A short story by Celia Blake
Part I
The sun began to peek out from the horizon, casting pink and lavender hues across the sky. Elizabeth woke early to find a glowing figure sitting in the chair by her desk.
She thought she must be dreaming. Birds chirped loudly outside her slightly opened window. Seeing the sunrise, she realized it was quite early in the morning.
Elizabeth looked back at the glowing figure. Although she began to feel more awake, she could not believe what she was seeing. She rubbed her eyes. As the sun rose above the horizon, ascending to its full brightness, the glow from the figure faded, revealing a woman with red hair and... wings! Elizabeth was truly amazed.
“Don’t be alarmed,” said the angel.
“Are. . . are you a real angel?” asked Elizabeth.
“I am,” came her gentle reply. The angel then rummaged through her purse.
“Angels carry purses?” asked Elizabeth.
“This one does,” she replied, pulling out a wrapped box and smiling brightly. “For you,” she said, holding out the gift.
“Thank you, ah...”
“Carmella,” said the angel.
“Thank you, Carmella.”
“You’re welcome.”
Elizabeth tore open the wrapping to find a box of salted, dark chocolate caramels. “Yummy. I love these.”
“Me, too. I made them myself. Go ahead and try one.”
“Ah....” Elizabeth was reluctant. “Ah,” she repeated. “I would, but, ah, I’m not supposed to take candy from strangers.”
“I am not a stranger!” said Carmella. “I am your guardian angel. I have known you since you were born.”
“You have?”
“Yes, Elizabeth,” she replied.
“You do know my name. And, you have those beautiful wings.”
“Why, thank you. Thank you very much,” said Carmella, stroking a few white feathers. “Give me one. We’ll breakfast together.”
“Candy for breakfast. I like you already,” said Elizabeth, smiling.
With mouths full of caramel, they discussed how scrumptious the candies tasted. Both declared they could each eat an entire box in one sitting, they were that delicious!
“But, I should save some for my sister.”
“That’s sweet. But don’t tell her about me.”
“I will tell her they were from a friend. We are friends, then, right?”
“Yes,” Carmella replied.
Elizabeth got out of bed and began picking out her clothes for the day. “So, Carmella, why is my guardian angel here in my bedroom?” she asked.
“I wanted to meet you in person.”
“But why now?”
“Well, I was told to come here and introduce myself because you would be needing direct contact with me.”
“I will?”
“Apparently.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know the future. But, your grandma . . .”
“My grandma!”
“Yes. Your grandma sent out a prayer last night and then I got my orders.”
“Your orders?”
“Yes. To appear.”
“Orders from my grandma?” Elizabeth asked incredulously.
“No, silly. From God.”
“God!” Elizabeth stopped in her tracks with her arms full of clothes.
“Indeed. You sure like to repeat things when you are surprised.”
“Amazing,” said Elizabeth, placing her clothes on the dresser. She then began making her bed.
“Yes, God is amazing,” said Carmella. “You are a tidy one, aren’t you?” she commented, watching her ward make the bed.
“I guess,” said Elizabeth with a shrug of her shoulders. “What did Grandma pray?”
“She asked God to watch over her worrisome granddaughter.”
“Worrisome?”
“That’s what she said.”
“Hmm. Something I said at supper last night must have made Grandma send that prayer.”
“Perhaps,” Carmella replied. “And maybe some other nights, too, adding up to the conclusion that you are a worrisome girl or a girl feeling worrisome. Either way, I’m here to help!”
“I guess she thinks young girls shouldn’t have to worry about anything,” said Elizabeth, considering her grandmother’s prayer.
“Or,” said Carmella, “maybe not so much.”
“I worry too much?” she asked her guardian angel.
“I would have to agree.”
“Well,” was Elizabeth’s simple reply as she fluffed her pillows. “Wallah!” she exclaimed.
“It is a beautifully made bed,” commented Carmella.
“Why, thank you,” said Elizabeth.
“So,” Carmella began to explain, “now that you know I’m here, I want you to know that I may appear again in cases when you worry. To help guide your worries or ease your worries or make you aware of them, hence, helping to release your worries.”
“Okay. So do you know my every move, since you’re my guardian angel?”
“It doesn’t really work like that. It’s more like a feeling,” said Carmella. “If I sense a snag or an upcoming possible snag in your tapestry, I whisper guidance to keep you or others from harming your tapestry. It usually works. This time, though, I get to talk to your conscious mind.”
“Woe. Ah. I thought you couldn’t read the future. And what is tapestry? And, are you my subconscious?”
“Oh. Lots of questions.” Carmella stood up and flexed her wings.
Elizabeth took a step back. The sound of Carmella’s wings moving reminded her of an eagle taking flight.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m not. I just... Are you going to answer my questions?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“But I want to know.”
Carmella laughed. “Just kidding. Of course I’ll explain.”
Elizabeth sat down on her bed.
“Like I said, I cannot read the future. However, there are many possible outcomes I can anticipate by angel intuition. It’s like human intuition, but times that by ten.”
Elizabeth nodded that she understood.
“Tapestry is something each person has for themselves, like a pattern of fabric but with many many more details that make up a life.”
“Okay,” Elizabeth replied, even though she didn’t completely understand.
“And, no. I am not your subconscious, but we are connected, as is the whole. Because of this connection you can hear my whispers, but you still keep your free will. My whispers, however, are so full of knowledge and love that you sense this and usually listen.
“Are there any more questions? I must be going soon.”
“Oh. Okay. No. No more questions. So, I’ll be seeing your around then, huh?”
Carmella smiled, growing bright again into a golden light.
Elizabeth blinked, and the light that was her guardian angel was gone from her bedroom.
“Thanks for the caramels!” she called out.
Part II
It was some weeks later, after having spent the day with her mom, when Elizabeth found herself in an uncomfortable place of worry. Her sister, Kimmi, was spending the weekend away at a soccer competition. Both she and her sister played the sport, but Elizabeth didn’t care for competitions. Since her dad was with her sister, that left just Elizabeth and her mom in the house by themselves all weekend.
They had made French toast with cinnamon sugar topping and fresh maple syrup for breakfast. Then they went to the local stables and did some horseback riding. They finished off their day at the movie theater with a Walt Disney flick and the extra large bucket of popcorn with two sodas. It was a fun day for both of them.
In fact, Elizabeth’s mom was so happy after the day they had spent together, she felt it was a good time to hand down a family heirloom. She wrapped it with ribbon and presented the gift to her daughter that night.
Elizabeth could feel that it was a special moment. So, when she opened the box and discovered it was her mother’s opal necklace, her surprise was a seemly reaction. She looked up from the opal necklace and into her mother’s eyes. There she saw excitement, love and anticipation.
“Put it on,” her mother beamed, helping her with the clasp and directing Elizabeth toward the mirror. “You look so beautiful! The pink hues in the opal will look great with your strawberry dress.”
“Thank you, Mom,” Elizabeth replied. “I love it.”
“You are welcome, sweetie. But don’t sleep in it. You don’t want to break the chain and loose the opal.”
“I won’t. I will take very good care of it,” Elizabeth assured her.
“Now get ready for bed,” she said, kissing her daughter on the top of her head before heading out the room.
Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror, still surprised at the gift. The thing was, her surprise was not that she received a gift, but that she received this particular gift. Worry began its creeping ascent into her mind. A few moments later a bright light filled her bedroom.
Elizabeth announced, “Carmella! My guardian angel! I was wondering if I’d see you again.”
“I told you I’d be back.”
“Yes. To help me with my worries.”
“Indeed,” Carmella replied, pulling her long red hair back to hang beside her bright white wings. She sat down on the bed, patting an empty spot next to her.
Elizabeth sat down. “It’s the necklace,” she began, toying with the chain around her neck.
“It’s lovely,” said Carmella.
“But it’s the opal. My mom gave it to me.”
“I think opals are meant to be gifted,” Carmella replied. “And what’s so wrong with your mom giving you a precious gift?”
“Opal is my sister’s birthstone. She was born in October. I was born in July.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t have an opal,” said Carmella.
“But what if my sister gets mad or jealous? I’m worried she’ll hate me because she wanted this necklace someday. She told me so. She said she loved her birthstone and was happy to be an October child. I really don’t want Kimmi mad at me.”
“First of all, did you talk to your mom about your feelings?”
“I didn’t have the heart to say that to mom—she was so excited to give this to me.” Elizabeth continued to nervously stroke the opal charm.
“I see,” said Carmella. “But, why would Kimmi care? It’s your mother’s necklace, not hers.”
“But she wanted it to be hers.”
“My dear, you don’t even know if your sister will be upset until she finds out about the gift. Maybe your mom has something special, and just as nice, to give to Kimmi someday. Will you be mad when that happens?” asked Carmella.
Elizabeth thought about that for a moment, then, replied, “no.”
“I hope not,” said Carmella. “Remember that, honey, and realize these are your mother’s things and she can do whatever she wants with them.”
“Okay.”
They were quiet for a while, just sitting there on the bed.
Carmella, using her gift of empathy, said, “I still feel anxiety from you, honey.”
“I’m sorry. But what if Kimmi does get mad? What will I do? I can’t hide it from her because Mom will want to see me wearing it. And, I want to wear it!”
“Of course you shouldn’t hide it. Honey, you need to calm down. Why worry this much, dreading the worst, when there is nothing you can do about it. It’s your life, it’s your gift. It was your fun day with Mom. So, imagine it working out smoothly. Only when a hill comes do you walk over it. There is no need to make your own hills.”
Elizabeth listened and considered everything Carmella said. Soon, she began to relax.
“And remember,” Carmella added, “God will be with you no matter what.”
At that, Elizabeth felt the worry leave her mind, and her shoulders relaxed, and her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace. She would not worry about Kimmi’s reaction. If Kimmi reacted badly, she would tell her to take it up with Mom.
“I must be going. I feel another charge calling.”
“What? You’re someone else’s guardian angle, too?” asked Elizabeth.
“I didn’t say that. We angels help each other out sometimes,” she said as she brightened into light.
“Okay. Bye, Carmella,” said Elizabeth. And in a blink, Carmella was gone again. But, she definitely did help Elizabeth feel better.
Elizabeth got ready for bed. She noticed a salted caramel candy on her pillow. It made her smile and tasted delicious. She had to brush her teeth again, but it was worth it. She said a prayer of thanks for Carmella’s advice and comfort, then fell asleep.
Part III
A few weeks later, Carmella appeared again. It was sunrise on a Sunday morning. Elizabeth had hardly slept a wink that night, so she was already up, dressed, and had made her bed.
She was gazing out her window, taking in the sunrise when the bright light of her guardian angel appeared.
“Good morning, Carmella,” said Elizabeth.
“Hello, honey,” Carmella handed Elizabeth a caramel candy. They each ate their candies in silence. Then smiled at each other.
“So, how did things end up working out with your worries about the opal necklace?” asked Carmella.
“Mom gave Kimmi a ruby. Then she explained to us that she gave each of us the other’s birthstone on purpose, to remind us of each other, to remind us to always love our sister and be there for each other. She said friends may come and go, but we will always be sisters and we will always have each other.”
“What a beautiful conclusion!” Carmella beamed. “See. You just had to have faith.”
Elizabeth nodded. “As you say, indeed!”
“But,” Carmella whispered, “why do I find you troubled again?” she asked.
“It’s different this time.” Elizabeth insisted, her mood changing with the conversation.
“Is it?” asked Carmella.
“Yeah...
“I hardly slept at all last night,” she confessed. “I’m afraid my friendship with Nicki is over!” she exclaimed, and having said it aloud, released a gush of tears she had been holding inside.
“There, there,” said Carmella, patting Elizabeth on her back and hugging her with comfort and love. “Let out all those tears, then tell me all about it.” She reached into her purse, handed Elizabeth a tissue.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth sniffled. “Do you have more caramels?” she asked.
“Do I have more caramels!” Carmella replied. “Of course I do!” She pulled a small box from her purse and displayed two beautifully salted caramels. “Our comfort food,” she said, handing one to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth smiled then, enjoying her caramel, grateful that her guardian angel was there with her. “Little joys of life, right?” she said.
“Indeed,” Carmella replied. “Now, honey, tell me what happened.”
“I had a fight with my best friend.”
“A fight!?”
“She kicked me on purpose during the soccer game to get the ball. On purpose!”
“Oh, no. Oh, dear. Then what happened during this fight?”
“There was no hair pulling or anything. It was an argument. I said she is so bad at the game that she has to cheat! It really hurt. She kicked me right in the shin and didn’t feel bad or say she was sorry.”
“I see,” Carmella replied.
“I feel so bad for accusing her of cheating,” said Elizabeth, “but at the same time I want to give her a taste of her own medicine at the next game so she knows how it feels!” Elizabeth said, while rubbing her shin.
Carmella sat quietly waiting for Elizabeth to say more.
“Don’t worry,” said Elizabeth, “I won’t kick her.”
“I know,” Carmella replied.
“Our friendship is probably over,” she said, sadly. “I just feel so bad. Because, because...”
“Because why, honey?”
“Well I don’t know for sure if she did it on purpose. I thought she did, but if it was an accident, then, then, I was the horrible one.” More tears escaped her tired eyes, rolling down her cheeks.
“You know what the gospels tell us over and over again. A truth that can never be broken.”
“What is that?” asked Elizabeth.
“That Jesus loves you, no matter what! No matter what!” Carmella repeated.
“Yes.”
Carmella waited for that to sink in a little more before continuing.
She whispered, “And, another scripture comes to mind.”
“What?” asked Elizabeth
“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”
“I like that one,” said Elizabeth. “I won’t kick her back. I promise.”
“Give thought,” said Carmella. “What is honorable?”
“Um,” Elizabeth thought about it. “I’m not sure.”
“The scripture continues to say that if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all,” said Carmella.
“Be honorable and live peaceable. Um... I should apologize for calling her a cheater, especially since I don’t know for sure if she kicked me on purpose.”
“That does seem like the right thing to do,” said Carmella.
“I did react badly,” Elizabeth confessed.
“It’s okay, honey. Now that you recognize that, it should be easier, next time something like this happens, to choose to stay in peace, even if you are mad. It takes practice, but staying in peace is the true victory.”
“You are so smart, Carmella.”
“Well,” Carmella blushed, “thank you,” she said.
“Do you think it’s too early to call Nicki to say I’m sorry.”
“I have a better idea.” Carmella reached into her purse for another small box. “Bring these. Sharing caramels together might help with the apology.”
“Oh, thank you! Carmella! I feel better already!”
They hugged one more time.
“You are very welcome, honey,” she replied, standing up and flexing her wings.
Elizabeth reflexively moved back. “Your wings are just, incredible!” she said.
“You’re too kind, ” Carmella beamed, brightening into a light that filled the room, and then she was gone.
Elizabeth did go to Nicki’s house with the caramels, and she apologized as planned.
As it turned out, Nicki apologized, too. She had felt just as bad about the whole thing and promised to be more careful at their next soccer match.
Part IV
Things went great for a few weeks. But there came another time when Elizabeth was a ball of nerves. She had another rough night’s sleep. She woke early in the morning and made her bed up perfectly. She picked out her best outfit and did her hair extra special that day. She had painted her fingernails red the night before, hoping it would give her courage. But, when she looked in the mirror, she saw dark circles under her eyes and fear within them.
“What’s wrong with me?” she asked her reflection.
A bright light shown from her adjacent bedroom. She walked out of her bathroom to find her guardian angel sitting at her desk.
“My dear, my dear. I could feel your worries loud and clear.”
“Hi, Carmella. It’s nice to see you,” said Elizabeth.
“It’s nice to see you, too. That’s a great outfit you’re wearing,” she commented.
Elizabeth wore a navy striped shirt with white Capri pants. She had her hair up in pins and wore dangling silver earrings. Her feet were bare.
“May I suggest something?” said Carmella.
“Yes. Yes, please do! I want to look my best.”
“Go with the red sandals.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Today is a special day?” asked Carmella.
“I have to give a speech today,” said Elizabeth. “I’m so worried I’ll make a mistake, and it took me all night to pick out this outfit—I sure hope I don’t look or sound stupid. What if they laugh at me!?” she exclaimed.
“Oh, my, you are a bit over excited, aren’t you?”
“I know, but I can’t help it!”
“Take a deep breath, honey,” instructed Carmella.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. It did make her feel better, so she took another deep breath, and another.
“Good. I can feel you relaxing.”
“You’re going to tell me to picture them in their underwear aren’t you?” said Elizabeth.
Carmella laughed.
Then Elizabeth laughed.
“If it will help, go ahead and do that. Public speaking can be nerve racking, but I hope you know that you are beautiful every day.”
Elizabeth blushed. “Thank you. I... I just want everyone to like me.”
“I understand that. But, the truth is, impressing others will not give you peace of mind.”
“Making a fool of myself won’t either,” said Elizabeth.
“Let me ask you this. Did you prepare for this speech the best you can?”
“I sure did. I practiced to mom for a couple hours last night.”
“That’s wonderful. So, your focus, then, should be on learning. Do your best to get a good grade and try not to worry about the kids.”
“Okay. But...”
“If you make a mistake, it will be okay,” Carmella cut in. “Trust that God will take care of you no matter what. If you do your best and trust God, everything will be okay.”
“Yeah,” Elizabeth replied. “Yeah!” she replied again, louder. “That is true. I don’t know what I would do without God. And if anyone laughs at me then they are just mean jerks who don’t deserve my friendship.”
“That’s right,” said Carmella.
“Thank you, again, Carmella.”
“You’re very welcome.”
“Time for caramels?”
Carmella laughed. “Of course!” she replied, retrieving a couple of caramels.
“Mmmmm,” said Elizabeth, savoring the caramel flavor and smiling brightly.
“What time is your speech?”
“It’s during Language Arts, which is usually at around ten o’clock until eleven.”
“Okay. So you have a few hours before then. If you get nervous again, focus on God. Feel Him with you, and think right thoughts. That you will do your best, and that’s all that you can do. And it will be alright.”
“Thanks! I’ll do that. I feel so much better. I can’t wait to get it over with.”
Carmella laughed. “I’ll come by tonight at sunset to see how things went.”
“Really? Tonight? You’ll visit me again?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. See you then.”
“Good luck,” said Carmella, brightening into light and flashing out.
Thanks to Carmella’s advice, Elizabeth felt more calm and got through her speech. She even got an A. She enjoyed watching the other kids speak, too, and gave them encouragement before they went up to speak. Everything turned out alright. She was grateful.
She told Carmella about it that evening.
“That’s wonderful, honey. You are growing up so well. I’m so proud of you,” Carmella said.
“Carmella, why are you crying?” asked Elizabeth.
“It’s just that I’m so proud of you,” Carmella repeated. “I have a gift for you.”
“Caramels?”
“Yes. But something else.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a larger box. This one was wrapped in opal colored paper and tied with a red ribbon.
“Thank you,” said Elizabeth, taking the box. She unwrapped her present, opened the box. A pair of shoes.
“They’re beautiful,” said Elizabeth, pulling out the shoes—matte gold flats.
“Try them on,” urged Carmella. “They are cushioned and have rubber non-skid soles.”
Elizabeth put them on. She immediately felt something change. She felt the love, the light of the Lord all around her. She also felt grounded, secure. She felt close to God and close to herself. It was a magical feeling. It felt like being in her mother’s arms. A secure love and confidence coursed through her. And, they were the most comfortable shoes she has ever worn.
“Wow!” said Elizabeth. “They are so elegant yet comfortable. Are they magic shoes?” she asked.
“Kind of. The magic is in the comfort. In case you ever need a little extra strength, you can put on these shoes and feel Jesus Peace.”
“Jesus peace?” asked Elizabeth.
“Yes, the peace you get from trusting God. The comfort of the Lord.”
“Thank you so much, Carmella, my guardian angel.” said Elizabeth.
“You’re welcome.”
“Does this mean what I think it means?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“So, I won’t see you again?”
“I will still be here, but you won’t see me physically again, no. My work here is done.” She pulled a wand out of her purse.
“You have a wand!? You’ve never used it before.”
“It’s for fun!” said Carmella. She twirled the wand around in the air, as sparkles of white and gold crackled around the room. The little bits of light turned into dark chocolate salted caramels floating in the air around the bedroom.
Elizabeth smiled brightly, picking a chocolate from the air. “How fun!” she exclaimed.
They both enjoyed a candy. Then Carmella magically moved the candies into a candy box and set it on Elizabeth’s dresser. “For later,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“One more hug,” said Carmella, standing and flexing her wings. Elizabeth didn’t flinch. She had gotten used to them.
Carmella twirled her wand through the air, creating bright lights in trails out the window while she herself brightened into a sparkling ball of light which floated out the window. Elizabeth watched the light of her guardian angel float up into the night sky all the way to the stars.
The End
