Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Visited

Whaddup peeps, hope u're good and your day's going well? I'm fyne and sure have a story for you.........about Noni.

One early morning, an Adelie penguin named Noni went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She was disappointed that there weren’t many in the box. She shrugged her tiny shoulders and picked up the letter, noting as she was about opening it, that there was no stamp and no postmark, only her name and address. Then she became curious, and tore the letter open quickly. It read:
Dear Noni:

I`m going to be in your neighbourhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.

Love Always,

Jesus
Her flippers shook as she placed the letter on the only table in her condo. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special and I don't have anything to offer” she wondered, pacing up and down the room. Finally, she gave up on her speculations and began to make preparations for Jesus’ visit.

Her kitchen cabinets were empty; no food item save the small bowl of fish cuts in the fridge. So she knew she had to run down to the store and buy something for dinner. She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. One hundred and forty kobo.

“Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She thought.

So Noni threw on her coat and hurried out the door to the store. A kilo of Squids, a half-pound of minced krills, and a sachet of fresh milk ... leaving her with about twenty kobo. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meagre offerings tucked under her left flipper.

“Hey, can you help us, lady?”

Noni had been so absorbed in her dinner plans; she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway - an old emperor and his wife, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

“Sorry to bother you, I ain't got a job you know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street. And, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, wondering if you could help us. We'd really appreciate it.”

Noni looked at them both. They were dirty. They smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. She paused briefly, wondering why anyone would prefer to beg rather than work.

“Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some milk, and ... I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.”

“Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.”

The emperor put his flipper around his wife’s shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As Noni watched them leave, she felt a familiar twinge in her heart and immediately knew she had to do something for these people.

“Sir, wait!” she called after them.

The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley towards them. “Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She said, handing them her shopping bag.

“Thank you lady. Thank you very much!”

“Yes, thank you!” It was the old emperor's wife.

“You’re welcome” Noni smiled at her, noting now that she was shivering.

“You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one?” she added, unbuttoning her jacket and slipping it over the woman's shoulders.

The old emperor was so overwhelmed by Noni’s act of kindness that when he opened his mouth to say something, a stream of tears ran down his cheeks.

Noni looked away, turned and walked back to her condo...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.

“Thank you lady! Thank you very much!” their words echo behind her.

Noni was chilly and slightly worried too by the time she reached her front door;

The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.

“That's kinda odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.”
She reached for it, and tore it open.
Dear Noni:

It was so good to see you today.

Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always,

Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, she no longer noticed. She had just been visited by heavenly beings......

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