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Tess was a precocious eight year old when she
heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew.
All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely
out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next
month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor's bills
and our house.
Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking
like there was no-one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy
say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only
a miracle can save him now."
Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from
its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out
on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The
total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.
Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on
the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks
to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above
the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention
but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to
make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with
the most disgusting sound she could muster.
No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged
it on the glass counter. That did it! "And what do you
want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.
I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in
ages, "he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
"
Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered
back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick...
and I want to buy a miracle."
"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His
name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head
and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much
does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but
I can't help you,"the pharmacist said, softening a little.
"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough,
I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped
down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle
does your brother need?" "I don't know," Tess
replied with her eyes welling up.
"I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs
an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use
my money". "How much do you have?" asked the
man from Chicago. "One dollar and eleven cents," Tess
answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have,
but I can get some more if I need to.
"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A
dollar and eleven cents -- the exact price of a miracle for
little brothers. " He took her money in onehand and with
the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me
to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your
parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need."
That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon,
specializing in neurosurgery. The operation was completed without
charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing
well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events
that had led them to this place.
"That surgery,"her Mom whispered, "was a real
miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled.
She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven
cents ...... plus the faith of a little child.
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