Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: CLUMSY (04/11/19)
-
TITLE: Phibbo Steps | Previous Challenge Entry
By James Cox III
04/18/19 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
First, you crawl, then you stand, then you walk and finally break into a run….right? Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to go? Not in God’s eyes and certainly not for Phibbo.
Phibbo stared down at the mess he had made again, the lunch tray and its contents; corn, “cardboard pizza slices”, “nuclear fall-out” French fries, “warehouse resistant” French rolls and the “too-shiny-to-be-real” apple, were strewed all over the cafeteria floor. The raucous laughter of the students seemed to cut him right to the core. Yet, he heard none of it. He had angled his lean, almost rooster like neck to catch the tired and sorrowful gaze of the “janitor lady” as she stood just outside the cafeteria doors. Esther, was her name and she was homeless, living in a cramped shelter downtown, she had no known family, her job was keeping the school clean, while keeping herself that way seemed a bit of a struggle.
Phibbo could tell she needed SOMETHING, a positive, reassuring word, anything that could let her know, GOD was with her. Phibbo, it would seem, needed something too. He had an obvious limp when he walked, he was gangly, all arms and legs, not much meat on the bones, freckly and pimply, almost like an avocado. His hair looked unkept, not greasy or dirty but not really groomed as you would expect from a high schooler.
And no one knew or cared it seemed why Phibbo limped, his left foot seemed to consistently point toward his right as he made his way down the halls to class. To look at him, you would incorrectly conclude he had been the victim of some type of cruely early in life, like “being dropped from a 3-story building as a baby…” as one disinterested student had said out loud.
But Phibbo somehow managed to ignore them all. Something else burned strong in his heart and it drove him to do right. Cutting the elderly neighbor’s grass, helping little kids off the ground when they fell, providing childcare at his church, clearing off the gravestones of veterans, or donating his grocery store job money to charity. Whatever it was that would make someone else have a better day then they had yesterday, Phibbo did it.
No one noticed his efforts except his Mom and Dad, who encouraged him and prayed for him and with him. His good deeds involved a stumble or a spill, followed by an apology and a weak smile. But he never stopped.
Phibbo limped back over to the lunch line and paid for another lunch. He saw something in Esther’s eyes, and when he turned back to the door to find her…she was gone.
He only had a few moments to get to her “office” (the supply closet really) before class. She wasn’t there. He laid the tray down and prayed for her and walked off.
All of a sudden, Phibbo felt a warm rush come over his body like he had never experienced before and then BOOM! There was Esther, a smiling, happy Esther.
“Phibbo, she said, “Thank you for remembering me me”, her voice seemed to resonant not just in Phibbo’s ears but THRU his soul.
“Now, she said, “I want you to know that I have also seen you and I have remembered you too. You will always be blessed from this day on. Your heart, your love, your unselfishness has made you whole.”
“Huh? Phibbo stuttered, his eyes filling with tears. “What are you talking about? I just wanted to give you something to eat is all.”
Esther nodded knowingly, “Whatever you do to the least of these, you have done to me. Thank you again. I love you Phibbo”
Esther walked around the corner of the crowded hallway, and as Phibbo turned the corner to catch up to her, he was astonished! She was literally gone! But how??
Phibbo shook his head, wiped his tears and made his way to class. His teacher, Mr. Dean, grabbed Phibbo’s hand and shook it vigorously.
“WOW! He gasped, “Phibbo! A FOUR YEAR all expenses paid scholarship to Harvard!?? Absolutely amazing! AND…a monthly stipend too!?!?! CONGRATS Phibbo!, here’s the letter!”
Phibbo stood there dumbfounded and confused but somehow, at peace.
He thought about Esther, he thought about the lunch, he thought about his parents, how proud they would be. He praised his GOD in his heart….
But mostly he thought about who he was going to help at Harvard next year.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
Fee-ble? With some re-working, this could be a really great story.