Sheen's Christmas Gift
The cell phone was out of reach. Plus, the main phone line was temporarily shorted out on account of the sudden freak blizzard of '01 in the Retroville area of Texas. The only cell phone the Estevez family owned was with Mr. Estevez, and he had it with him while buying emergency supplies in case of a power outage.
The cable had been knocked out, and that meant their home phone temporarily didn't work. There was no cable TV, either, and that meant Sheen couldn't watch UltraLord on TV that day. He was disappointed about that, but there was something of much greater concern on his mind, surprisingly. He was gravely concerned about his mom.
Mrs. Estevez had a weak heart due to a deadly disease she'd contracted when Sheen was conceived, and that disease was the dreaded syphilis. She'd gotten treatment for it, but not before the disease began to attack her heart the previous year.
Sheen was especially concerned for her this time of year because Christmas was fast approaching. He knew that, if she didn't make it by Christmas, he'd have to get her an extra-special gift by Christmas Eve. He was sure he'd saved up enough money to get her something she'd surely appreciate.
It was Christmas Eve, and Sheen still hadn't gotten a chance to buy a Christmas gift for his mom, which might be her last. He hoped his dad would get home soon so they could get her the help she desperately needed. He looked out the window with the help of a chair (he was only 4) and gazed at the snow-covered lawn towards the road impatiently. He looked at his nearby UltraLord digital clock and saw the time read 2:06, then looked out the window again. He kept watch for the next 5 minutes, then he saw his father pull up into their driveway.
"Finally!!" he exclaimed, and ran out of his room, down the stairs, and out of the house to greet his dad, throwing on his coat in the process.
"Hi, Sheen, mi hijo," Mr. Estevez greeted his son as he stepped out of his car and popped the trunk to get the stuff he'd purchased. Then he added, taking out a few of the bags, "Grab the last 2, will ya?"
"Can do, Dad!" Sheen agreed, and helped him carry them inside.
The 2 of them had just finished putting it away when they heard a crash from upstairs and a scream paired with it.
"Oh, no!" Mr. Estevez gasped, making a mad dash up the stairs with Sheen not far behind him, "That was your mother!!"
When they reached her in Mr. and Mrs. Estevez's bedroom, they saw her laying on her back, breathing heavily and gasping for breath. "Ana, my love, are you okay?!" he exclaimed.
"I don't know, Antonio. I've had a rough life ever since Sheen was born. I don't know *gasps* how much longer I'll last," she breathed heavily, coughing a bit.
"Wow, this is more serious than I thought," Mr. Estevez said under his breath, then turned to Sheen and handed him some money, saying in a small voice, "Son, take this and your savings to get your mom a Christmas gift. But hurry back, because there's not much time!"
"I'll do my best, Dad!" Sheen promised, and hurried out of the house.
Across the street, young, 3-year-old Jimmy stood on a chair and watched Sheen run by through the window, wondering why he was in such a hurry.
Right at that moment, Hugh walked into the room and joined his son. "What are you watching, son?" he asked him.
Sounding more like an 8-year-old than a 3-year-old, he replied, "I'm watching Sheen scamper down the road towards our urban city, though I don't have any perception as to why he's headed that way."
"Hmm... I don't know either, Jimbo. Do you want to go with me to do some last minute Christmas shopping?" Hugh wanted to know.
"I'd be delighted, Dad!" Jimmy exclaimed, hopping off the chair and following him to the car. They climbed in and headed toward town.
As they drove through town, they watched for stores that might have something Judy would like. Then Jimmy spotted something and pointed out the window, saying, "How about there, Dad?"
"Perfect, son!" Hugh told him, and parked the car near the shoe store he'd spotted. They got out and walked in, finding themselves behind a fairly long line.
"Dad," he told him in a low voice, pointing at the kid in front of them, "That's Sheen! What's he doing here?!"
"Not sure, Jimmy," Hugh admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.
The wait was about 10 minutes, then it was Sheen's turn.
Both Hugh and Jimmy were appalled when they heard Sheen speak up as he placed a fancy pair of red ladies' shoes on the counter near the register, "I'd like these shoes, if you would, please, sir. They're for my mom, and they're just her size. Plus, it's Christmas Eve, but I haven't got much time. She's been sick for a long time, but she'll smile when she sees them. I just want her to look pretty if she meets Jesus tonight."
He dumped out his change and the money his dad gave him and began to count it. When he finished 5 minutes later, he pushed it towards the cashier.
"There's not enough here, son," he told Sheen, and his face fell. He frantically searched his pockets, but there wasn't any left.
So he looked at Hugh and said, "My mom made Christmas great at my place, but she did without most years. What am I gonna do, sir? I've gotta buy her these Christmas shoes somehow!"
Hugh was touched by his story, so he laid down the money he needed; he just had to help him out.
With an unforgettable look on his face, Sheen exclaimed, "My mom's gonna look beautiful! Thank you, sir!!" He then took the shoes and ran out.
Jimmy's heart was touched by his dad's act of kindness, so he commented as Hugh made his purchase, "That was a very benevolent act you did, Dad!"
"That's just what Christmas is all about, son," he told him as they walked out and got in the car.
As they were leaving town, Jimmy caught sight of Sheen running nearby, so he urged, "Dad, pull over this vehicle, please!"
Hugh pulled over to the side of the road. Jimmy rolled down his window and called towards his friend, "Hey, Sheen! Need a lift?"
Sheen nodded, and walked over to the car and got in, still clutching the bag with the shoes in it. "Hurry up, please, Mr. Neutron! My mom's very sick!" he told him urgently.
With that, Hugh sped back to Sheen's place as fast as he could. When he got there, Sheen hopped out and hurried back upstairs as fast as he could, for his mom was fading fast! Hugh quickly parked the car, then he and Jimmy hurried across the street to Sheen's house and upstairs to Sheen's parents' room.
Soon, they were all in the same room together. Antonio was on his knees next to Ana, holding her hand dearly and a worried look on his face.
She barely opened her eyes and saw Sheen had a gift for her. "Oh, Sheen, you're so sweet," she barely whispered, "Thank you."
Ever so gently, her husband placed the shoes on her feet. Sheen knelt down so she could give him and Antonio one last hug and kiss, which she did. Her last words were: "I love you both... so much..." Then she let out a sigh that signaled she'd breathed her last.
I almost got teary-eyed when I was writing this... I hope you enjoyed it, and lemme know what you think.
