Persio senior and Sara followed their son as he jumped down from the truck. This time they had another little boy with them who looked about little Persio's age.
“Who's your new friend, Persio?'”asked his granny Bethia, who stood waiting for them.
“His name is Hesus, Granma.”
“Hesus?”
“Yeah. Mom said that's like the name Jesus.”
Sara smiled. “Tell Granma about how we found Hesus, Persio.”
“Well see,” explained little Persio, “ last week just before Christmas, Daddy got a 911 call from St. Jude's church. It was from the Parrish priest with a lost boy. Dad rushed over in his truck and found Hesus. The Priest said that he found him sleeping on the last pew trying to keep warm under an old burlap bag which had held Christmas oranges.”
“What are you doing here, my son?” the priest asked.
“Gosh! I'm sorry, Padre, but I got so cold last night sleeping in the stair well of the church that I guess I kind of sneaked inside. I'll go now”
“How old are you, son?” “I'm 6, Padre.”
The old priest took the skinny little kid in his arms. “Don't worry, my son, you can sleep in the the Rectory tonight. That's when he called my Dad at 911.”
“What is your name?” asked the priest.
“Hesus”
“Jesus?”
“Si, Padre”
“And where is your mother?”
'They took her away from her job last week, Padre, said she wasn't a citizen and couldn't stay here for Christmas. They said there was no room in this country for illegals.”
“How have you been eating?”
“Salvation Army feeds me.”
“You're by yourself?”
“Si si, Padre, since they took my mother away.”
“I've got a blanket in the Rectory and maybe something to eat in the refrigerator.”
“A little later Dad drove up in the fire truck. When he heard the story he just brought Hesus home to stay at our house. We're licensed for lost kids. Now we're friends, right Hesus?”
“Hi Jesus.” said Granma Bethia. “Looks like you've got some friends now, right?”
“Yes but only until my Mom can come back to get me.”
“You don't want to go back to Mexico with your Mom?'
“Nah, I've never been to Mexico besides I really love school here. Someday I'd like to study for the Priesthood and be like that nice old Priest. When I was cold, he gave me a blanket and when I was hungry he gave me pizza.”
And the two boys ran off to play with the fire truck Persio got for Christmas.”
Very sweet story.
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