Hot Coco

It was a cold winter night in 1806's London. The Christmas season had brought the usually snow and breezy wind. The St. Mark chapel was holding it's Christmas party for all the church members. The chapel was embellished with red, green, and gold tapestries reminiscent of the season. A Christmas tree stood tall in the corner hiding presents for all the children. The church members were dressed in their finest clothes. Hot chocolate, decadent foods, and joyous music filled the air bring a smile to every present. But this story isn't about what was happening inside the chapel, its about the lone guard standing outside. His name is Charles Stoneworth. He was hired to stand guard in order to provide a deterrent from robbers or any other disturbance that dared to reveal its head.

With a rife in his hand, no gloves to keep the London wind from freezing his fingers, Charles reclined up again the chapel's wall. He was half covered with snow, and when even he would brush himself off, the snow would quickly accumulate again. The music from the inside, although bringing joy to the participants inside, was a pain to Charles; for he cared not for religion--especially Christianity. He regarded the saints as nothing more than "actors in a long play" and had seen many come out of character just to confirm his belief--a sad notion indeed. In the Christians' defense, church was offered to him many times, but Charles was cold even profane towards the open hand of fellowship. Suddenly a the chapel door opened, most of the time it would have been a member leaving, never acknowledging his existence by saying good-bye. However, he was surprised to find a middle age man holding to cups of Hot coco. He handed one to Stonewortth.

At first, the guard looked him up and down as if the many was crazy. But the hot coco was before him with a smile behind it. Charles took the cup. Immediately the heat from the cup penetrated his hands; it felt good he almost felt that his whole body rejuvenated from the frost and cold. He drank and was filled.

"Better?" said the man.

"Much so, thank ye." said Charles.