Inspire Me Thursday: Storyteller

He waved to the security guard at the front desk and exited through the thick metal door. The wet, pungent air eased him into the night; he felt the tingle of forming sweat as he walked briskly to his Chevy Caprice station wagon. Only a short ride home, he said to himself, especially with no traffic. Each light blinked yellow in syncopated rhythm. Each passing car seemed to hold a sleepy man headed to or from some dead end job.

He walked into the house, wiping his forehead with his workshirt sleeve. He dropped into the sofa and stared at the filthy fireplace. The tears came, started sliding into his unkempt beard. One and then another. And another. There was no saving the marriage, though he wouldn't yet say the words aloud. And there was no saving the house. The dog would go. All his work on the bathroom, the den. Even worse, his boy would have lose his Neverland. The back yard. The pool. A house of dreams. All gone. He felt the loss burning inside him. The tears turned to outright weeping.

He heard movement above him. Damn, he thought, I woke her; just give me some time alone. The rustling stopped; he drifted back into the cushions, taken into half-consciousness by a merciful angel. Between his fanciful musings, he opened his eyes and saw at the top of the stairs his son with the dog sitting dutifully beside him. He shook his head and blinked. No, it wasn't a dream.

'Hi dad,' the young boy whispered. 'What are you doing?'

He answered, 'I'm dreaming a little. Talking to my angel.'

'Really? What does it look like?'

'Come here and I'll tell you.'

The boy took one step at a time down the stairs, the dog stepping lightly behind him. His socks moved across the wood floor like ice skates; he sat beside his father on the sofa. The dog curled at their feet.

'So?' The boy's eyes danced like dewy grass in the wind.

'The angel's a she. And she was born a long time ago.'

'Yeah, yeah. My teacher told me that angels were born before humans. And that God made them to serve Him.'

'Oh yes. Most angels were born way back then. But this one is different. She was born after God made humans. She's the only baby angel that God ever let the angels make.'

'Wow,' he mouthed.

'But when she grew up, she didn't want to be an angel anymore. Because she didn't have anyone talking to her. You see, all the angels knew who they were going to guard as soon as they were created.'

'How?' he asked.

'Because God has all of us in His head all the time. You and me were already thought of when he made the angels. So, all of us have angels assigned to us even before we're born. But, that means that this angel didn't get assigned to anyone.'

'Well, that's not fair,' the little boy asserted.

'So, she went up to God and said, "God, I don't want to be an angel anymore." And He asked, "Why?" She said, "Because I'm not like the other angels. They all have people that talk to them. But nobody talks to me." "Well," He said, "If you don't want to be an angel, then you can get born on earth to a mom and dad." "Would you really do that for me?" she asked, excited. "Yes, but you have to know that you're going to forget everything about heaven if you are. And you're going to have to grow up and feel pain and everything. Are you sure you want to do this?" "Yes, I'm ready."'

'And so, she was born to a mommy and daddy. '

'Which ones?'

'A very lucky mommy and daddy. And the little girl - because she wasn't an angel anymore - started growing up. But there was a problem with her heart. And even though the mommy and daddy did everything they could by bringing her to doctors she stopped breathing and died.'

The boy looked up at his father's wet face. 'That sounds like what happened to Emma.'

'Yes, well, that's because she's the angel. She's my angel. Now she has someone talking to her. And we all have someone loving and watching over us.'