by S S Bazinet
With a fixed determination, he went back to cleaning the tub, draping himself over the side with weariness. Thirty minutes later, the bathroom was clean and tidy again, and his only desire was to go to sleep.
My first all night cleaning binge. Annabel better be as unique as she appears.
The thought repeated when he finally climbed into bed. He was so exhausted, it was going to be easy to sleep soundly. He closed his eyes, enjoying the pillow top softness of the mattress as he let out a sigh of contented triumph. He’d done it. He’d cleaned the two levels of his home from top to bottom.
The shrill sound of his dryer brought him out of his two minutes of slumber. His fourth load of laundry was dry and ready for retrieval. “Dammit, I forgot about the clothes.” He moaned when the buzzer sounded again, demanding attention. But he knew he had to respond if he wanted any peace. The machine was programmed to repeat its signal every sixty seconds.
He fought his way out of the covers reluctantly. Once on his feet, he was still half asleep as he made his way out into the hall and into the laundry room. Just as his hand reached out for the dryer, the doorbell rang. He froze in mid reach. “Is she here already?”
He went back to his bedroom and grabbed his robe, rubbing at his eyes and trying to clear his mind. As he made his way to the foyer, he began to wake up. As he did, a small thrill of excitement took hold. He was eager to see Annabel’s pretty face again. The moment didn’t last. When the doorbell rang again, he stopped short.
What the hell am I doing?
He let deep frown lines take over his brow. Why was he letting himself get interested in this woman? He’d already made a huge mistake with Arel. Now he was welcoming a stranger into his home.
Don’t answer the door! If you do, you’ll regret it!
The warning came from his gut. He’d always trusted that part of himself. It had been a guiding force in times of danger. He needed to heed its advice now. As he turned and started walking back to the bedroom, the warning was reinforced.
Don’t make another mistake. Besides, the woman is nothing special.
The words were voiced with conviction, but he’d only gone a few steps when he remembered the feel of Annabel’s hand the night before. When she was saying goodbye, he’d taken it in his as if he wanted to cement their agreement with a handshake. Actually, he’d wanted to touch her, to connect with her in a more tactile way. Recalling the rush that flooded his body, he knew he hadn’t ever felt so captivated by a woman. He wanted to touch her again.
He stood in the hallway listening, waiting for the bell to ring a third time. When the silence went unbroken and the house suddenly felt too quiet and empty, his breath caught. Was Annabel gone? Did she give up on him and leave? Didn’t she care that she’d disturbed him? The questions made him angry.
Who cares? Let her leave. I need my solitude.
He tried to convince himself that he was better off alone, but he hurriedly walked to the foyer anyway. When he got there, the bell rang again. The sound brought a smile to his face. He didn’t need Annabel. She needed him. It was a deciding factor that released him from his delusional thoughts of romance. When he grabbed the doorknob and swung the door open, he was about to tell Annabel that he’d changed his mind. He’d send her away and go back to bed.
“Hello, William.” Annabel got out the greeting before he had a chance to speak.
“Uh—” William stared at the woman in front of him. For a moment, he thought he saw wings, blindingly-bright affairs that fanned out behind her. Blinking and squinting, he finally realized the sun was shining in his eyes. He retreated with relief that only lasted a moment.
Oh hell, she’s even more beautiful than I thought.
Getting a better look at his visitor, he swallowed back an overwhelming desire. Annabel was a lithe, lovely goddess of a girl. Without the cap she'd worn the night before, her hair fell about her shoulders in rich, auburn waves that shone like red silk in the morning light. Her face was youthful, with hints of innocence and wisdom combined.
Annabel gave him a warm smile. “Did I come at a bad time?”
Even her voice sent a small chill through William’s body. Her tone was deliberate, but it also had a soft, pleasing quality. It struck a chord in him, a place where desire and an unfulfilled longing meshed. The longing wasn’t for temporary pleasure. It wanted more than that.
What am I getting myself in to?
Recognizing the danger Annabel posed, he knew he should slam the door shut, but he had no strength left. He could only hang on to the edge of the door, hoping to stay upright as his fatigue and Annabel’s loveliness both took their toll on him. “No, it’s not a bad time. Come in.”
Nineteen
TIM LAY ON the cold cement floor, trying to remain very still. Everything was spinning. He’d been working in the garage. While he was taking boxes down from a high shelf, he lost his balance and fell off a ladder. His head hit the corner of an old dresser being stored in the space.
Peggy is going to go crazy if she gets home and finds me like this.
He kept fading in and out of consciousness. He’d only had enough clarity to call Arel by hitting the speed dial number on his phone. Afterwards, the numbers blurred when he tried to dial 911. His message to Arel was short. “It’s a real emergency. Help. Garage.”
As Tim began to black out and fought to stay conscious, he felt good about Arel coming to his rescue. He’d observed his friend around the babies when they were sick. After Arel’s visits, the children were always better. Arel’s healing touch reminded Tim of his grandpa. When Tim was a kid, his grandpa had the same ability. He seemed able to perform minor miracles with sick stomachs and colds. Tim didn’t question such gifts. He thought everybody had a grandpa like his until he was older.
“Tim! Where are you?”
The sound of Arel’s voice, shouted from the door to the garage, brought Tim back as he was fading again. It even made him chuckle to himself. The guy who insisted that he’d never get involved was clearly ready to get involved. “Over here, I had a little accident,” he called out from behind some fallen boxes.
Arel was kneeling by Tim’s side almost immediately. “Oh god, there’s a lot of blood! What can I do? Where’s Peggy? Have you called 911?”
“Peggy’s shopping, and I can’t call for help myself.”
“You’re kidding!” Arel grabbed his phone out of his pocket and hurriedly punched in some numbers. When he disconnected from his call, his news was laced with disappointment. “I’m sorry. They said there was a big accident on the Expressway. It might take a little longer than normal for them to get here.”
“You can help.”
“Of course I will. What do you want me to do?”
“If you have a clean handkerchief, press it against my head and try to stop the bleeding.”
When Arel stared fixedly at Tim’s wound and the blood flowing down his scalp, his face began to turn a slight shade of green.
Tim knew he had to get Arel’s attention. “Arel, stay with me.”
Arel looked away long enough to retrieve a handkerchief from his pocket. “Sorry, sometimes blood makes me sick.”
Tim continued to give directions. “Keep pressure on the wound.”
“Yes, I’m trying, but I think the gash is pretty deep.” Arel’s face was going from green to white. His body swayed as he took short gasps of air. He looked ready to faint.
“Arel, please, I’m barely hanging in here.”
“I know. I thought I was getting better about this sort of thing, but I guess not.”
“Just breathe, and while you’re breathing I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything, just ask.”
“Use your magic.”
Arel startled as if he’d been struck. “What? I don’t have any magic.”
“You’ve helped the babies when they were sick.”
Arel shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tim strug
gled to keep his eyes on Arel. “My grandpa had the healing gift. So do you. I’m sure of it.”
“I’ll do anything in the world to help you, but don’t ask that. I can’t—”
“You’re making excuses. Unfortunately, I did the same thing when Gramps tried to pass on his gift to me. But you already have it.”
Arel kept looking away, but his tone was resolute when he protested. “It’s not an excuse.”
Tim could tell that arguing wasn’t going to work. He’d seen Arel’s stubborn side. Once Arel got his back up, there’d be no convincing him. Still, he was sure that Arel was as capable as his grandfather. Just thinking about the kindly old man made way for an idea. Gramps tended towards a diplomatic approach to problems. That meant that Tim needed to do a little backpedaling. “Sorry, Arel, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”
Arel blinked back another apology. “Believe me, I’d help if I could.”
Tim paused. “Maybe, while we wait, we can talk about something that gets my mind off of the pain in my head, like Sara and Ariel.”
Arel’s face flushed with a little color. “They’re like two angels, aren’t they?”
“I think you love them almost as much as if they were your own.”
Arel’s breathing began to slow down. “Yes, that’s true.”
“Tell me about the last time you and I took them to the park.”
Arel shrugged. “I don’t remember.”
“Try, please. I think it was about a month ago.”
Arel’s eyes brightened as a hint of a smile began to slide into place. “Yes, it’s starting to come back. It was a nice afternoon, and you wanted to give Peggy a break so she could go to get her hair cut. We asked Carol if little Ariel could come too.” Arel hesitated wistfully. “I wish I hadn’t forgotten my camera. I could have taken a million pictures that afternoon.”
“Keep talking. It’s helping.”
Arel got more comfortable, going from a kneeling position to sitting next to Tim. “Both Sara and Ariel loved the baby swings. They laughed out loud. It’s like they live in another world, a world that’s so happy and free.” He smiled broadly. “If only we could be like that. Wouldn’t it be great to simply let go and have fun all the time?”
“Yes, you’re right. It would be nice. What else do you remember about that day?”
As Arel began to relate his thoughts about the children and a life that didn’t have any problems, Tim felt warmth coming from Arel’s hand. It was like the sun’s warmth, only it went deeper than the rays of the sun. The feeling spread throughout his body. It was soothing but powerful. As it grew in intensity, the pain in his head began to subside. The room slowly came into focus. After a few minutes, Tim smiled. He reached out to Arel. “Help me to sit up.”
Arel frowned back a warning. “No, you need to lie very still.”
“It’s okay. I don’t think we’re going to need that ambulance after all.”
* * * * *
Arel came through the front door in a dreamy state of shock. “Michael!” He was filled with so much excitement, he was almost reeling. “Michael, come here!”
“What is it?” Michael asked as he rushed into the foyer.
Arel continued into the living room and collapsed on the sofa. “Something just happened, and I don’t know what to think about it.”
Michael paused and stared at him, then smiled as he walked over to a recliner. “You helped Tim, correct?”
“Yes, but I didn’t plan on helping him.”
Michael laughed. “Is there a problem with that?”
“I guess not. I’m beyond relieved that Tim is okay, but I want to know how it happened. Tim was lying there ready to pass out. Next he’s telling me to think about the children. For a couple of minutes I lost myself in picturing how happy they can be. When I looked at Tim again, he’s telling me to cancel the ambulance. I took my handkerchief away from his head wound, and it was already closing up. I insisted on taking him to the ER just in case, and they said he seemed fine. There’s no sign of a concussion.”
“And how do you feel?”
“I feel great. It’s just that I don’t understand what I did.” It was true. Arel’s body felt buoyant and light. Yet, in the midst of his exhilaration, a nagging feeling flitted around in his mind, and he didn’t know why.
Michael offered his thoughts. “What happened was perfectly natural. You allowed yourself to simply be. You didn’t get in the way of your power with negative emotions.”
“It’s that easy?”
“Yes, but now your mind wants an explanation for something it didn’t orchestrate.”
Arel held up a hand. “Wait a second. Back up. I just performed a bit of a miracle, and I didn’t even try to do it. I sat there with Tim and talked to him about a nice time at the park.”
“True, but that didn’t negate your good intention to help Tim. It was in the background. And that good intention, plus your positive attitude made the miracle possible.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all this stuff sooner? Why didn’t you explain it before all my disasters with William?”
“I thought I had.”
“Maybe so, but obviously I missed something. I nearly killed him a couple of times. Then I did kill him. Then I—” He leaned back into the sofa. “Oh hell, I’m really confused.”
“Sometimes, people have hidden agendas that stem from fear based emotions. Unfortunately, that’s the situation you have with William. When you use your power around him, that hidden negativity causes a lot of problems.”
“Great. So I’m back where I started with him.”
“Not necessarily. You’re learning about how to find some peace when you think about him. You’re letting him go in some respects. In the meantime, William has allowed some help from another source.”
“What do you mean?”
Michael’s eyes flashed with more sparkle than usual. “William has invited a young woman to help out in his home. He thinks that she’s a student, but she’s one of ours.”
Michael’s news acted like a revitalizing agent for Arel. He sat up with a smile. “You’re kidding! William is involved with an angel?”
“Hopefully, in time, she’ll help him to see life and others with a more open heart.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it, but I am impressed. I just hope that William never finds out who she is, or he’ll blame me for her too.”
“Let’s just concentrate on what you did for Tim today. I’m sure that he’s grateful.”
“What we did today, Michael. If you hadn’t barged into my life, I’d still be hiding from everything.”
“I was invited, remember?”
Arel did remember. As a child, he’d often held on to a small glass angel and prayed for a real one to appear. “Did I make a mistake in asking for you to show up?”
Michael didn’t reply. He sat quietly in his seat, but he didn’t offer an answer to the question.
Arel waited for long minutes and finally sat back in the silence, asking himself the same thing he’d just asked Michael. When he wanted an angel’s help, he was still a child, an innocent who believed in the magic that Tim mentioned. But innocence is often lost by adulthood. When Arel was a young man, he was bitter and hopeless. He tried to escape from life. But he wasn’t able to escape now. Michael’s blood wouldn’t let him. Once ingested, it carried its message to every cell in Arel’s body. And that message still repeated every day. The words were always the same. “It’s time to look at what you’ve hidden away in the darkness.”
Arel wasn’t prepared for what that meant. He had used the darkness for what he couldn’t abide in himself. It was a repository, a closeted place where he stuffed away the roots of his pain and anger and blame. Michael’s blood turned on the light in his dark, inner cellars. Arel was forced to face his issues. And he did. Kicking and screaming every inch of the way, he finally made peace with his father’s abuse. He even came to terms with a past life when ignorant people burned him at the st
ake for being different. But the price for his enlightenment was steep. His heart gave out. He had a near death experience in a churchyard. But Michael helped him through it all.
What a hell of a roller coaster I’ve been through. I’m lucky to be drawing breath.
As the reclamation process replayed in his mind, Arel looked at the angel sitting a few feet away.
Michael smiled back. “The bottom line is that you were courageous enough to face your negativity, and no matter what you think, I do know negativity when I see it, Arel. We might experience things differently, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to any of the things that humans think, do, or hide away.” Michael stood up. “But if you think you’d be better off if I leave, just say the word.”
Arel glared back. “Dammit, Michael, you know I don’t want that.”
“What do you want? If you could have the normal life you’ve talked about, what would make you happy?”
Arel rubbed the sofa arm carefully, diverting his eyes. “Do you think there’s a chance that someday I’ll be able to have a family, you know, a wife and children?”
“Of course.”
“I’m not too weird?”
“Why would you be weird?”
“Why do you think?” He glanced up and met Michael’s gaze. “I have your blood.”
Michael blinked back. “Do you think I’m weird?”
“No, you’re great as far as angels go. But I’m some kind of oddity, admit it.”
Michael sat down again. “I thought I blended in quite well.”
“I suppose. Although Kevin said you’re . . . oh never mind.”
“I’m what?”
“Nothing. He mentioned something about you being a little too stiff.”
“Too stiff?”
“Yes, you’re too nice. Your halo shines through whether you like it or not. Thankfully, so far I’ve been able to divert too much attention going your way.”
“I never saw myself as being that different. There are lots of nice people around.”
“What does it matter? I’m the one who has to fit in, not you.”
