The Gifter

Prologue-Chapter 1

PROLOGUE

"Mama, it's Christmass Eve!" little Jerry reminded her.

"Shut up boy! Christmas is for sissies! This family doesn't celebrate Christmas!" his mother screamed at him.

"But, Mama!" little Jerry cried.

"Oh, just shut up and go to your room, now! I can't deal with your whining!" Jerry's mother yelled.

Devastated, Jerry ran to his room crying. Christmas was his favorite holiday and every year since Jerry could remember was the same. No presents under the tree. In fact, there was never even a tree. Jerry hated going back to school after Christmas break, hearing his friends talk about all the great Christmas presents. . .new toys. . .new clothes. . . they received for Christmas, gushing what great families they all had. And all Jerry could do was listen to it and get sad. . .really sad; to the point his mother put him in a mental institution years later. When Jerry was about 25, the institution decided that Jerry was well enough to go out on his own into the real world.

CHAPTER 1

Sarah snuggles up to Jerry for a kiss, as they are taking a walk along the pathway of the lake. Jerry leans Sarah up against a tree for a little romance, when Sarah screams.

"What's wrong?" Jerry asks.

"There's a man peeping at us!" Sarah cries.

Jerry looks in the direction Sarah is pointing her finger. He starts to walk over only to have Sarah pull him back, "No, hun. He may be dangerous!"

"Ah, he's not dangerous. He's just cold and hungry."

Jerry continues on over to the cold, lonely man sitting next to the dilapidated building. Jerry is sad by the state of how this man is living. He thinks to himself, "No one should have to live this way," as Jerry extends his hand to the cold, hungry man.

The old man, shivering from the cold, accepts Jerry's hand, and follows Jerry and Sarah to the shelter for food, clothing, and a warm bed to sleep.

As they leave the gentleman in good hands with the shelter, Jerry wonders how he can help folks like this gentlman. He decides that he must find a way to help the homeless and those in domestic violence situations. That's when he comes up with a plan.

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At St. Joseph's shelter, the old man who just came in is woken up by a volunteer.

"Sir, there is a package here for you."

"How do you know it is for me?" the old man asks.

"Well, it says, 'to the gentleman who just arrived.' That's you."

"Thank you." the gentleman tells the volunteer.

After the volunteer leaves the man, he opens the package to find $100, a new suit, toothbrush and toothpaste, comb and brush, and other necessary supplies needed to help the man get back on his feet. The man looks up at the ceiling and silently thanks God. That's when he notices the note in the package: "Use these to help get back on your feet. Lovingly, The Gifter." After reading the note, the man vows to do whatever he can to get back on his feet, and goes to find the volunteer for a newspaper to look for a job.

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