A ‘Touched by An Angel’ story

By: Yvette Jessen

© 2001 not intended to infringe on any previously held copyrights.

Please Note: This story is the fifth in a sequence of stories, which I have written, which are centered on my character, Christina, her family and friends. The first one is entitled ‘The Innocence of a Child’ the second ‘A Little Girl’s Wish’, the third ‘The Senior Prom’, and the fourth, 'Stealing Second'.

*****

It was Halloween night, the streets were filled with children, and from the living room window of her apartment, Christina Thomas looked outside and watched them. It had been twenty years ago that night that she had met Andrew, and for some reason, this particular night, she thought of him almost constantly.

As the doorbell rang, she got up from her place in front of the window and went to open the door. Standing on the other side was 18-year-old Lindsey Miller. “Hey Christina, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk with me tonight.”

“I don’t know,” she said softly, but when she looked at Lindsey’s hopeful eyes, she finally nodded. “Let me get my jacket.”

“Great,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey was now a senior in High School, one of the top sopranos in the school choir and had already been awarded a music scholarship, which would start up the following year in New York City. The girl had experienced a great many changes during the last five years. Gone was the anger and bitterness that she used to carry, and in its place was a new confidence and love.

Christina was often amazed with the love that seemed to radiate from Lindsey, and ever since her brother, Bryan, had married Rachel, Lindsey had learned sign language, and her dream was to put the beautiful signs to music as she had done at the wedding.

Outside, Christina smiled as she watched the children running through the streets, their costumes blowing in the autumn breeze. “You know who I think of on nights like this?” she finally broke her silence.

“Andrew?” Lindsey asked and when Christina nodded, the teenager continued to speak. “Let’s go to the park where you met him the first time. Maybe he’ll be there.”

“I don’t want to hope, I mean he’s probably busy,” Christina said softly.

“You miss him though,” Lindsey said softly and she rested her hand on Christina’s shoulder. “I miss him too, but for you it’s more significant, it’s been 20 years ago tonight since you met him the first time, I mean, that’s so special, and it probably is to him, too.”

“You know what I wish, Lindsey?”

“What?”

“I wish I could find a man who is as kind and loving as Andrew,” Christina said softly. “I would love to one day get married and have a family, but to not feel alone. I mean, yeah, I know God’s always there, and He’s looking out for me, but I’m lonely for someone special in my life.”

“You’re 27, Christina, you’re not over the hill yet,” Lindsey said smiling. “Besides, in this small town, chances are one wouldn’t have much of an opportunity to meet guys anyway. I gave it up a long time ago.”

“What kind of guy would you like to have in your life?” Christina asked.

“Probably someone like Andrew, someone who would wrap me up in his arms and tell me that I’m not crazy, and that every thing will be fine when I’m feeling sad and lonely,“ Lindsey said. “You know, like that song, where it said that we pray to meet someone who is connected to our soul. That’s the kind of love I would wish for.”

“Me too,” Christina said softly. “I don’t know if I told you, but Bryan’s going to be a dad, Lindsey, I found out just yesterday, and I don’t know how I feel about it. It’s like a part of me is happy for him and Rachel, but at the same time, I wonder what’s wrong with me and where my life is going.”

“Join the club, I have the music, and I hope one day to do something really special with it, but what’s having something if one doesn’t have another person to share that with?” Lindsey said softly and put her arms around Christina’s shoulder.

The two young women walked towards the park, each of them were completely immersed in their own contemplations. When they reached the bench where Christina had first met Andrew, and where Lindsey had talked to him and cried on his shoulder, both of them got tears in their eyes. It was empty, and Lindsey sat down. Christina remained standing and buttoned her jacket to combat the cool autumn breeze.

“Christina, did Andrew tell you why he didn’t like Halloween?” Lindsey asked.

“Yeah, I remember that as though it was yesterday. He was so sad, as though he had lost his best friend or something. I felt the same way, because the other kids had been so cruel to me. I was lonely as a small child, I guess a lot like Tommy during the time when your dad was going through rehab,” Christina said. “It’s hard to explain.”

“How did you feel when he told you he was an Angel of Death?” Lindsey asked.

“At first, I was scared, but then I realized that my fear had hurt him somehow, and that made me so sad. Then I had reached over and touched his face, because he looked lost and alone. I guess I couldn’t do something like that today, just because it would have been too embarrassing. I suppose as a child, one can do anything they like, and not have to worry about what others would think. Then they grow up and they become skeptical and fearful about their own actions.”

“Andrew told me you kissed him, a big wet one on the cheek,” Lindsey said trying to keep herself from giggling.

Christina blushed, grateful for the darkness, which concealed her face. “I did.”

“Could you have done that when he was here before?”

Christina shook her head. “No, in fact, I would have felt ashamed to even try.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, he’s an angel, I’m some wacky woman who thinks of him almost every day,” Christina said. “If Rachel or Bryan didn’t know who he really was, they would have told me that I was in love with him, but that’s crazy. I couldn’t be in love with him, he loves the whole world, and he cares for all people, not just one. To even suggest such a thing would be really selfish,“ she shook her head. “No, I just want to feel that I’m special to someone.”

“But, you’re special to him, Christina,” Lindsey said softly. “You’re his friend, and friendship is even better than romantic love, because it lasts longer than anything.”

“I know,” she smiled weakly. “I guess I’m just being moody and depressing.”

“No, you’re just being honest,” a gentle voice emerged and both of them looked up from where they sat on the bench.

“Andrew!” they both said almost simultaneously.

“Hello, Lindsey, hello Christina,” he said as he came over and sat down between them.

“Happy Halloween,” Lindsey said. “You don’t look as miserable tonight as Christina described you to be when she was seven. Why’s that?”

“This year it’s special,” he smiled and looked at Christina. “How are you doing?”

“OK,” she said offering him a brave smile.

“You can’t hide the truth from me, Christina,” he said gently.

“I’m just being weird,” she smiled.

“I heard what you had said, I was here for some time before you two could see me,” he said gently.

Christina covered her face in her hands and shook her head, trying to keep the tears from escaping from under her eyes.

“Hey, it’s OK, Christina,” he said gently. “I’m touched by the extent that you care for me, but Lindsey’s right, you are a special friend, and you shouldn’t think otherwise.”

She shook her head sadly. “I just wonder if I will meet someone who cares for me to the extent that you do. Someone who I can spend my life with, who will love me and want to take me as his wife.”

“You’ll meet someone, Christina and so will you, Lindsey, God has a wonderful plan for both of your lives,” Andrew said gently. “Believe me, I will see you both off and on, and you must never believe that it would only be during the hard times in your lives. God has blessed us with a friendship, and that’s the greatest gift.”

Lindsey looked at Christina, “see, what’d I tell you?” She looked at Andrew and smiled. “You know what?”

“What’s that?” he said.

“I think part of that plan was for you to learn to appreciate the gifts God has given all of us, even today when it’s Halloween,” she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. When she drew away, she smiled impishly at him. “Not as wet as Christina’s right?”

Andrew laughed and Christina blushed. “No,” he finally offered.

As the three of them laughed, Christina could feel the tears falling from beneath her eyes. “Thank you for remembering me.”

“I will always remember you, Christina,” he said and smiled. “Now, I have to go, but don’t be sad, because in our thoughts we’re not so far apart.”

“That sounds like a song,” Lindsey said.

“It is a song, and it speaks volumes,” Christina said softly.

As Andrew stood up to go, she followed suit. “Wait, there’s something I want to do before you go.”

He turned around and could feel her lips against his cheek. As she drew away, he kissed her forehead, smiled, and disappeared.

Lindsey was smiling. “I knew you could do it,” she said.

Christina smiled, but as she looked up, she could see a man standing near the fountain, his blonde hair was blowing in the breeze and he was guiding a small child through the park. She walked closer to him and could hear the child calling his name.

“Come on Uncle Gene,” the child said. “You promised that we would get to do the other block tonight. I think it’s this way.”

Lindsey looked in the direction where Christina was looking. “Oh my gosh, he looks like he could pass for Andrew’s brother.”

Christina nodded, but all she could do was smile as the man looked up and saw her standing near the bench. Instead of walking away, he approached her, the small child following reluctantly.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m Gene Andrews.”

“C-Christina Thomas,” she said softly. “This is my friend, Lindsey.”

Lindsey smirked and nudged her friend. “I gotta get home, I have school tomorrow. See you later, Christina. Nice to meet you Gene.”

Once Lindsey was gone and they were alone, Gene smiled at her. “You from around here?”

“Yes, I grew up here,” she said simply.

“That’s good, because I’m not, and we’re lost,” he said. “See, this is my niece, Angelica and I’m visiting my brother’s family from out of town. Even though this is a small town, I tend to get lost easily, especially when it’s dark, night blindness.”

“Well, it’s not too hard to get lost out here, the lamps are busted, have been for about three years now. I guess they’ll never get around to fixing them. This is a pretty small town at any rate, and when the lights aren’t working right, it can happen. How long will you be staying?”

“I go back to Detroit next weekend,” he said. “I’m a electrical engineer for a robotics firm there.”

Christina smiled.

“What about you?”

“I’m a child psychologist, and have published a few stories,” Christina said.

“A shrink, Uncle Gene’s flirting with a shrink!” Angelica said smugly.

Christina smiled down at the child. “How old are you?”

“Nine,” Angelica said.

“I see, and did you know that your name is a variant of the word ‘angel’?” Christina got down on one knee and looked the child in her eyes. “It’s a very special name.”

“Uh-huh, that’s what my daddy told me,” she said.

“Well, calling someone a ‘shrink’ is not a very angelic thing to say,” Christina said gently. “You can call me, Doctor Thomas, or Christina, but don’t call me a ‘shrink’. It’s not very nice, and it would be similar as if someone were would call an angel ‘death’.”

“I’d never do that,” Angelica said softly.

“Then there you go,” she smiled back up at Gene and got back on her feet.

“You’re good,” he said.

“Thanks, I learned that from an old friend,” she said smiling.

“You’ve got a knack with it, your friend must be good,” he said.

“Yeah, he’s someone who’s like a brother to me.”

“Well listen, I’d hate to keep you from anything important, but would you like to have a cup of coffee with me? We can drop the little angel off at home, and go to a small café my brother told me about. I understand if you have other plans.”

“I’d love it,” she smiled, and as she led Gene and Angelica out of the park, her thoughts returned to Andrew’s words. “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” As she looked at Gene and they left the park, she smiled because now she believed it.

The End

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