A Greater Purpose Part V "A Sister"

  Hello! So, on June 24 I kept thinking, "Why is this day so familiar sounding? Is it a birthday? Why is it significant?" Finally, towards night time, my sister reminded me- it was my blogiversary! Well, it's okay. I don't really have anything planned. I'll try to do better next year, and perhaps have a giveaway sometime before then! But for now, here is part five of A Greater Purpose. It's called "A Sister." Hope you enjoy!

Below you may also click on the links to read Parts 1-4, and to read about the characters.

-A Greater Purpose- Part I "A Knock At the Door"

-A Greater Purpose Part II "A Glimpse Into the Past"

-A Greater Purpose Part III "To Shine God's Light"

-A Great Purpose- Part IV "A New Creature"

About the Characters


"A Sister"

  Today Evangeline and the children are merrily decorating the attic with spring flowers they have just gathered. "Isn't it wonderful?" eleven year old Katie sighed as she took a look at the room, which was growing more colorful by the moment. "It's just like a little greenhouse." She picked up a lily off of the table, and brought it over to where seven year old Lizzy sat on the floor, watching peacefully. Lizzy never complained, though she seemed to always miss out on "the fun things" Katie thought to herself. She pitied the poor girl, who was so weak, probably from some sickness she must have had before coming here.

  "I have an idea!" Evangeline suddenly announced, with an excited look. "Let's play ice breaker! Each of us- well, each of us that can talk- will tell one thing about ourselves that the others don't know!" 

  "Yes! Yes!" was the eager reply, and so they began, Merry starting.

  "Well," the little girl began with a laugh, "I used to have a pet turtle. His name was Mr. Turtle." she paused, then laughed again, along with the others.

  "I have a book in my head," began fourteen year old Miriam. "I haven't quite got the paper enough to write it down, but someday I shall, and want to publish it."

  "I'm going to be rich," began Isabella, "when I turn eighteen and inherit my estate." she said, and turned up her chin. The girls sighed, and  Charlotte said, "I thought we were saying things that the others don't know," with a glare at the snobby girl, who constantly reminded them of the future that awaited her.

  "I think you all might know everything about me," Samantha, who was thirteen,  said, turning red. "What about "Cherished?" Miriam whispered. "Oh, yes! I decided what I'm going to name my orphanage, when I get one," Samantha told them all, and explained how "cherished" fit perfectly.

  "I like to lie still, with my eyes closed, and imagine I was running through a field that never ended," Lizzy began, with a far-off look in her eyes. "Well, never mind that. I'm just glad I can walk; I have it oh so good."

  "If I could learn any skill," Charity began, "I should like to know how to draw. I've seen so many people do such beautiful sketches, and think I would love to be able to do the same!"
  "And you could illustrate my book!" Miriam said, with a laugh.

  They all continued telling something about themselves until all the girls had a turn. "What about you?" Isabella said, with a bit of a frown, looking at Evangeline. "You haven't said anything."

  "Well," Evangeline said, and paused for a moment, as if thinking. "I used to make up songs as a girl. They were about all different things, dishes, friends; even things I needed to work on," and she chuckled there. "But they were mostly about our Creator," she said with a smile. "My best Friend."

  Here Charity looked away, discomforted. She didn't know why she felt so, for, from what she heard, God was kind, loving, merciful. She tried to shake her thoughts away.

  "Sing one, please, will you?!" Merry eagerly asked, with a look so expressive one could not refuse, and so, shyly, the young woman began: 

  I walked along the road one day,

Looked up at sky so blue,

Looked at the grass, t'was e'er so green

And then I thought of You!

I see You in the bees that buzz,

In birds that fly so high,

I wonder if the others do,

And if they do, then why?

Why do we see Your glory

In little things each day?

Why doth the  earth shew forth Your praise?

And then I heard You say:

I made the sky to show You,

Of your Creator's power,

The grass so green to teach you,

He cares to give you color.

I give the bees to show you,

I care for large and small

And if you don't suppress the truth

Come unto Me, child call.

  The girls sat in silent awe, as the melodious voice flew through the room, and, when she finished, they all clapped. "Another, another!" was their anxious plea, and so she began again, this time turning to another subject, a sadder one.

I know my dear,

The time draws near,

When you and I shall part;

But listen here,

And do not fear,

I'll hold you in my heart.

And if you do forget me;

If I pass from your mind,

I never will forget you-

Not till the end of time.

I hope your heart

I'll still be in,

Though deep, perhaps forgot;

Yes sisters we shall always be

Whatever is our lot.

  Here now she smiled, and began the chorus, and it was clear by how she sung it that she had sang it many times throughout the years. Indeed, she had, for she had sang it in her trying years, when she had felt alone, had felt lost, had felt as if she had no place in the world; she had often tried to remind herself of her sister, far across the ocean from her Indian "home." Even when, later, she found she did have a place, as a daughter of God; when she no longer felt alone or lost, she sang that song to keep it in her head, and would pray for her dear sister, wherever she might be.

And we shall meet again, my dear,

Yes we shall meet again.

So do not fret,

And do not cry,

For we will meet,

Yes by and by,

My love for you won't end.

  If you saw Charity, as she turned her face there, you would have seen that something was certainly amiss. And something was! She was shocked- how could this be? Tears streamed down her cheeks, and, trying to hide her face, she turned to leave. As she walked away, she heard the girls telling Evangeline how beautiful the song was. "How old were you?" they questioned, and, when told she was but six, liked it all the better. 

  Though all efforts fought against it, someone did see her face as she left, and as Evangeline's and Charity's eyes met, they both knew it was true. They were sisters, reunited, "by and by." 

  The children begged for more songs, and, this time with a choked voice, Evangeline continued a few minutes, and then kindly sent them all away, sat down, held a bundle which she had retrieved from her bag, to her face, and sobbed. You may think they would be happy tears, and, they were, mostly. But there were also tears of sadness mixed in, for, her dear little sister, her baby "Itty" was grown. She had missed out on seeing her sister's childhood, and now, it was gone. Suddenly she heard someone on the attic steps, and quickly wiped her face, to no avail. As Charity timidly entered, both girl burst into a fresh set of tears, as they ran out to embrace each other.

  "I have a sister!" Charity finally managed to say, and they cried even the more. 

Evangeline and Charity

Illustration drawn by my sister

  When they calmed down enough, and had sat on the floor, Evangeline handed the rumbled up blanket she held in her lap to her younger sister, saying, "This was yours, Charity. I kept it so I would always have a part of you with me." Charity hugged it to her, and both sisters sat quietly for a minute. Soon after the silence was broken, and Evangeline told her what she could remember.

  "We were wealthy, until Papa died," she began. "Then mama had to start working, but, before long, got sick," she paused to wipe her eyes. "When Mama died, our Aunt came, I forget her name, but she brought us to the orphanage. It was devastating, having to stay on another floor than you, Charity. I  only remember calling you "Itty," perhaps it was a blend of your name, and you being so small. I knew a lot of words; Mama had taught me young how to read, so, I comforted myself by making up songs and occasionally visiting you, and singing my songs to keep you from forgetting me. When I was six, I was adopted by the the Randalls; that's when I moved to India."

  The girls both reminisced, and told each other bits and pieces of the sixteen years which had passed. "I feel awful, for not even remembering I had a sister!" Charity said, but was soon comforted, when reminded that she was quite young when they had parted. Somehow, though, that one little bit of the song had stuck with her, all these years; God had kept it there, Evangeline told her, and Charity wondered if it could be true. There they sat, as the day drew to an end, and the attic grew dark. Finally they made their way downstairs, where the McGradys and all of the girls had quite a surprise that night.

To be continued

Did you enjoy it? What have you been up to?