REMBRANDT synopsis

LOGLINE

A world-famous painter reveals his methods and encourages artists to paint with truth and light and to value each individual with all their strengths and weaknesses.

PITCH

Rembrandt, the preeminent Baroque Dutch painter, meets his students. As an artist, the painter understands the human condition and represents it in his work. Several critiques deemed Rembrandt a prophet of civilization for his genuine art. He painted with common grace for every human. Before Rembrandt leaves, he asks to paint his students’ portraits. He says every life matters and each person’s face is part of a larger design, capturing heaven on Earth.

SYNOPSIS

Dutch painter Rembrandt introduces himself to his students, saying he wants to teach them everything he knows. As an artist, he understands the human condition which puts him in a unique position to represent it in his work. Rembrandt’s portraits are painted with truth and light, never minimizing a person’s strong points or flaws. When Rembrandt paints himself he shows all his bumps, lumps, imperfections, wrinkles, sags, and bags. Not only does Rembrandt show people’s humanness in his portraits, but he also focuses on the eyes of the subject because confronting the viewer in a portrait causes a stronger association with the onlooker.

His self-portraits over time are a visual diary and he picks costumes with flair, comparing his moods and expressions. He also created etchings and drawings. After the financial success in his early years, Rembrandt says he might have been too self-assured. Although many people romanticize his life, he says he suffered heartbreak when he lost his wife and had severe financial trouble in his later years. However, he still painted with common grace for every human.

Rembrandt says historians categorize him in the Golden Age when Baroque style was popular. Along with self-portraits, he tried to make his contemporaries look good in paint. Some of his works include: “Man in the Golden Helmet,” “The Music Party,” “Girl at a Window,” and “Old Man with a Gold Chain.” “The Night Watch” might be his most famous painting. In “The Artist in His Studio” Rembrandt is seen alone, much like how he created. Before Rembrandt leaves, he asks to paint his students’ portraits. He says every life matters, so smile, or have a private thought, but pose for his painting, please. Each person’s image is part of a bigger composition, on Earth as it is in heaven.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

The Heavenly Toy Soldier: The Story of a Peaceful Christmas

“Merry Christmas! I’m keeping the peace,” the Heavenly Toy Soldier said, standing in the doorway of the most famous toy store in New York City, the Toymaker’s Shop. As the children pulled at his wool coat and toy gun, he yawned. “I do such a good job that nothing dangerous ever happens in this store,” he said, as the customers poured in from Fifth Avenue. 

The Toymaker’s Shop three-story building had shelves of every kind of toy imaginable—stuffed bears and animals, dolls, dollhouses, model trains, blocks, musical instruments, kitchen play sets, blackboards, jungle gyms, swing sets, kaleidoscopes, tree houses, painting easels, puzzles, board games, picture books, sports equipment, skates, and toy cars. 

With advanced technology, some of the toys were quite pricey, not your average mom-and-pop shop, like the real-life fire engine that sat in the store’s entrance, which had a long hose connected to a hydrant in the store. A large yellow school bus stood next to it in the display. They might have seemed too big to be toys, but they were in fact only made for fun. 

“That will be $15,000,” the cashier said to the man in line with his two children, holding a mini gas-powered car. 

“That’s the Christmas spirit of giving!” the store manager said, shaking the hand of the father in line with his children. 

Then, he walked over to the Heavenly Toy Soldier and stood in front of him with a sigh, shaking his head.

“We’re letting you go,” Mr. Cartwright said to the solider. “This is a toy shop. It’s full of kids. No one ever steals anything. You’ve been standing here for years, and I’ve been paying you out of my pocket, and it’s a waste of money. You’ll have two weeks of severance pay, and I’m sure you’ll be able to find another job. Your last night will be Christmas Eve.”

As the Heavenly Toy Soldier fought back a tear, he found the courage to say, “Yes, sir. I understand.”

Then, he looked across the store full of strangers he was protecting. It was a cold day in the city, and many of the customers would leave with hundreds of dollars of toys. At least he could still defend them until Christmas. 

For the next two weeks, he was extra conscientious of everyone’s needs in the store, not letting one child go unattended.  

“Maybe I don’t do much,” he said, as his last days in the store passed by. “I’ve never once even used my gun. Of course, it only shoots toy pellets, but the pellets would hurt if I shot them and would give enough time for the police to come.”

As the Heavenly Toy Soldier pondered his current situation, he noticed that a little girl dropped her baby doll as the store door closed behind her. The Soldier ran into the street, stopping traffic to the give the girl her doll. In one of her hands, she held a cup of banana nut pudding. Being that it was too much to hold, she must have dropped her new toy doll. 

“Thank you so much,” the girl’s father said, taking the baby doll and shoving it under his arm, while holding other bags filled with Christmas packages. “Oh, and I heard that Christmas Eve will be your last day at the shop. We’ll miss you!”

“I appreciate your kind words, sir,” the Heavenly Toy Soldier said. “I’m grateful to have served you for the time I did.”

While the Solider walked back into the shop, he was unaware of the listening ears that had heard of his departure. 

Two of the worst hoodlums in the neighborhood happened to be crossing the street at the moment of the conversation.

“Did you hear that, Bubba Joe? The Heavenly Toy Soldier at the Toymaker’s Shop got the axe,” said Brother Jim. 

“Maybe we should just drop by on Christmas Eve after hours and do some shopping!” Bubba Joe said, scratching his chin.

“Too bad that he’s not already fired,” Brother Jim said. “We could really ruin Christmas for a bunch of bratty kids!”

“Well, this way we can ruin Christmas, Easter, and everybody’s birthday for years to come,” Bubba Joe said. “Why don’t we set the place on fire to teach everybody a lesson! It’ll definitely ruin Christmas and shut the place down for good.”

When Christmas Eve arrived, the Heavenly Toy Soldier felt sadder than he let the customers know. 

“I’m sure I’ll find another job,” the Soldier said to the families, many of them shaking his hand on the way out the door. 

However, the Soldier knew that his chances of finding another job anywhere were slim to none. If he did find another job, it would not give him the respect in the community that working at the Toymaker’s Shop had provided. Even still, he kept his chin up, trying to be thankful for the opportunities that he had for years in the heart of New York City. 

At least he didn’t have a wife and children to support, the Soldier thought. He was mostly alone in the world, sacrificing his life for others. 

“This is your Christmas bonus,” Mr. Cartwright said, giving the Heavenly Toy Soldier a golden medal for his heroic efforts. “I know today is your last day, but I wanted to give you something special. Have a Happy New Year!”

“Again, thank you, sir!” the Soldier said. As Mr. Cartwright walked away, he choked up, almost wanting to leave just then.

“Since I’m the last one in the store, I’m just going to spend the night,” he said to himself. “Then, I’ll leave in the morning when no one sees me. At least, I can spend one final night alone in the Toymaker’s Shop, thinking of the good times.”

While the last customers piled out of the shop on Christmas Eve, including Mr. Cartwright, the Heavenly Toy Soldier bided his time, shuffling toys back to their shelves. Then, he locked the front door behind everyone, sat down in Santa Claus’ armchair, and cried while watching the lights on the store Christmas tree flicker in the darkness. 

Before the Heavenly Toy Soldier had a chance to get a tissue, someone threw a rock through the front store window. 

“Ouch! What in the world?” the Soldier said, as the rock hit his leg. He stood up, grabbing his toy gun, and sounding the store alarm. Then, Bubba Joe and Big Jim jumped through the broken window, with giant, flaming torches. 

“Stop right there!” the Heavenly Toy Soldier said, aiming his gun. “I’m here to keep the peace. You’re disturbing it.”

“Are we? Gee! We didn’t know we were disturbing anything,” Bubba Joe said to Big Jim, waving his torch. 

“We were just going to light the place on fire for Christmas Eve,” Big Jim said, laughing like a snorting pig. 

“Not on my watch,” said the Soldier, firing his pellet gun. Then, he grabbed a water gun from the nearest shelf, filling it from the hose on the store fire engine, and doused the torches before Bubba Joe and Big Jim could burn anything.

With that, the New York City Police Department arrived and arrested Bubba Joe and Big Jim, who definitely had a memorable Christmas behind bars. A squad of police cars with loud sirens and K9 police dogs lined the streets. 

By morning, the Heavenly Toy Soldier was the Christmas hero of the nation, the defender of Fifth Avenue in New York City. Of course, he kept his job for years to come, keeping the peace for adults and children everywhere. 

Copyright 2016 Jennifer Waters

Christmas Frost King: The Story of the Nasty North Wind in Winter

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful forest that loved its king until a brutal wind thought he could destroy the trees and animals of the wood with its breath. 

“The Polar Forest is so lovely,” the Christmas Frost King said, as his servant stood next to him. He sat on his throne in his Ice Palace on a winter’s day at the North Pole. Like many times before, the Nasty North Wind had come to ridicule him and his forest with insults. 

Despite the threats of the Wind, the Frost King had always protected and defended the forest and its animals in the winter months. Some people knew him as Father Christmas because he brought gifts and candies to people all over the world during the winter holiday celebrations. 

“Your forest is not that special,” the Nasty North Wind said to the Christmas Frost King. He blew through his throne room with a gust. He blasted the Christmas Frost King’s Ice Palace so hard that many in the King’s household thought it would soon topple.

“The trees of the Polar Forest love me, and they also love my animals,” the Christmas Frost King declared. Then, he waved his ice scepter, the magical staff made of ice that gave him authority over the forest. “I know the trees love me.”

“I know you believe that your forest is good, but none of your trees are truly pure in heart,” the North Wind cackled.

“You are full of lies!” the Frost King argued. “You stir up strife everywhere you go!”

“Not so much! I could destroy your forest with one breath,” the Nasty North Wind taunted. “Let me test the Forest to see if it is full of love and compassion!”

“Test the Forest?” the Christmas Frost King bellowed. “Why does my Forest need to pass a test?”

“Why would you want to protect a forest full of trees that do not love you?” the Nasty North Wind said. Then, he roared through the throne room with a flurry.

“Fine, you may test the trees of the Polar Forest to see if they are full of love,” the Frost King said. He had so much pride in his forest that he could not imagine that it would betray him.

“None of the trees will care about the animals of the forest,” the Nasty North Wind ridiculed the King. “They will forget that they ever loved and served you!”

“You have my permission to test the trees, but not to kill them, and only for the winter season,” the King said. “There must be limits to your test!”

“Fine, I will abide by your limits,” the Nasty North Wind agreed. “Limits, limits!”

“Do not mock me,” the Frost King said. “My forest is not perfect, but it still loves me. The Spruce Tree, the Pine Tree, and the Little Juniper Tree will stand tall against your wind. Be gone, and do not return until the test is complete.” 

The Christmas Frost King slammed his ice scepter against the palace wall and sent rays of light into the North Wind, which caused him to shrink.

“We shall see if you are right,” the Nasty North Wind roared. “And we shall see who is full of love.”

“When you are wrong, you will be banished to the South Pole,” the Frost King said. “I will not be mocked. My forest will prove full of love. Now leave me.”

The Christmas Frost King hoped that the Forest would forgive him for the suffering it was about to endure, but he knew the trees would prove true, and the North Wind would be silenced once and for all.

The Nasty North Wind set out through the Polar Forest and sent the worst storms in years. The sleet was like knives, and the rain was like pellets. The snow blew into walls of white sheets that no one could see past, and the ice was so hard that it would never crack. Tree branches froze and snapped off like twigs. Tree hollows filled with snow and icicles. 

Of course, animals like the Gray Wolf and the Brown Grizzly Bear were able to hide in the mountains and caves. However, a creature like the Littlest of Little Birds could not even fly fast enough to escape the wind to shelter. 

“This is how I will win this battle against the Christmas Frost King,” the Nasty North Wind snapped through the air. “No one will even care what happens to the Littlest of Little Birds,” the Wind said, as he trapped the Bird in a downward spiral.  

Although the Christmas Frost King saw the Nasty North Wind attacking the Little Bird, he knew he had to stay out of it, and let the Polar Forest pass the test. He tried to think about how great his forest would feel for overcoming the trial.

At first, the Birch Tree caught the Littlest of Little Birds in his arms and hid the Bird for a few hours, until the Nasty North Wind laid bare its branches of leaves. With the Wind biting at the branches that held the Little Bird, the Birch Tree let the Bird go back into the winter storm. 

Within minutes, the Oak Tree took the Little Bird into his arms, but the same thing happened as with the Birch Tree. The Nasty North Wind plucked its branches of leaves and tormented the tree until it released the Littlest of Little Birds back into the freezing storm. By this point, the Little Bird was closer and closer to death. 

“Everyone is against me, but I will survive!” the Bird cried. “One of these trees will help me!”

Then, the Willow Tree, which was known to weep openly, grabbed the Bird and hid her until the Nasty Wind blasted its branches so hard that it could not keep the Bird in its shelter any longer. It ushered the Bird back into the forest with tears.

“Where are these grand trees that you mentioned, Christmas Frost King?” the North Wind called. The Little Bird had lost most of its feathers by now, had a hard time flying, and could no longer sing with its sore throat.

“You are shallow and empty!” the Christmas Frost King answered. “Brace yourself because the time is coming when I will question you, and you shall answer me.”

As the North Wind travelled through the forest, it blew so hard that it picked up the Little Bird, and she bounced right to the Spruce Tree, Pine Tree, and Little Juniper Tree. 

“I offer my thick branches to protect you, Little Bird,” the Spruce Tree said. He opened his arms to the Little Bird. 

“I will give my life for the smallest animal in the forest,” the Pine Tree vowed, as he stood between the Bird and the Wind.

“My needles will be your nest, and my berries your food, even if I am small,” the Little Juniper Tree proclaimed to the Bird. 

Although the Nasty North Wind blasted gales and gusts, which were deathly, the Christmas Frost King watched the Polar Forest stand tall. He felt vindicated for allowing the Nasty North Wind to test his forest in the first place. 

When the Three Evergreen Trees—the Spruce Tree, the Pine Tree, and the Little Juniper Tree, who are green in every season—defended the Little Bird, it caused all the other evergreen trees of the Polar Forest to do the same. In fact, the Polar Forest then defended every large and small animal throughout the wintertime storms. 

The harder the Wind blew against the Evergreens, the more resolute the trees became to defeat him, even when he plucked their needles. 

As the weeks passed, the Christmas Frost King was relieved for his forest when the snow started to melt. Flowers popped through the soil. When the temperature rose, the frost became less severe. Skunk cabbages began to bloom, and butterflies fluttered. Even the wood frogs began quacking. The Nasty North Wind’s test was finally finished. 

“I lived to see the springtime,” the Little Bird cheered. No longer suffering from a sore throat, she sang a song in the sunshine. “I can sing again! Sing a love song!”

Meanwhile, the Nasty North Wind returned to the Christmas Frost King in bitter defeat, and the Frost King felt triumphant and victorious for his faith in the Polar Forest. 

“Now I will question you: Who do you think you are to challenge my authority?” the Christmas Frost King announced. He stood to his feet with power, never prouder of his forest. “For the rest of your days, you will not touch any spruce, pine, or little juniper trees on Earth. You will never again pluck needles from my evergreens!”

“I cannot believe that the Polar Forest passed the test,” the Nasty North Wind moaned.

“I banish you to the South Pole, except for the winter season,” he declared. “Each fall when the season turns to winter, you may visit the Northern Hemisphere, but only for three months with peaceful winds. You will also never attack my palace again. Be gone! Never return to me, foolish, arrogant tempest! I hope you get tired of freezing the world and bring warmth instead.”

“I bow to your greatness, Christmas Frost King,” the Nasty North Wind said. He departed for the South Pole. His once large uproar was a small breeze.

The Frost King hoped the Nasty North Wind was ashamed and embarrassed of his behavior. In celebration, he felt like throwing a springtime festival. 

“Find me the Littlest of Little Birds,” the Christmas Frost King charged his servant. “I need her song in my court.”

Just before the Little Bird was about to fly away into the spring sky, the servant found the Bird resting in the Spruce Tree.

“Your presence is requested by the Christmas Frost King,” the servant explained, as he gathered the Little Bird into his arms.

“Thank you, my lord,” the Littlest of Little Birds said. All the way to the palace, she sang beautiful melodies that sounded like they should be performed by an orchestra. 

“I need you to perform a spring concert for my forest,” the Christmas Frost King said to the Little Bird. He hoped that this recognition would restore her from what she had endured. 

“Sir, it would be an honor to sing for you and the forest,” she chirped with joy.

For the rest of her days, the Little Bird sang in the court of the Christmas Frost King, winter, spring, summer, and fall. 

“What lovely songs!” the Christmas Frost King said. “I love listening to you sing.”

“Oh, I have never been so happy,” the Littlest of Little Birds said. 

So, all ended well in the Frost King’s Polar Forest, a place where love and compassion reigned supreme, even when tested by the Nasty North Wind. 

 

Copyright 2016 Jennifer Waters

Holiday Gingerbread House: The Story of a Very Sweet Christmas Home

“Time for bed, Nicola,” her mother called from the top of the stairs decorated with a garland. “Santa will be here soon.”

“Mom, I can’t go to bed now. I need to finish my gingerbread house before I go to sleep,” 12-year-old Nicola Claire explained, as she worked on her Gingerbread House Kit. She had been constructing the home for hours, one piece at a time. It had to be ready for Santa’s arrival. “Why do you always have to spoil my fun? I want Santa to see it when he comes tonight,” she said. 

“Honey, you need to go to sleep for the big day tomorrow!” her mother said. “Now, run along! You did enough work on the gingerbread house for now.”

“Fine, ruin my whole Christmas by making me go to sleep before I’m finished,” Nicola said. “I wish I could just shrink and go live in the gingerbread house by myself.”

“Merry Christmas!” her mother called. “I know you don’t mean what you just said.”

Nicola never felt like her mother understood her. She always tried to be good enough, but it never seemed to be what her mother wanted. Her father had divorced her mother a few years ago, and sometimes, Nicola felt like she was invisible. 

She ran into her bedroom, crawled under the covers, and waited a few minutes until she snuck back into the kitchen to finish the Gingerbread House. Her mother could thank her later.

The set included pre-baked gingerbread and icing to make a two-story home. Also included were gingerbread men, shredded coconut, colorful beads, jelly hearts, mini jellies, spearmint leaves, candy canes, pinwheels, sugar wreaths, chocolate pretzels, gum balls, rock candy, peppermints, marshmallows, glazed nuts, chocolate bars, and spice drops.

She glued the gingerbread pieces together with the icing and placed candy pieces artistically on the house as a creative masterpiece. As soon as she finished the house, she would crawl back in bed, and her mother would never know that she spent a few more hours in the kitchen. After all, she was rather sleepy from a hard week at school. 

“I’d really like to live in there,” Nicola said with a yawn. “I wouldn’t have half the problems that I have with Mom and Dad if I had my own home.” 

She placed her head on the table for a moment’s rest, closed her eyes for a second, which then became minutes until she was asleep. In her dream, her stature shrank, and she was as small as the gingerbread men in the kit. 

“Curious!” she said. “My own little world! I always imagined what this would be like.”

She wandered through the rooms of the gingerbread home and enjoyed the sweet-smelling house. As she made her way to the living room with a peppermint fireplace, she stumbled upon a candy cane couch with matching chairs. She turned around to find a gingerbread man hanging a sugar wreath over the mantle. Large gumdrops served as side tables. 

“My name Cinnamon,” the cookie said. He had a white icing body, red candy bow, and jelly heart eyes. “Welcome to the Holiday Gingerbread House. I hope you will be able to find your way home by Christmas morning.”

“I’m not even sure how I got here in the first place,” Nicola said. “How do you expect me to find my way home? Where I live with Mom is rather lonely. I miss Dad.”

She sat down on the chocolate bar floor and shed hot tears, which melted part of it. She looked around to find herself completely alone. At first, she thought being completely alone would make everything better, but not really. In some ways, it only made it worse. 

“I never thought I would miss my mom so much,” she said. “Now, I miss Dad and Mom, even if she is annoying.”

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Cinnamon whispered. “If you eat the Gingerbread House, it won’t exist, and you’re sure to be home.”

“Eat it? The whole thing?” Nicola asked. “How am I going to be able to fit this entire house in my stomach? It will hurt! I’ll have to take it a piece at a time.”

“Then maybe you need to make yourself bigger, and the house will become smaller and fit in your stomach,” he suggested. He placed a jug of milk on the table. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to eat the Gingerbread House without milk. 

“Do you think I can swallow it whole?” Nicola wondered. “Probably not.”

“It might be a little bit more than you can chew at once,” Cinnamon said. “Take small bites. Enjoy the treat! And make sure you eat the house before any of the cats in the neighborhood find you. They would surely eat you and the house!”

“Cats? Oh, no!” Nicola said. “I must eat the house and return home. What was I thinking when I wanted to live in it by myself?”

So, Nicola set about eating the Gingerbread House one wall at a time, then the roof, the chimney, the floor, the door, the windows, and the front porch. As she ate the home, she grew in stature and got bigger. When she looked at the house, it became smaller to her, little by little. 

Although her stomach ached a bit, she mostly enjoyed the sugary home. She ate it like a big birthday cake. Once her mom made her an ice cream cake that was a train with extra icing. She loved every bit of it and wished she could eat like that each day. She knew her mother loved her, even if she had divorced her dad. All her parents did was fight anyhow, so it was better for them to live separate lives. It was just so disappointing when the holidays came. 

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the cats as they prowled around her. They must have snuck into the house from the outside. The four-legged critters circled her and the house. She tried to hide, but it was impossible. She knew that they could most certainly smell her little-girl scent no matter where she went. So, she hurried to eat every last crumb of gingerbread, icing, and sugar. She just wanted to go home to her mom in time for Christmas.

“Mom! Dad! Help! The cats are going to get me,” Nicola said. “Where are you?”

The cats pounced right next to her and thankfully tried to eat the house instead of her. 

“Go away!” she said. “Shoo! My mom is waiting for me.” As she quickly gobbled up the rest of the Gingerbread House, she grew increments. Her stomach had never felt so full. 

By the time she grew back into her real-life state, Cinnamon was very tiny, and she picked him up to look at him. She wondered what she should do with him. 

“Should I eat you, too?” Nicola asked. “I can’t possibly eat you! You’re my friend. I should be able to make it home without eating you.”

“Oh, my, I’m a gingerbread man,” Cinnamon said. “I was made to be eaten by a lovely girl like you!”

“Yes, indeed, but I would never want to hurt you,” she said. “You’re the one who helped me eat my way out of this mess. I would have never thought of eating the Gingerbread House as a way of returning home.”

“It’s what I was made for! I’d rather you eat me than anybody else,” Cinnamon said. “Merry Christmas!”

“Well, if you insist,” Nicola said. Then, she ate her gingerbread friend whole. She took a big drink of milk afterwards. He was tastier than the house by far. 

As she awoke back at her kitchen table in her family’s home on Christmas Eve, far past midnight. Standing beside her was Santa Claus, admiring the Gingerbread House that she built before dozing off into a dream-like state. Her mother was nowhere to be found. 

“This is Cinnamon,” Santa said to Nicola. He handed her a stuffed gingerbread man as a Christmas gift. Although he was not a cookie like in her dream, he was better. He would be her forever toy. She could hold him every night as she fell asleep. Then, she was not as much alone.

“I already love him,” she said. She held him at her chest and kissed him. 

In the morning, Nicola ate the Gingerbread House for breakfast with mother. Cinnamon sat on her lap as her new best friend. 

“I’m so glad you got some rest last night, even if it was Christmas Eve,” her mother said. “Dad wants you to come over to his house for dinner. So, I’ll drop you off later. I knew you would need the extra sleep.”

“Last night, I shrunk so small that I could walk through the Gingerbread House in my dream,” she told her mother. “But I missed you too much, so I had to come back to real life.”

“Oh, honey,” her mother said. “Merry Christmas! I love you.”

“I love you, too!” Nicola said. “I wish you and Dad were still together, but at least I’m not alone. I really don’t like being alone, especially at Christmas.”

“I understand, Nicola,” her mother said. “Your Gingerbread House is so tasty. You put so much work into it.”

“As a gift, I got you cooking classes after school, so you can learn to make all types of cookies and cakes,” her mother said. “I knew you’d love them!”

            “Oh, wow!” Nicola said. “Then, I can bake all kinds of sweet treats for you and Dad.”

It was one the happiest Christmases of all, and by far the sweetest. So, many great memories, all built around a Gingerbread House. Sugar and spice and all things nice!

 

Copyright 2016 Jennifer Waters 

 

Hallelujah Choir and Angel Orchestra: The Story of Comfort and Joy

“We just got orders from the higher-ups that we’re performing a concert over Bethlehem tomorrow night,” Comfort said to Joy. He had been the lead vocalist in the Hallelujah Choir and Angel Orchestra for years, and this was going to be his moment! He felt a mixture of excitement and anxiety. As he sat back in his office chair, he studied the instructions line by line. 

A globe of the planet Earth sat on the corner of his desk for twirling when necessary. Sometimes, the angels needed to know where they would be dispatched, and the globe was a good reference. Comfort also had a solar system map on the wall, which included the five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.  

“Bethlehem looks like it is a small town in a country named Israel,” Comfort explained.

“How are we going to prepare in time? It seems so last minute,” Joy said, as she stood by his desk. She fixed her angel wings and grabbed her trumpet. Then, she studied the globe. “God must know that we can be ready in a day!”

“It is last minute,” Comfort said. He looked over his sheet music for “Glory to God in the Highest.” His solo required a big vocal range, but he knew he could do it.  

“We can sing a duet,” Joy said. “You’ll lead the choir, and I’ll lead the orchestra, just like we usually do . . .” The brother and sister angels had been in training for years. 

“We’re technically plan B that became plan A,” Comfort said. “Originally, the Melody Makers Choir was on the schedule, but it fell through. We really need to prove ourselves!”

“What’s the occasion?” Joy said. “Oh, I remember now . . . something like God decided to send his Son to live on Earth, and this is his big entrance.”

Comfort took heart in knowing that God must have believed that they could succeed, despite the short notice. The two angels adorned themselves in pink and sky-blue robes and played their sparkling silver trumpets throughout the day. They also each knew how to play the harp, which was much harder than it looked. 

“This is one of the most important evenings in history,” Gloria, the Hallelujah Choir and Angel Orchestra’s supervisor, said. “We have to sound better than the best!”

“We’re going to need to rehearse all night long,” Comfort said, as he warmed a mug of angel coffee in his office. 

“I’m sounding the bell for rehearsal now!” Gloria said. “All Hallelujah Choir and Angel Orchestra members to the Assembly Hall.”

The large, golden rehearsal bell rang all throughout the Hallelujah Choir and Angel Orchestra chamber, calling the angels to practice.

As the angels entered the hall, they whispered to one another, curious as to why they were called to practice in the middle of the night. Usually, they were given at least a few days’ notice for major events throughout the heavens. 

“Now every angel, listen up!” Gloria said. She marched across the chamber with a clip board. “All your other duties are put on hold until we finish this concert. There will be shepherds out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Comfort and Joy will appear to them, and the glory of the Lord will shine around them, and they will be terrified. We’re going to have to do our best to help them not to be afraid. Every one of your angel wings needs to be ironed and trumpets need to be polished! After the glory shines, I gave Comfort and Joy a scroll to read. Go ahead, Comfort . . .”

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people,” Comfort said. He tried to memorize it. It was tricky, and he did not want to screw it up.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Joy said. She rolled forward in the scroll and pointed out all the periods and pauses.

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger,” Comfort said. He imagined how cute the baby would be. “Gloria, do you think we need that section about the sign? It might be overdoing it a bit,” he continued.

“Would you stick to the parchment?” Gloria said. “God wrote it. I can’t change it. It is essential to the Messiah’s identity. After your announcement, then suddenly our great company of heavenly host will appear with you and Joy, praising God and singing! Comfort and Joy, do you have down all the major instructions? If you do, then we can continue to the music.”

“Altos, sopranos, tenors, and basses! Every angel, focus!” Comfort said, as he directed the Hallelujah Choir and Angel Orchestra. 

“The musicians can join in during the second verse. The first time should be a cappella,” Joy said. She handed out the music while she admired the strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion sections. However, most of the musicians played harps and trumpets. After the Angel Orchestra had a minute to review the song, they stood at their tallest with instruments ready.

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests,” the Hallelujah Choir sang. Comfort got chills listening to the song. 

“Wonderful!” Gloria announced. “Still needs a little work on phrasing and make sure to pronounce your consonants. After you are finished performing the song, ideally, the shepherds will hurry off and find Mary and Joseph, the baby’s parents, and the baby, who will be lying in the manger. When the shepherds see the baby, hopefully, they will spread the word concerning what had been told to them about the child by us. Of course, all who hear what the shepherds say to them will be amazed. I’m hoping the child’s mother will treasure all these things and ponder them in her heart. God willing, the shepherds will return to the fields, glorifying and praising God for what they have heard and seen. If they don’t, at least we tried. We did it for God.”

“Any questions?” Comfort said to the crowd of singers and musicians. “I will try to answer them for you!”

“If you can’t find an answer to your question, then there’s always the chance for a miracle,” Joy said. She giggled into her trumpet as Comfort rolled his eyes at her silly joke.

As the Hallelujah Choir and Angel Orchestra practiced into the wee hours of the morning and into the next afternoon. It took a little work, but “Glory to God in the Highest” eventually sounded heavenly. By the midnight hour on Christmas Eve, the angels were in place over Bethlehem. The town smelled of the best bread Comfort had ever imagined. 

“The savior is going to be the bread of life,” Gloria explained to the choir and musicians. “This town makes a lot of bread, so God insisted that the child be born here. I know Bethlehem is a bit out of the way, but the location was important to the Lord. He said it has something to do with manna coming down out of heaven. I’ll see if we can find a way to take some bread from Bethlehem home with us.”

Before everyone got distracted by the bakery scents, Comfort interrupted. 

“Everyone, remember your cues,” Comfort said. Gloria watched on the side of the orchestra and floated in the sky. Comfort had stopped her nose and her stomach from taking over her emotions.

“Look! Shepherds! There really are shepherds in the field,” Ariel, an angel in the alto section of the choir, whispered to her boyfriend named Angelo in the tenor section.

“Please be quiet!” Comfort said. “Keep focused on the performance.” 

“Ssh! We’re not supposed to be talking! Peace! Be still and know,” Angelo said to Ariel. “Don’t get us into trouble!”

When Comfort and Joy suddenly appeared in the sky with the glory of God surrounding them in all its power, the shepherds stopped in place and shook in fear. The presence of God was so strong that Comfort could feel a holiness overtake him.

“Aaah! What’s in the sky? Strange beings! They’re going to kill us!” the shepherds said, and some of them ran for the hills. 

“The scroll! Start now! Hurry!” Gloria yelled at Comfort and Joy.

“Do not be afraid,” Comfort said. He bellowed in his strongest voice. 

At that, the sheep scattered, and the shepherds had dropped many of their crooks in the chaos of the event. By the time Comfort and Joy finished the scroll, some of the shepherds had stood still long enough to listen to the speech, followed by the performance of the song. 

“Who wants to meet the Messiah?” Gloria asked through her bullhorn. 

Without giving a proper response, the shepherds ran off as fast as they could. They took a few sheep with them but lost the rest in the terror. 

“A complete failure,” Gloria said as she sat on a cloud in tears. “How could the shepherds be so afraid? The glory of God shone. We prepared the script. We practiced the song. What is wrong with them? We sacrificed so much for this! The shepherds have a distinct role to play in the baby’s birth. They are going to have to find him to tell others, or all is lost!”

Comfort and Joy flew across the sky to give Gloria a hug, and the rest of the angels stood in silence with disappointment. Somehow, everything was going to work together for the good.

“Maybe the shepherds will have time to think about the message and change course?” Comfort said. “God must have known that this would happen.”

“Tonight was a disaster!” Gloria said. “Why would God ever pick shepherds to help his son at a time like this? There must have been someone better suited for the task.”

“We are angels,” Joy said. “At least some of the shepherds were a little bit excited and listened to what we were saying!”

“Let’s just pack it up and go back to heaven,” Gloria said. “There’s not much else that we can do for now down here!”

“You go ahead. Joy and I will fly to the manger to see if the shepherds made it,” Comfort said. “Come on, Joy!”

“Of course, we’ll fly to the manger,” Joy said. She forced a smile with her pearly whites.

Comfort knew Joy tried to be hopeful after the shepherds’ disappointing exit. He also tried to believe that everything would come together, even if it seemed like a mess right now. 

By the time Comfort and Joy found Mary and Joseph in the manger with the baby, the shepherds had just arrived. Comfort was almost speechless and stood in awe of God. A donkey, an ox, sheep, and camels surrounded the child and his family. 

“I can barely believe my eyes!” Comfort said. He admired the gifts of three very wealthy wise men that sat next to the shepherds. “God must really know what He is doing.”

“This is why you need to have faith!” Joy said. “Even when you think everything is a failure, God has a purpose.” 

“I need to trust in the Lord more than I usually do,” Comfort said. “I lean too much on my own understanding.”

“The shepherds must’ve talked about it and decided to go see what we told them about,” Joy said. She laughed out loud. “They will end up telling everyone about the Messiah, just like God wanted!”

Then, out of nowhere, Gloria landed in the middle of the manger with a basket of bread.

“He who has ears to hear! Let him hear! Do not be afraid! Did you hear me?” Gloria said. “I just got a word from God, and He said that we had not failed. He said we are right on track for the next big miracle.”

“Exactly!” Comfort said, as he flew in her direction. “Everything worked out!” 

Comfort and Joy hugged Gloria together with relief as they admired the shepherds in the manger with the baby savior. His parents looked a bit confused at the commotion, but glad for the new friends by their side. 

“God is going to ask us to do more performances now,” Joy said. “Yippee!”

“This time, we should try to prepare in advance and not wait until the last minute,” Comfort said. “But sometimes God just does things suddenly!”

“I need a raise,” Gloria said. “I deserve a promotion and a vacation!”

Every year from that year on, Gloria took her annual vacation at Christmas, and Comfort and Joy were put in charge to spread the Christmas spirit. The shepherds ended up telling about the birth of the Savior all over the world, and everyone knew about the beautiful music of the Hallelujah Choir and Angel Orchestra.

 

Copyright 2016 Jennifer Waters 

Christmas Cookie: The Story of Sugar Plum Love

“Hey there, Christmas Cookie!” called ice-skater Ernest Plum across The Rink at Rockefeller Center to Cookie Roberts. She skated effortlessly across the ice rink with grace. It seemed like she had been on ice skates her entire life. 

“Sugar Plum, we might make a good team on the ice, but I am not your Christmas Cookie,” she replied to Ernest before he could say anything else. 

Defiantly, she took off in a Salchow—an edge jump, where she flew from the back edge of one foot and landed on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. She used the edge of her skate to cause flakes of ice and snow to shoot up right in his face. 

In response, he did a toe loop jump, where he took off from the back outside edge of his skate with a tap toe and landed on the back outside edge. He did not rotate but skipped sideways. Upon landing, he also sent ice and snow flying in her direction with the edge of his skate. 

Dressed in a sparkly red dress with tights, Cookie felt like they were having a skating war. Other skaters paused from practicing on the ice, and a small crowd had gathered around the rink to observe the antics. Cookie and Ernest seemed to be the best entertainment in town.

“Well, you sure are my Christmas Cookie!” Ernest said, as he skated in her direction and made an abrupt stop with his skates. He wore green trousers and a fitted top. “We have hours of practice to prepare for our Christmas Eve skate,” he said. 

Then, he grabbed her hand and twirled her on the ice. When she stopped spinning, she sent ice and snow in his direction stronger than she did before with the edge of her skate. 

“You just want to spend time with me alone,” Cookie said. Then, she flipped her long chestnut hair in his direction. Although she was annoyed with Ernest, Christmas Eve was a week away, and the duo needed to perfect their routine.

Each Christmas Eve, the Rockefeller Center Skaters put on a spectacular ice show at the Rink at Rockefeller Center. Only steps from Times Square and the Broadway Theater District, visitors gathered all month long for skating lessons until the 24^th of December. Then, tourists and locals in New York City gathered on the plaza beside the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree to enjoy the annual Christmas Eve skating event. 

This year, Cookie and Ernest were the featured skaters in the festivities. However, the duo didn’t always get along as one might expect, mostly due to Ernest’s unrequited love for Cookie. She usually refused his advances with sarcasm, even if she did love him, sort of. 

“We can practice now, but you’re only allowed to hold my hand and touch me here and there,” Cookie said. She put his hands on her shoulders and back. “If you tell me you love me one more time, I’m getting the skating coach and finding a new partner.” 

“What’s wrong if I love you?” Ernest said. “You could have a skating partner who hates you and that would be horrible.”

“You’ve been sending postal packages to my apartment every month for years, and then twelve gifts each Christmas,” she said. “I gave you nothing. This is not exactly the way it is supposed to work. I never sent you one package ever.”

“Maybe it’s better if we don’t talk about this right now,” Ernest said to Cookie. “So much better to skate with you . . .”

“Okay, fine,” Cookie said. “We have to prepare for Christmas Eve. Everyone in New York City will be watching.”

Although there are six figure skating jumps, Cookie found the Axel the most difficult, an edge jump with its extra half rotation. She was always nervous about performing it. Ernest assisted her by throwing her and propelling her forward.

“I have to get the Axel jump down,” Cookie said to him. Then, she did a forward takeoff where Ernest threw her. She teetered a bit but landed backwards.

“You landed it, Christmas Cookie!” Ernest said. He skated by her and took her hand. She almost regretted telling him that he could hold her hand, but she had no choice.

“I’m going to try again,” Cookie said. “And I’m going to get it perfect this time.”

With that, Ernest threw her again, and Cookie took off in the forward direction, spun in the air, and landed on her bottom, instead of her skate. 

“Oh, no! I think I broke my ankle,” she cried, as Ernest skated over to her. “I can’t believe this. We have to perform!”

“I’ll carry you to the emergency room,” Ernest said. He scooped her up into his arms and skated with her across the ice. She had a sudden rush of emotion that she could not contain.

“Carry me to the emergency room?” she said, while she sobbed. “Now everyone will think I love you, too!”

“My darling, Christmas Cookie!” Ernest said, as he popped on his skate guards while balancing his partner in his arms. 

Then, he carried her up the stairs at Rockefeller Center while wearing his skates. She squirmed as Ernest made a fool of himself for her.

“Are you going to call for an ambulance?” Cookie yelled at Ernest. “I just cannot let you carry me all the way to the emergency room.”

“I’m so sorry, but I can’t put you down in the middle of the plaza when you’re injured!” he said. She knew he wanted to kiss her, so she looked away.

“Kissing me in public is not part of the deal!” Cookie said, as she kicked her injured leg and flailed her arms. She was at his mercy completely. 

Ernest waved for a taxicab on Fifth Avenue. The taxicab stopped, and he managed to get Cookie into the cab without too much of a problem. Cookie felt as though the entire situation was awkward and embarrassing. She liked to be the one in charge, not the one receiving help.

“Please take us to Rockefeller University Hospital in Manhattan right away,” he said. 

With exhaustion, Cookie fell asleep in the cab. When she woke up a few hours later, Ernest sang “Auld Lang Syne” to her from the chair next to her bed in the emergency room. 

“What are you doing New Year’s Eve, darling?” Ernest sang in a loud voice. “Good news is that your ankle isn’t broken!”

“Even if it’s not broken, I still might be in the hospital on New Year’s Eve,” she said, as she brushed her hair from her face. 

“Yes, Miss Roberts, your ankle is only sprained,” the physician at the emergency room explained. He walked over to her bedside. “Please just rest it, ice it, and elevate it for the next 24 to 48 hours. Take some ibuprofen, if you have pain.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Cookie said to the man in the white jacket with a stethoscope around his neck. He seemed like a caring person. 

“Since your ankle isn’t broken, I’d love to take you out dancing on New Year’s Eve,” Ernest said. “I’d love to ring in the New Year with you!”

“Are you ever going to give up?” Cookie said. “Thank you for your help, but we have a business relationship. You are my ice-skating partner. That’s it.”

Ernest stood up slowly and walked to the door of the hospital room, still in his ice skates.

“At this rate, I’m thinking you pretended to hurt your ankle on purpose, so you couldn’t skate with me on Christmas Eve,” Ernest said. “Fine. I quit. Skate with someone else.” 

“Wait! I’m sorry!” Cookie said, as Ernest walked out of the emergency room. “There’s not time to find someone to replace you. I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have faked an injury.”

The next morning, Cookie hobbled to the Rink at Rockefeller Center. She explained to her coach that she sprained her ankle, but it would be better for the Christmas Eve performance. She felt so guilty for her stunt with Ernest, and she wanted him back as her partner. 

“The bad news is that Ernest quit the gig,” she said. “It might be my fault.”

“What do you mean he quit?” Cookie’s coach said. “This is a nightmare. I guess you’ll have to skate with Roy.”

“Thank you so much,” Cookie said. “Roy and I can start practicing tomorrow. My ankle should be okay by then. We’ll be ready.” 

By Christmas Eve, Cookie and Roy dazzled New York City in their white jump suits with silver sparkles on them. They performed side-by-side jumps in unison with ease. Roy lifted Cookie above his head in a twist lift and tossed her in the air. She rotated three times, and then he caught her at the waist. She somehow wished it was Ernest catching her.

Even if the crowd was dazzled, Cookie felt that the routine fell flat without Ernest. Although she found him more annoying than Roy, she trusted Ernest more to catch her. More than once, she almost fell during the routine with Roy. Cookie felt relieved when she landed the Axel jump. When she looked up, she saw Ernest watching her from the plaza. 

“It would have been better if I had skated with Ernest,” Cookie whispered to herself amidst the applause. Ernest would have championed Cookie’s talents while Roy made himself the center of attention. He shook his bottom at the crowd, and it was immature and silly.

“Our performance was robotic and not at all emotional,” she thought to herself while bowing. “What did I do?”

Before leaving the ice rink, Roy shook Cookie’s hand and ran to meet his wife. He hugged his wife with their son. Cookie wished Ernest would treat her respectfully, so they could be ice skating partners without the drama.

After spending Christmas Day with her parents in Upper Manhattan, she spent the rest of the holiday watching old Christmas movies like “It’s A Wonderful Life” and baking cookies.

This year, unlike the past several years, she received no gifts from Ernest, so there was nothing piled underneath her tree. She missed his good parts, but still wished he would grow up.

By New Year’s Eve, she plunged into a bubble bath of hot water with her turn table on the bathroom counter. She played Ella Fitzgerald, closed her eyes, and relaxed. Drinking a cup of tea with extra honey, she had almost forgotten about Ernest, but it was hard to forget about him completely when she was all alone in the candlelight. She wondered if she had made a serious mistake. How would she be able to find someone to replace Ernest? 

“Christmas Cookie!” she heard Ernest call to her, as he knocked on her apartment door. “Are you there? Happy New Year!”

Cookie grabbed the robe beside the bathtub, swung it around her, and ran to the door. She had mixed emotions about seeing him. She hoped they could be friends, but she was also sad at the thought of him being with another woman on or off the ice. 

“Ernest!” she said, as she opened the door wide enough to see his face. 

“I’m sorry, Cookie,” Ernest said. “Will you be my partner? I can’t bear to be without you. I miss you so much.”

“Yes, Ernest,” she said. “I’ll be your partner. I didn’t know how special you were until you were gone.”

“Can I please kiss you?” Ernest asked her with a smile. “It is New Year’s Eve!” 

“Maybe just this once,” Cookie agreed. Before she could change her mind, he grabbed her and kissed her. Even if Ernest wasn’t perfect, Cookie knew that he loved her more than any other man on the planet, so maybe she was the one who needed to give up and love him back.

“I’m giving you a chance, Ernest Plum,” Cookie said. “Just one chance!”

“All I need is a one chance,” Ernest said. “Please forgive me for everything.”

Then, she quickly got dressed, so the duo could head out to watch the ball drop in Times Square. While counting down the minutes until the New Year, Ernest grabbed a bag of leftover Christmas cookies from his jacket and handed them to Cookie. She smiled eating a chocolate chip cookie from the batch.

“You’ll always be my Christmas Cookie,” he said, as the clock approached midnight.

“You’ll always be my Sugar Plum,” Cookie said, as she held his hand. 

Then, Ernest kissed Cookie again at the stroke of midnight, and the duo went on to spend many years together on and off the ice as a great team. 

 

Copyright 2016 Jennifer Waters