Anna's Gift

She was called Anna. And she was lonely.

Anna lived in a home for children who didn't have anyone else. Because Anna didn't have any family. She thought she might have done, once, but wasn't sure. She couldn't remember. It was like a curtain had been drawn across her remembering bits, and nothing behind it could be seen. Someone had told her that it was her memory's way of protecting her from a bad thing that had happened to her, and that's why she couldn't remember what had happened to anyone in her family. They'd disappeared, like her memories, in the bad thing in her past.

Anna didn't know what the bad thing was, but she could never really forget it. It had left its mark on her, literally. She had a strange scar right across her face. She couldn't see properly out of one eye, and her mouth disn't work quite right. As a result, she couldn't smile properly - she always looked twisted and cross when she tried to smile. So she didn't try very often.

And that's probably why Anna was so lonely. The grown-ups who ran the children's home were always kind to her. But they were kind to everyone the same. The other children weren't very kind. She couldn't run as fast as they did, and she had trouble joining in their games. They called her silly names like 'Grumpy-face' and 'Scar'. So she stayed on her own most of the time.

And that's why Anna was lonely.

All she really, really wanted was someone to love her. Someone she could love. Someone of her very own.

Sometimes people came to the home to find children they'd got separated from in the bad thing that had happened.

But no-one ever came for Anna.

And sometimes people who had room for one more child at home would come and choose someone to go and live with them.

But no-one ever chose Anna.

So she stayed lonely.

Every night, Anna would say her prayers, as she'd been taught in the home. And every night Anna would add an extra prayer for someone to love, someone all her very own.

And every day she waited, quietly in her corner while the other children played.

One day, everyone got really excited.

Because a big truck was coming.

The children had known the truck would come for days, and every day they had looked for it. But today they really thought there was a chance it would come. Because the grown-ups had been whispering and keeping secrets. And the children were not allowed in their dining room, like something was hidden. Like maybe a party.

They were right.

The truck pulled into the yard of the home, right onto the play area.

And four men got out. They went to the back of the truck, they opened the big lorry doors, and the children could see what was inside.

Boxes.

Lots and lots of boxes, all wrapped in brightly coloured paper.

The children crowded round, and the men started to unload. They gave every child a box. Each one got a box all of his or her own.

Anna watched.

She hung back.

Strangers were often put off by the scar on her face. And she didn't want to scare these men away. Not when all the children were getting a gift.

So she held back.

At last, every child seemed to have been given something. The men went over and talked to the grown-ups who ran the home. They laughed and joked about the party that had been laid on. With special fun things to eat. They started blowing up balloons and giving out crackers.

Suddenly, one of them noticed Anna.

She shrank away into the shadows.

But one of the visitors came over. He crouched down to look her in the eye, and then, since his words didn't make much sense to her, he offered her his hand.

Gently, he led her over to the truck, which was still open. He climbed inside, rummaged around, and found a lovely bright colourful box.

Jumping back down out of the van, he solemnly presented the box to Anna. All for herself. And he said 'Happy Christmas Anna' in language she understood. Anna smiled her distorted smile at him, and he smiled back.

Then she opened the box.

There were sweets in it. There were gloves to keep her little fingers warm. There was a colouring book, and some crayons. And best of all there was a teddy bear.

Someone all her own. Someone she could love! She hugged him and hugged him and hugged him.

And in the bottom of the box was a photograph of the people who had sent it. People who had sent a box for Anna. Just for her. All her own. They must have known how much she wanted someone to love when they put the teddy in. Anna smiled her special smile at their photo. And the people in the picture smiled back.

And she smiled at her teddy bear. And he smiled back.

Because he was all hers. Someone to love her. Someone she could love.

So she said a special, quick 'Thank you' prayer to God.

And went to join the party.