Blessed Martin And The Fridge

By: KEN ARMSTRONG

Blessed Martin De Porres was very big in our house when I was a boy.

My mother was certainly a fan but it was my granny who liked him most of all. She even subscribed to his magazine every month.

Granny was always solid in her beliefs. She had faith in lots of things but she had especially large amounts of faith in Blessed Martin.

She would send her prayers through him and offer up her setbacks to him and she always gave him credit when things went right.

As time passed, 'Blessed Martin' became 'Saint Martin' and granny became quite old.

She couldn't get out of the house like she used to but she had her little St. Martin statue on the mantelpiece and he was company enough for her (as well as Granddad, of course).

During one Sunday afternoon visit, my Mum remarked that St. Martin was absent from his perch above the fire. She asked where he had got to.

"You know," said granny, "how the wee light that comes on when you open the fridge door has stopped working."

Mum wondered what this had to do with St. Martin.

"Well," said Gran, "I just put him in there to see if he might fix it."

I went to look. Sure enough, there was St. Martin, comfortably positioned between the eggs and the milk, having a 'go' at the fridge-door light.

Many years , I still have a smile over St. Martin being in the fridge but I often feel quite envious too. Ten years before she died, Granny was badly burned in a house fire. Her injuries were so severe that it was thought unlikely that she could survive. But, as with everything else, she prayed through St. Martin and offered up her setbacks to him and, despite all her burns and her skin-grafts and her pain, she prevailed.

My Granny didn't put her little statue in the fridge because she was old or feeble or naive. She did it because she had solid unquestioning faith in what she believed.

This same faith undoubtedly went on to save her life.

So although I can smile at Granny's faith, I can envy it too. I can wish that I sometimes had a little bit of it for myself.

I can't say that I would put St. Martin in my fridge if the little light went out but I can say I look up to my Granny, who did.

And in Granny's house that day many years ago, the fridge light was all fixed and working again by the time we went home.

You might say that somebody nipped out and jiggled it when nobody was looking.

You might well be right.

I like to think Blessed Martin took a hand.

@Ken Armstrong 2008

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


KEN ARMSTRONG needs no elaborate introduction as he is now a known writer in the blogging community; talk about the first Entrecard Comment Rush -Music and Driving
that earned him 170 comments!

His style of writing would bring sunshine into a gloomy day. Witty, biting and excellently crafted, his personal stories and articles can make even the most reserved person, break into a smile.

This story was published already in Ken's blog last April, but I wanted to post it just the same as it's one inspiring story that talks about the amazing miracles that great faith can do. Incidentally, this is the second time Ken has guested in this blog. The first was when I invited him to share one of his interesting, unique short stories - entitled - Still Stupid After All These Years. Read this story if you still haven't, and know how he can make your day!

The "Inspirational Stories of Bloggers All Over the World" would not be complete without your story Ken. Thanks so much for allowing me to share this in the up-coming book.

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CHAPTER 15 - UMMA AYAM SINSANA (WHERE ARE YOU NOW?) The First Time

“ ….just like in a prima facie case where the minimum evidence is adequate to establish an inference about the accusation….” Atty. Lagum was sauntering around the classroom like a caged monkey.

“ If I were to accuse Mr. Lagaton of robbery…what do you think are the evidences that would be considered in a prima facie case?” he stopped right behind Benny.

Benny’s mind was half attentive and half preoccupied with the events of yesterday.

It was the first time he and Julia had a “fight”.

“ You are supposed to watch over him!” Julia’s voice was up by a notch.


“ I was. I just went to the other room to get this book.”

Andre was wailing and there was a big, ugly bump on his forehead.

Julia was near to tears as they both tried to rock Andre to appease him. But it was apparent that he was hurt by his continuous crying.

They decided to bring him to the nearby hospital.

They were both upset and terribly worried that they almost forgot to bring the house keys.

“Apply an ice pack 3 times a day until the bump subsides. Observe him for 24 hours. If he vomits or becomes febrile, you’ll have to bring him back immediately,” the Doctor instructed.

On their way home, they didn’t speak to each other.
Benny was thinking, "Did she have to shout?"
Julia was thinking, "He should have been more watchful."

Andre slept soundlessly after taking in his medications, unaware of the growing tension between his parents. That night - for the first time in their lives- Benny and Julia slept apart like strangers.

Benny had been stressed out with the assignments from school. He had to read several excerpts of a topic from 10 different books AND - baby sit simultaneously because Julia was busy cooking in the kitchen AND - washing clothes too.

It was how Julia shouted at him that Benny didn’t want. Nobody ever shouted at home. Every misunderstanding was resolved calmly. Andre falling off his high chair was an accident.

Granted that it was his fault, still - it does not warrant being shouted at. It was simply unacceptable to him.

“ Mr. Lomiwan…?”

Benny was alert in an instant. “ the prima facie evidence would depend on the charges…,” he answered.

“ I said robbery charges Mr. Lomiwan…” the Professor was eyeing him sternly.

Benny vainly searched in his mind the answer to the question at hand. “ The accused maybe indicted if the weapon used and the goods stolen are found in his possession.“ It was a shot in the dark but common sense dictated that it was the best he can come up with under the circumstances.

“Correct, but this fact should be established beyond reasonable doubt,” the professor was visibly not impressed.

Benny‘s breathing grew steady.

“What if I say Mr. Lomiwan , that you have a tail at the base of your spine because you’re an Igorot?” Professor Lagum just wouldn't give up.

Someone snickered at the back, but the rest of the class became deathly quiet as Benny’s back turned stiffer.

“How can you disprove the allegation through evidence presentation?” the professor threw the question to the whole class.

It was high school all over again, Benny thought. he could still remember the taunting he had received from his peers because he belonged to a cultural minority.

The air in the room was increasingly charged with apprehension as the silence grew longer.

Benny slowly stood up and towered over the smaller professor. “I can show you the evidence Professor if you can assure me that I have the permission of everyone here in this classroom; and that you would vouch I won’t be charged with indecency.”

Their eyes met and clashed. An interminable minute passed one after the other. The professor’s beaded eyes looked down first, and he moved forward like a squirrel scampering for cover.

Benny didn’t sit down though; “I want all of you to know that I indeed have a tail, but it’s not found at the base of my spine, but in front of me - between my two balls. If you want evidence I would gladly show you this particular “tail".”

Laughter erupted in the classroom and the professor went red in the face but he said nothing.

Photo by Lin Pernille ♥ ...


Just then the bell rang and Benny left without talking to anyone.

He went straight to the school library to research more about their assignment.

He knew now that the professor won’t make life easier for him after his unabashed pronouncement in class.