ThePriceOfAMiracle

Tess was a precocious eight years 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 bills and our house.
Only a very costly surgery could save Andrew 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 intently talking to another
man to be bothered by an eight year old 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 you 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
a 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 one hand 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,
surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. 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.