Josephine's Dream

Once upon a time... agh, who am I kiddin’?! We live in the modern world! This ain’t the middle ages and it ain’t a romance story where the beautiful princess is locked in a tower awaiting her prince charming. It’s the story of a bored proofreader sitting at home, locked up in her room, awaiting her fictional prince charming who never comes no matter how much she reads about him in books.

I’ve been waiting for the dude to show up for fifteen years... but I’ve already hit my thirties and I’m still freaking waiting. Living with my parents and unromantic older sister whose only true love is her job. Yeah, at least Judy’s got something to fall back on when she’s old—a fat pension. Me, I’m hoping for a husband and five kids. The more the merrier.

“Josie! Come out for lunch!” Mom called out from the kitchen. I groaned. I never liked my nickname. If I ever meet Prince Charming, I’m gonna train him to call me by my full name which was pretty enough to be used.

“So, Josie, are you going to the meet and greet again?” Mom asked me at the dining table as she ladled soup into my bowl.

“No, those things are way too boring and none of the men there have any joie de vivre!” I replied, wrinkling my nose.

“I don’t mind if my little girl lives at home with me, it’s not a necessity to get married,” Dad chimed in with a coy smile. Mom looked vexed.

“It’s bad enough Judy’s married to her work, don’t you feel bad having two unmarried daughters at home?” Mom chided him. “Josie, maybe you should pray about it. You know how Sarah—”

“Yes, yes, she prayed and got the perfect husband, gifted from God, I know,” I replied tiredly. Like I haven’t been praying for a husband, duh!

“Pray to Saint Joseph,” Mom continued gently, “he’s the perfect spouse to ask for a perfect spouse.”

“Is that what you did, darling?” Dad asked her with a sly smile, and all her gentleness disappeared as she good-naturedly smacked his arm. I giggled. Ah, family. You gotta love it. If only I could start my own...

I’d never prayed to Saint Joseph for a husband before, maybe I should. After all, I was named after him. So with a decided mind, the following Sunday at church, I prayed to Saint Joseph like I’d never prayed before.

“Dear Saint Joseph, please, please, please, give me a husband like you. Someone quiet and loyal, gentle and loving... Hard-working, coz I don’t like slobs... Someone brave and strong... You know, like you. The perfect example of a husband. I know, maybe I’m not worthy of a husband or maybe I don’t deserve one but... if you intercede for me, maybe, then I’d be deserving of a good one?” I concluded my prayer gazing up at the six-foot statue of Saint Joseph holding baby Jesus. Hmm, wouldn’t be so bad to get a statue of him to remind him of my prayer at home every day... oddly we never had a statue of Saint Joseph but of nearly every other saint... preposterous isn’t it?

I hurried to the church stall after service to buy myself a little statue of Saint Joseph.

“Here’s a little prayer card to do the novena to him,” the stall owner told me. “There’s a novena for nine days to him for your prayer request.”

“Thank you!” I said, gratefully accepting the statue and the prayer card and paying for them. I went home and placed them on my alter shelf, giving Saint Joseph a keen look.

“You’d better get me the man of my dreams, Saint Joseph,” I said sternly. “After all, you were a dreamer... prince of dreams...” And with that, I fell fast asleep on my pillow, dreaming of my prince charming whom I was sure I’d meet soon.

Nine days passed. I diligently said the novena, praying for my Prince Charming. I had hoped Saint Joseph would answer my prayer a bit early but there was no sign of my guy anywhere. Still, I was patient. Might take Saint Joseph awhile to find Mr. Perfect for me...

By the ninth day of my novena however, I was out of patience and bitterly disappointed. It was a Saturday, I’d gone for a walk around town hoping to meet my man and came back home defeated and manless. I grumpily threw myself on my bed.

“Ugh, that’s it! I quit!” I grumbled. I threw a scowl at Saint Joseph.

“You didn’t give me a husband, I’m not praying to you anymore! Tomorrow, I’m gonna give you away!” With that resolution, I turned and fell asleep after shedding a few depressed tears. If Saint Joseph couldn’t find me a man, no one could. Looked like I’d be single my whole, lonely life...

The next day being a Sunday, the family and I went to church. I had my Saint Joseph statue packed in my handbag, ready to give to the first person who’d take him off my hands. I stood outside the church after service while Mom and Dad went to buy some lunch from the church food stall, moody and brooding because my prayer had not been answered. I offered my Saint Joseph statue to many passers-by but no one seemed to want him, even for free. One old lady gave him a long stare but turned away after a minute with no interest in taking him off my hands.

“Hmph, guess everyone knows, you don’t answer prayers,” I muttered to him under my breath. I sighed after twenty minutes, preparing to return home in defeat.

“Great, nobody wants you even for free,” I mumbled to Saint Joseph as I put him away. “Come on, Saint Joseph, if only you had answered my prayer—”

“Excuse me,” a male voice said, making me look up. Holy Hebrews, he was hot! I went quite speechless for a moment.

“Hi,” he said with a gentle smile, “I heard you were giving away a statue of Saint Joseph, is that true?”

“Errr... yeah, yeah!” I suddenly stammered, blinking. He laughed.

“Wow, that’s amazing, that’s... it must be fate!” He said. “Can I see the statue, please?” I pulled it out of my bag, showing it to him without a word. He gazed at it tenderly and suddenly hugged it.

“Oh, thank you, Saint Joseph, you answered my prayer!” He exclaimed in delight. I was utterly baffled now.

“Er, do you mind my asking what that prayer is?” I asked in confusion. “Because I’ve been praying to him awhile and he hasn’t answered any prayer of mine.”

“I’ve been praying to him for a potential wife,” the young man said, making my eyes widen, “I told him, ’Saint Joseph, lead me to the ideal woman who would be my wife, let her be holding a statue of you so I’ll know who she is.” Holy Hebrews, does God work in awesome and mysterious ways or what...

I nearly buckled right there but the young man caught me.

“Whoa, are you alright?” He asked concernedly. I laughed.

“More than alright, just amazed by your story. Huh, wait till you hear mine...” And I told him about my prayer to Saint Joseph. The young man laughed.

“Wow, Saint Joseph sure has a funny way of bringing people together... I’m Asher by the way.”

“Josephine,” I replied with a smile, feeling an inexplicable joy course through my veins. Asher laughed.

“Josephine, hmm? No wonder he answered your prayers... So, would you like to grab lunch with me?” He asked. I couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough.

Tucking my statue back into my bag, I linked my hand with Asher’s, smiling and thanking God and Saint Joseph for finally answering my prayer. Hey, he maybe a day late but he sure gets the job done in the most miraculous way. Just as his dream was fulfilled, the dear saint, he fulfilled mine.

And we both lived happily ever after... in union with God. Huh, this was better than a fairytale... because it was real.

The end