Children's Praise: December 2013

CHAPTER ONE

THE BIG COUSIN

If you had asked ten-year-old Lucia dos Santos why she was such a firm favourite with her cousins Francesco and Jacinta Marto, aged nine and seven years respectively, she would have been lost for an answer.

Francesco, a quiet easy-going child, she like well enough, but Jacinta, overfond of getting her own way and inclined to sulk, at times rather annoyed her.
The slightest disagreement during a game would cause Jacinta to get up and leave, and Lucia would be hard put to coax her to come back.

"I want to choose the game," Jacinta had crossly said on the last such occasion.
"All right then, you choose."
"I also want to pick my partner."
"But Jacinta . . . "
"Otherwise I'm not going to play!"
"All right Jacinta," Lucia sighed resignedly, "have it your way."

With an air of satisfaction Jacinta came back to the backyard well of Lucia's home, which was the children's playground and where shade was provided by an olive and two plum trees.
Gazing around her with satisfaction, she thought deeply.

"Let's play marbles," she suggested.
"Oh dear," Lucia thought apprehensively, "for marbles we need buttons and if Jacinta wins mine again the way she did before, Mother will be furious."
She stole one look at her cousin's determined little face, however, and relented.
And so it came to pass that Lucia came into supper that night buttonless.
Her mother, after reprimanding her sharply, packed her off to Jacinta's house so that she might reclaim her property.

Down the street of Aljustrel, which formed part of her little Portuguese hometown Fatima, Lucia walked with gloomy foreboding.
Jacinta, she knew, was as keen on retaining her spoils as she was wilful.
But Lucia knew that unless she brought back her buttons in double quick time, Mother would punish her.
"Yes, Lucia?" Jacinta said sweetly as she met her cousin at the front door.
"I'd like my buttons back please!"

Jacinta's hand went to her pocket to guard her invisible winnings, as she mutinously set her lips in a straight line.
"I won them and I plan to keep them!"
Fear of her mother, rather than anger stiffened Lucia's resolve to get her buttons back.
"That's in order Jacinta!" she firmly replied, "You just keep them, but if you do, I'll never play with you again."
And she made as if to return home.
"Swiftly Jacinta ran after her and handed back the buttons.
"I'm sorry Lucia," she apologised penitently, "you know how much I love to play with you!"

Under the darkening sky Lucia hurried homeward, smiling to herself.
"Dear little Jacinta," she thought tenderly, "i suppose we do all tend to spoil her too much but how can we help ourselves?
She is so lovable."

Her thoughts went back to the time she and her cousins had been playing forfeits.
It had been Jacinta's turn to pay and Lucia, at a loss as to what to suggest, suddenly pointed to her own brother, who was sitting at the table, writing.
"Put your arms around him and kiss him!" she laughed.
Shyly Jacinta demurred.
"Not that," she declined, "Rather give me another forfeit."
Then, pointing at the crucifix hanging on the wall, she added:
"Why don't you let me kiss our Lord over there!"
"Good idea," Lucia agreed, "Push a chair over and climb on it and take down the crucifix.
Then you kneel down and embrace and kiss our Lord three times, once for me, once for yourself and once for Francesco."
"Kiss our Lord?" Jacinta beamed, "of course, as often as you like."

Lucia's heart still warmed as she recalled the great reverence with which her little cousin had kissed the crucifix.
Then, looking compassionately at the wooden carving reminding them of the crucified Jesus, Jacinta had asked:
"Why was our Lord nailed to the cross in that way?"
"Because He died for us."
"Tell me about it," Jacinta pleaded.

Lucia readily agreed.
Her mother never tired of telling her stories about Jesus of Nazareth and she started telling Jacinta all about His Life and Works until suddenly the voice of Lucia's big sister interrupted the storyteller;
"Who told you people you were allowed to take that cross down from the wall?" she demanded.
Penitently Jacinta rose and went to the speaker.
"Maria, don't row," she pleaded, "I was the one who took it down but I'll never touch it again!"
Lucia's sister laughed and ruffled her hair.
"Off with you outside and play!" she answered with mock severity,
"Otherwise nothing in this house will stay in its place!"

And so the trio went out to their private clubhouse, the well in the backyard, where Lucia continued telling her story.
Hearing about the sorrows in Jesus' Life, Jacinta was very upset and cired.
"Our poor Lord!" she said, using her sleeve to dry her tears,
"Never again shall I commit even one sin.
I don't want our Lord to suffer any more."

Thoughtfully Lucia opened the door to the little house that belonged to her family.
"Is that you, Lucia?"
"Yes Mother."
"Come in here, I want you.
Did you get your buttons back?"
"Here they are Mother," Lucia, entering the room which served as both kitchen and living room, replied.
"Come here, child.
I want to put them back on immediately," Mother said, threading a needle.
"Stand still now or the needle will prick you."

Obediently Lucia froze as her mother sewed the buttons back on to her dress.
"Such nonsense," Mother commented, her deft hands neatly sewing.
"Why do you still play such silly games?
You're a big girl now, you know."
"Yes, Mother," Lucia nodded meekly.
"Yes, you're quite grown up," her mother repeated,
"And that is really why I have to talk to you now."
Absently regarding her gigantic shadow, reflected on the wall by the flickering candle, Lucia inclined her head and paid attention.
"Your father and I have found work for your sister Carolina," Mother continued, cutting the remaining thread off and selecting a second button,
"Therefore you will have to tend our flock from now on."
"Yes, Mother," Lucia said for the third time.
Questioningly Maria Rosa dos Santos glanced at her daughter's face.
"Is that all you're going to say?
Aren't you even going to tell me whether you are pleased or sorry?" she asked, but Lucia just stood there, lost in thought.
"Ah well," her mother said, giving her a kiss.
"Sleep well."

That night in bed Lucia lay awake for a long time, contemplating the changes about to take place in her life.
What part would her cousins play in this life now, she wondered.
Only after the entire dos Santos family, father and mother included, were fast asleep did Lucia turn over and close her eyes.

She had barely completed dressing on the following morning, when Francesco and Jacinta burst in to look for her.
When she had told them her news, Jacinta's face fell and she ran off to the kitchen.
"Aunt!" she cried.
"Yes dear?" Lucia's mother, who was busy running the broom over the kitchen floor, replied, looking up from her chore.
"When Lucia goes to tend your sheep, may we go with her?"
"No dear, I'm sorry"! her aunt firmly replied.
"Oh Aunt, why not?" Jacinta asked, bursting into tears.

The outcome was of course predictable.
After Lucia had been tending her sheep for some weeks, her aunt allowed Jacinta and Francesco to take over their own family's flock.
Overjoyed, the three cousins decided that each would take their flocks at the time laid down and await the others at the Pool by the entrance to Aljustrel.
Once they had met they would together decide where to let their flocks graze for that day.

The cousins had missed each other sorely during these few weeks of enforced absence and they were enchanted to be able to spend their days together again.

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