Miracle Puppy For Christmas
Everybody wants a puppy for Christmas, especially the sweet little innocent girl Marri who has grown up in an orphanage. She walks slowly, limping on her crutches as she follows the group of girls to the grocery store. She looks to the left of her, Charli is walking next to her. Now to the right of her, the puppy store. She pauses and looks through the tainted glass that is showing puppies for sale. The only puppy that looks at her first, the one she’s been wanting for months, the one she secretly comes to see every day before Miss Marla wakes everybody up. Marri named this puppy Rocky, Rocky Balboa. Her favorite movie and actor. She doesn’t know his real name, but she likes Rocky. Miss Marla see’s how Marri looks at the puppy, both with such innocently abused eyes, they go into the store. Everybody piles in, the clerk of the store see’s them and says with hatred; “are you buying or is that little girl going to keep pestering me?” Miss Marla didn’t know what to reply with except for, “Pestering?” She looked at Marri who picked the puppy up and sitting on the floor with the crutches next to her. “She’s a child, what harm could she have done?” The clerk just looked away and continued to feed the fish mumbling to himself. Marri is also mute, she hasn’t talked through all her years [seven] at the orphanage. Not even her best friend Charli has heard her. She signs to Miss Marla, “Please, please can we get the puppy?” Miss Marla signed back to her since the store was loud, “We don’t have the money.” Marri looked at the girls and they all looked at Miss Marla and said, “we don’t need a Christmas tree Ma’am. Let Marri have the puppy. Maybe she’ll talk for him.” All the children looked at Miss Marla with innocent eyes, hoping that she would because Marri is nice to them. Marri is the one who when Miss Marla can’t, takes care of them and reads to them even though she can’t speak, they all know how to sign. Miss Marla sighs with sadness because she knows how all the children love Marri. “Alright alright but we mustn’t get much for supper young ones.” Marri is so happy, she gets up to hug Miss Marla, but falls. The puppy pushes her with his nose and helps her up, along with the extra help from the children. She limps over to Miss Marla and hugs her and signs to her a really big thank you. Miss Marla asks the mean clerk how much the puppy is. He answers with a mischievous twist in his voice, “50 cents” Miss Marla looks at the clerk with shock. “The sign says 25% off sir.” He answers back to Miss Marla, “Yes, and the price I’m giving is 50 cents. “ Miss Marla argues more with the clerk until he gives in. “20 cents” Miss Marla sighs and sifts through her purse. Marri has been saving up every penny she’s found. She taps on Miss Marla’s shoulder and shows her the money she’s been saving. “Dear Lord My Marri Dear. You really want this puppy don’t you? ” Marri nods and hands her the coins. Miss Marla pays for the puppy and a leash with a bowl and some puppy food that she paid for herself. Since Marri could barely walk, Miss Marla picked her up on her shoulders and they headed out of the store. Marri was holding her little puppy in her arms and Miss Marla was holding them on her shoulder and Marri’s crutches in the other hand. The children all walked abruptly as they didn’t have to slow down for Marri this time. They got back to the orphanage just in time for Marla to make early night before Christmas dinner. Tonight was going to be a very small dinner because they bought the puppy, but they all enjoyed it. Carrots and stew, the only thing they had money for, was to them the best dinner of all. The night came about and all the children were getting ready for bed, ready for Christmas to come. The children all got settled in their beds and fell asleep, Rocky and Marri were still up. For the first time, Marri spoke. “I love you R-wocky” she said with much concentration. Miss Marla was just tucking in Tan’ when she heard Marri speak. “Marri my dear! You’ve spoken. Why, how must this miracle have been brought on to us?” Marri just looked up to Miss Marla and spoke softly, “I prac-tist with R-wocky.” Miss Marla looked at her with a soft heart and pet the puppy on the head. “You, Rocky, are our miracle puppy.”
The morning came around, all the children were up except for little Marri. Rocky started barking when Miss Marla came in. “Marri, wake up!” She protested, but then after a while she picked up her fragile child and ran her to the nursery station near the orphanage. Rocky following behind he jumps into Marri’s arms. The doctors rush running around getting her fluids to keep her breathing and set her on the bed. Rocky jumps back on Marri though the doctors don’t want the dog there Miss Marla explained that the dog is a miracle worker, “Rocky got her to talk last night. She’s been talking to the dog. She used to be mute. That’s a miracle.” The doctors let the dog sleep next to her. The next hour the little girl was breathing again on her own. The doctors didn’t know how because she was in critical condition. By the second hour the girl’s eyes were open and she was petting Rocky weakly. Hours went by and she kept getting better and better, even her legs were moving a little. By nightfall the doctors were questioning their own work, if this dog was the reason she was miraculously getting better. They did tests, physical therapy tests especially. The girl’s legs were almost working 100% though she still couldn’t walk all the way, the doctor- Doctor Maguchichi – said that if she kept this progress up she would be able to walk soon. And she did, Marri went home that night on Christmas day to a room full of presents and a note from “Santa”. It read;
You’ve shown much faith to everybody through your seven years. Your new puppy will be your miracle. He’s one of my helpers. You’re very strong Marri. Keep your faith high and you will achieve all your goals. I will be with you in your heart my dear.
Miss Marla read it over and over again. This really was a miracle