the second angel sketch

basically the same storyline but i try to use different perspective here. also, i love the bus stop under falling leaves as their meeting point, and the idea of an angel who takes the bus is lovely coz it's so down-to-earth ^^:

I am alive now because of miracle. My mother told me once and also my grandparents that when I was a baby, a very heavy block fell right upon me but somehow I survived. Only slight scratches. You even laughed afterwards, said my mom who was there, running out of the burning church with me in her hands, running away from people who suddenly attacked and burned our church on a Christmas Eve mass.

That’s a miracle, everyone would say then. Such a tiny baby, such a big heavy log. And the fact that I was completely ok. My grandpa said that’s because an angel guarded me. He said every child has a special guardian angel who will watch and protect him. Or in my case, her.

And so I live. Healthy, fine, rather emotional sometimes, a bit rebellious, but generally fine. And I didn’t think much about that story. Maybe they just made it up, my family, because they kept repeating the same story every time I behaved badly. ‘You must be thankful and stop behaving this way,’ they always said.

But I never behaved badly on purpose. I wasn’t the type who rebelled intentionally or created problems merely to seek attention. It's not my nature. As I had said before, I was completely fine. I had a good family, a good job, and a good fiance. Everything’s fine. At least, until he came along.

So suddenly. I had never expected to meet such a man. Never. Even in dreams. He appeared suddenly in my life. It was a warm summer afternoon and the leaves were falling like rain. From the tree tops. From the branches. From everywhere. And leaves of different colours covered the whole street like carpet for a guest of honour. As I was crossing the carpetted street to wait for the bus home, I thought: 'Who might be coming today?'

The bus stop was empty except for a man who was sitting alone at the edge of the bench. He was still very young. A student, perhaps. Tall and lean and cute. He had kind eyes and his hair was curly. He smiled when he saw me, 'Looks like fall, doesn't it?' I tried to remember where I might have seen him before but I couldn't. 'Yes, and isn't it beautiful?' I said, sitting at the other edge of the bench. I could smell his distinct scent - a nice mix of sage, basil, and rosewood - and somehow it made me feel happy and serene. To sit here, looking at the falling leaves and breathing his scent, I thought life was just perfect.

Until today, I never knew where he was going or where he came from. I didn’t even know his name although we talked for such a long time. But I did remember the extraordinary story he told me.

‘Once an angel was given the temporary task to be a guardian angel of a baby girl. It was nothing like joining the battle against evil or protecting the stability of the whole universe, so he wasn’t very happy at first. He couldn’t wait till his five-year responsibility was over. However, as he took care of the baby day by day, he came to love her more than anything else in his life. When five years finally passed and he had to leave his little girl, his heart was completely broken. When he couldn’t take the pain anymore, he decided to ask God for a chance to go back to earth and find the girl he loved. And his request was granted.’
He stopped but I knew there must be more to it.
‘On what conditions?’ I asked.
‘Even if there are condition, he wouldn’t change his mind.’
‘So there’s no condition?’
He didn’t answer and just smiled.

He never gave me the answer because his bus came and he said he had to go. ‘So what happened in the end?’ I asked with tears suddenly blurred my sight. I felt that I knew the ending already. It wasn’t a happy one and it made me feel very sad. I saw that his eyes were also wet. He said nothing but touched my palms very gently. His hands were warm and they washed away my pains gradually. ‘My time is up. Don’t cry, little girl, I just want to make sure that you’re happy,’ he whispered before getting into the bus and gone.

And suddenly I remembered where I had heard it before: ‘Don’t cry, little girl, I’ll come back to the world. I’ll go and search for you and when I find you, I’ll be with you as long as you live. I’ll love you and protect you and warm your cold hands, I’ll cheer you up and I will do everything to make sure that you’re happy.’

Now I remember his face. Dimly. Hidden somewhere in the most secret part of my brain. Memories that may not be recognized, that must be shut up. It was the face that I saw when the log fell down on me. The face to whom I smiled after my mom took me outside the burning building. It was him. My angel. The one that grandpa always talked about. I should’ve known him. I should’ve recognized him immediately.

I had lost him once but I wouldn't lose him again today. ‘Taxi!’ I ran to the street and jumped into a cab, ‘This is urgent! I need to get to the next stop of bus 43 as fast as possible!’ The speed of the taxi blurred everything around me but I wasn’t afraid. Now, I remembered and I wished I would catch him at the next stop or the next or the next.