"Alright children, we are going to assign parts in the play. Who wants to be a reindeer?" Everyone raised their hand, including me. The teacher smiled.
"I'm glad you all want to volunteer. We only need eight deer, but don't worry, there are other roles," she said when a couple of kids started to fuss.
The teacher selected eight of my classmates. I put my hand down. She promised there would be other parts, so at first I wasn't disappointed.
"Now we need elves," the teacher called. I quickly raised my hand again. I was small, so surely I would get picked this time, but the teacher selected three other children.
I put my hand down, frowning. As the teacher announced other roles and other children were chosen, my anxiety grew. It seemed as though she overlooked me on purpose. But then...
"I need five volunteers to ride the christmas train," she said.
Everyone's hand shot up, including the children who had already received their roles. I stood on the seat of my wheelchair with my arm held high. We'd recently read, 'The Polar Express' in class, and the idea of leading the christmas train filled me with excitement. I could imagine my wheelchair being pushed in front of the procession of kids, while I blew the whistle to signal the train's arrival.
"Please don't stand on your wheelchair," the teacher reprimanded me, and I sat down.
Finally, the teacher chose the last of my classmates, leaving me in complete shock. Tears began pouring down my face. My friend sitting next to me raised her hand.
"She is crying," my friend tattled to the teacher.
"No I'm not," I said angrily, wiping my face.
"Is it because you didn't get a part in the play?" my friend asked, for the whole class to hear.
"Shut up!" I shouted at her.
"Please don't tell people to 'shut up,'" the teacher said, "and yes I do have a part for you, but you need to see me after class," the teacher instructed.
Immediately, I perked up. There was a part for me after all. I began to wonder what it could be. After class, I eagerly wheeled over to the teacher.
"How would you like to be the christmas angel?" The teacher asked.
The lead role! I could hardly believe it.
"What does she do?" I asked.
"She sings a song and afterward, places a star on top of the christmas tree. Of course we will have to get someone to lift you up for that. Would you be comfortable if the principal picked you up?"
"Yes!" I said. "What about my wheelchair?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" my teacher inquired.
"Angels don't have wheelchairs," I said quite serious.
At that moment a girl from the second grade class entered.
"Some angels do," my teacher said, "and they have other angels to help them," she introduced me to the little girl. "You two are going to be angels together, and she is going make sure you get on and off stage easily," the teacher said.
The day of the play came and I was excited for my role. I'd memorized the song and my few lines. I was still worried that nobody would believe I was an angel, because of my wheelchair. All week I'd begged to my parents and the teacher that I didn't need my wheelchair, but because of the large crowd of people in attendance I couldn't change their minds.
I watched from the side stage as my classmates preformed their parts. Lines were missed, props were knocked over and laughter was prominent as the kids did their best to make up for minor mistakes by entertaining the audience with their youthful energy. Then my turn came.
The girl and I took center stage. The microphone turned out to be too heavy for me to hold, so she held it up for me and I belted out the song. To this day, I still remember the lyrics:
I have brought a christmas star, to you critters from afar.
God has blessed you on this night, now your tree shall shine so bright.
This gift of love you all will share, the star of peace will always be there!
When I was done, the principal came and handed me a silver star. She lifted me out of my wheelchair and up toward the tree. I placed the star on top and everybody cheered. She turned me so that I could wave to everyone and placed me back in my wheelchair.
My classmates came on stage and everyone clapped and cheered for us. It was such wonderful feeling. I remember thinking it didn't matter that I was in a wheelchair, I was special and I could do anything!
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