savior's birth...

She hummed to the tune as she walked along.

However, the sounds of running from the adjacent corridor overpowered the singing. She was sure it was the running footsteps of a child.

Suddenly, a thud and a cry of pain stopped her in her tracks.

She raced to check what had happened.

Arriving on the scene, she found a little boy sprawled on the floor, clutching his wounded knees and sobbing in pain.

The boy had stumbled and fell as he ran down the corridor.

What was surprising was the unfamiliar young man, who crouched by the wailing boy and tried to console him.

She wondered who he was and where he came from.

She took a step forward and revealed herself to them. "Are you okay, dear?"

The young man looked up, and they made eye contact; he sent a smile her way. She replied with a timid smile.

Bewildered at the weird event, she tilted her head to the side and surveyed him, and pondered on his identity.

Too deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice him heading toward her.

"Good afternoon, Miss. Please, where can I get a first aid kit?"

"Huh?" She blinked twice as she came back to reality and realized he was in front of her and talking.

She blushed in embarrassment and said, "I am so sorry. Good afternoon; how may I help you?"

The man said with a soft smile, "No worries." and repeated his question.

"Oh okay; give me a minute." She crossed over to a cabinet in the corner of the reception hall and brought out a blue, medium-sized box.

She came back and handed it over to him and they proceeded toward the boy.

As they got closer, the boy sniffled and eyed the box with fear as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"I don't want to take an injection." The boy yelled as they got to him.

The man smiled in understanding and crouched next to the boy.

"Don't worry, you won't be taking an injection. We simply want to rub something on your injury to prevent you from falling sick."

The boy looked to Tara for reassurance. Tara sent him a smile and knelt in front of him.

She opened the box and took what she needed. Her body shifted closer to the boy and he squirmed.

The man wrapped an arm around the boy and patted him in comfort.

Pressing the cotton bud on the injury made the boy wail and he struggled to free himself from the man's grip.

Tara closed her eyes in pain as the boy's tears brought back some memories.

The man cooed, reassuring words in his ears.

The boy's tears made a wet patch on the man's light blue buttoned-down shirt. But the guy didn't seem to mind.

Tara smiled at the man's compassion.

"I am done," she said with an empathetic smile as she placed a band-aid neatly on the wound.

Tara rose to her feet and the man and boy followed suit. 

The man grinned and patted the boy's back.  "You see, that wasn't so bad. 

The boy pouted and wiped his face. " I want to meet my mommy."

"Where is your mommy?" The man asked. 

"In the hall!"

The man instructed the boy to go back to the hall without running. The boy said "thank you" to them and limped away.

The man faced Tara and opened his mouth to say something. However, a male's voice interrupted him and he turned to his side.

"Philip, come on, let's go; it is time for your speech."

He nodded at his friend. "Give me a minute. I will be right there."

He looked back at Tara with an apologetic smile. "Thank you for your help. I would have loved to talk, but I have to go."

Tara nodded in understanding and he ambled off and followed his counterpart out.

She looked on as she reviewed the events of the past minutes.

She was glad she learned his name.

She wondered if he was a parent. However, it seemed unlikely. He was quite young to be a parent.

She shrugged and let it go because she probably won't see him again. Nevertheless, she commended him for his act of care towards the child.

She strutted off with gladness of heart that thankfully, there were people with some humanity in them.

The world needed people with a heart to show love.

★★★★★

Oooh!!!

We had a glimpse of Christmas in April 😁

I am looking forward to December. Christmas is my favorite celebration.

So moving on to...

The question of the chapter:

What is one of your favorite motivational/ inspirational quotes or Bible verse? And why do you like it?

My favorite Bible verse is Psalm 91 verse 10: No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.

I love it because when I personalize it; I feel the presence of the Lord around me and all my fears disappear.

If you liked the chapter, don't forget to vote and comment.

Until next time. Keep being motivated and inspired