The wounded angel
I came upon a homeless woman sitting on a park bench. Her clothes were soiled and hair unwashed. She was very unkempt but why wouldn't she be, she lived on the park bench. She probably only got to bathe in the birdbath or the fountain occasionally, when pedestrians or cops walking their beat did not run her off. I felt very sad for this poor creature.
If you got the chance to look into her face, it shone with such brightness you almost had to look away. Her eyes were the color of a deep blue ocean, her skin the color of bronze. Her hair was the color of sun kissed honey on a bright sunny day.
What would have put such an astonishing creature to behold in a predicament such as this? I would walk the same route every weekday to my office, so it was unintentional that I would see her regularly. I so much wanted to stop to talk with her but I felt as if I would be presenting myself to royalty of some sort. I did not have the nerve.
One sunny day I was passing by and I noticed she was rubbing her leg where she had tied some old rags around it for bandages. This was my chance I thought, an opening to converse with the homeless princess if you would. I stepped meekly over and asked “Madame, I could not help but notice you seem to have been injured since the last time I walked by here”. She looked up into my eyes and smiled the brightest smile I have ever before or after had the pleasure of seeing. She stated in detail that some of the boys that hang around in the park at night pushed her down as she was trying to wash up a bit and in doing so she fell upon a jagged rock, which in turn gashed open her leg. I was aghast that anyone even gangbangers would do this to this timid and lovely creature, even in her disarray. If I can see the beauty beneath the grime, surely they can also; it might be better if they do not because her plight might have been worse. I hated to think of the awful possibilities of what that might bring.
I asked her what her name was and she said it was Aurora and I told her mine was Daniel. I asked her if there was anything I could do for her and she told me that there was nothing any human could do for her, of which I thought, was an odd way to put it. I brushed off the thought and asked if I could sit and talk for a while and she said pleasantly she would love the company, that she had not had anyone to speak to since she came down.
I thought that maybe she came from Canada, Alaska, or Nova Scotia possibly. We sat for a time and made small talk and she plainly stated how mean and hateful the human race is and they care nothing for one another; it is so sad. She expressed this as silent tears that looked like diamonds streamed down her dirty cheeks, I thought poor thing; where has she been hiding it has been like this for ages. I implied I knew what she meant. I thought it was appalling also, but what were we to do.
She said that is why I am here, to see if there is any hope of changing this. I said I did not understand and she said that in fact you would when I am gone. I wanted to know how, what she was talking about, I was wondering if she were a mental patient, no she seems too lucid for that.
I asked what she thought so far and she said she saw a glimmer of hope by me stopping and checking on her or even noticing her existence. You are the first person to speak to me without disdain in their tone, also the first to check on my well being. I have been here for a month now and this is the first human contact I have had that was not negative of some sort or another. As I said, it is only a glimmer of hope.
He said he had never seen anyone like her before and asked where she was from. She said she was from a place very far from here yet very close to anyone that wants to go there. All they have to do is believe that they can go there through the right channels and it is very close, but it is very far for those who do not believe.
While we were sitting there, another woman came up to Aurora, asked about her, and wanted to know how she was faring. She introduced herself as Lynda and said she worked not far from here and had seen Aurora here for about a month. She had wanted to check and see how she was doing because Aurora did not strike her as your run of the mill street person. I agreed wholeheartedly and we began to talk.
Aurora was ecstatic, she stated now there is not just a glimmer but also a flicker of hope. I think we might be able to save this planet yet. It will take a lot but with the right workers, it will be accomplished. My work is almost done here and then I can go home. We asked simultaneously where that is. A place where every good person wants to be and will be if they believe.
We were stumped and confused; we looked at each other as if we had stepped into Bay view’s mental ward. Aurora said no I am not from Bay view’s mental ward, we both sat there with our mouths hanging open catching flies; in shock that she had just read our minds and we both realized we had just read each other’s too. Okay now we have just stepped into the twilight zone with Rod Serling, or some zone. I am thinking I will be the one at Bay view and Lynda will be right behind me, Aurora assures me that is not the case.
Aurora takes our hands and puts them together and prays Father, I have found two people who truly care what happens to others, they did not care if I was dirty and unkempt, unwashed, and what society would consider undesirable. Father there is still hope. Please protect these two because from two, more will believe. Let me know when I can come home, Your will be done. Amen.
We look at her astonished and say to her that you have a lot of life left; we know you are down and out right now but things will get better, in fact Lynda tells her she works for an agency that helps homeless people find housing and jobs to get back on their feet. Aurora thanked her and said it was wonderful what she was doing and to keep it up but she was in no need of any help, she was looked after in every way imaginable. All my needs are being met.
It was getting late and we thanked Aurora for letting us spend time with her, because spending time with her brought such peace and tranquility, it was overwhelming. We left together and as we walked away Lynda and I both agreed we would be back tomorrow at the same time. I was at my tenth floor apartment on the balcony when I caught a shooting star flit across the sky, it came from that area of the park and went upwards which I thought was odd.
The next day I was so excited to have a conversation with Aurora and Lynda again, I whistled and almost skipped to the park bench. I ran into Lynda on the way there and she was feeling the same exhilarating feeling as I was. We got to the bench and it was empty except for a beautiful gilded envelope addressed to her and me. We looked around and were surprised that no one had snatched it up, so we thought we could not have missed Aurora by much but she was nowhere in sight.
We sat down reverently and opened the envelope, it read,
Dear Lynda and Daniel,
I want to thank you for showing kindness to one of my children. I sent Aurora there to see if there was any hope left for the human race to save from certain annihilation not unlike Sodom and Gomorrah or Noah and the great flood. I had my doubts but just a small bit of kindness and caring on your parts gave us the little kindle of hope we needed to stop the archangels from doing what we very much did not want them to do. We all thank you so much. With much love,
Your Heavenly Father
P.S. Aurora said to say goodbye and thank you.
We could not believe our eyes; we had a letter from God. Aurora was an angel sent to investigate, to see if our lame species had what it took to save our own, just by being kind to one another. Now it is our job to spread the word and hopefully people will believe and show kindness and actually show interest in their fellows.
With kindness, Lynda and Daniel
