Peace found anew at an Auction House

~part 1~

That was the strangest day of Nöel's life.
Nöel Gregor,14,was a boy who had lost his father at 10,whose mother worked harder than she could,to pay his school fees. She was hardly ever home,but he knew she loved him more than anything else. So he was grateful,and loved her back.

But his father wasn't all he had lost Nöel once had a very dear friend,Frieda,when they lived in a different town. Frieda was a few years older than Nöel,and her great painting skills had made her an eminent artist even at the age of 18.
However, during her last year of school,she disappeared. That was more than 4 years ago,and now her relatives were selling off her paintings,at high prices,at the largest auction being held in town. Tough they didn't have money to afford anything there, Nöel and his mother went anyway.

It was a busy place where a noisy and expensive atmosphere prevailed. For a moment, Nöel felt a slight tremour,but ignored it. As the auction proceeded, a man started bidding Frieda's paintings. Nöel felt a weird agony,and just then,the man fell to his side.

Goodness! A bunch of muscular men in black uniforms had barged in,and one of them had hit the bidder. They were pointing knives and ransacking the place, grabbing the artefacts.

Nöel rushed to protect the paintings. Sold off, alright. But Frieda's paintings being stolen? INTOLERABLE! As he did get a hold of them and stood against a wall, a large man with a dagger approached. He had a malicious expression. Nöel was sweating, thinking partly of his father, partly of Frieda,and partly praying. Just as the man lifted his dagger,all the glass windows cracked,all of them at the same time.

An earthquake! So that's what the tremor was about! As the man dropped his dagger and ran,the intruders dropped the artefacts,and everyone rushed out. The next minute,the auction house was reduced to rubble. And the next found the heart-piercing cries of passion and sorrow,of Adelaine Gregor, whose son was buried underneath the debris.

~part 2~

The night was dark,and nothing but one star was visible. Except fog.

What is that red light?

The fog cleared to a light mist, and Nöel  saw a fire on the bare ground,with a mesmerising sound in the air. In a minute,the ground was devided,and two roads stood before him.

One was white and calm, cool and peaceful. But wait- it was very tempting,and deathly.
Indeed,it was Death,and relief from pain,poverty, living without means,from grief of his father and of his friend. On the other road was the Fire. Its heat and light was intense, enough to burn a person down to ashes. In one word- scary. But the song kept on getting louder,fiercer.

Of course! On one side,the Clarrion Call,on the other,Life. Within a moment, Nöel's mind was flooded by memories,from father's courage,to Frieda's kindness,and mother's loving arms,her tears and her smiles. He rushed to the fire,and as he went through the flames,he felt all the darkness burning away, and as he did, Nöel heard a Voice calling:
"Be brave,dear one. There will always be a way. Love will see you through in this Earthly life."
It sounded like father,mother and Frieda in unision,yet as one single entity,and he opened his eyes.

Adelaine's desperation had driven a kind local rich-man to look her son. Right then, no one was around except the man's rescue force,and of course,mother. Nöel felt something poking him- a box in the ruined wall. It contained a bag,a lrtter and a painting featuring two bears,signed "Frieda Elspeth".

The letter read:

"My dear Nöel,my friend for all ages,I wish on my soul to deliver these things to you,but right now,I can't. But I know God will, someday, do it for me,so take care. And oh, yes- the small brown bear in the painting is you,and the black one is me.
...."

Nöel looked up as his vision became blurry. That was Frieda's last letter before death from pneumonia. He let himself sink in his memories. Frieda was such an optimistic person,and so beautiful. She was dark and people taunted her, but he knew how beautiful and gleaming her heart was. Though she had been dead two years now,she was still with him.
"Love will see you through in this Earthly life."
That was what the Voice had said.
Mother took him in her arms,as tears rolled down Nöel's eyes.

That one day had changed Nöel's life,his outlook,and given him back his faith. The bag had much money, and it was just enough to send him to college. Nöel,now a fine young man who lives with his mother, wishes to be a doctor when he graduates,so that he might be able to help others walk away from that cold,snowy path of Death. And as for the painting,it still hangs on his wall- it's too precious to sell.

~Fin~