NEVER AGAIN A LONELY LEAF

NEVER AGAIN A LONELY LEAF

Angela casually pondered the events of the week as she shared her train commute from work. Her usual commuting partner and co-worker, Monroe, was in a worse mood than usual. She hoped the last few minutes of the train ride would pass quickly. Monroe would not allow the minutes to pass quietly.

“I hate spring time, everything pops out full of bloom and ready to grow. In the spring, everything’s full of color and pollen. Then it grows all summer and just when you get used to it, the fruit comes. The next thing that happens is it dies. I hate fall because, winter always comes next and it stinks.”

Angela Webb looked at her co-worker from the corner of her eye. Monroe Bassitt had become such a pessimist since his divorce, two years ago. Meeting Monroe every morning had once been one of the high points of her day, but now meeting him, working with him, even just being around him, simply drained her energy. It had reached the point that departing the train at their stop was a sprint to get to commuter parking. Today was worse than usual. Word had gotten out that layoffs were coming. This only made him sink farther. Looking for someway to change the subject Angela spoke, “Are you ever going to get remarried?” As soon as the words left her lips, she knew the question was a mistake.

Monroe, already feeling tense over the possible job loss, felt the muscles in his chest grow even tighter. Cluthing his bief case as if it contained a king’s randsom in gold, he thought to himself, “No, no, no. I know she didn’t ask me that.” Turning his head to look directly at Angela, Monroe said, “I may be big and dumb but, big, dumb and stupid, I am not. After the way Joanne cleaned my clock, I will never have the heart to trust another woman.”

Just as Monroe was about to launch into another windy and colorful explanation of why women should not be trusted, the loud speaker announced their stop coming up next. For Angela, the voice on the intercom was music to her ears. As the train squealed and scretched to a stop, Angela positioned herself at the door for a quick and smooth exit. Monroe stood directly behind her and never stopped talking. When the train came to a complete stop, the doors smoothly slid open allowing the passenger's an unencumbered exit.

At the bottom of the platform, Angela bid farwell to Monroe. He was still complaining. The walk across the parking lot assisted in lifting her spirit. It's Friday afternoon, her work week done, now it is time for the weekend.

As Angela approached her car, her steps grew lighter and as did her burden. Monroe had parked in the other direction. At her car, Angela unlocked the door, slipped safely inside and relocked her car. With a sense of relief, Angela left the parking lot and merged into traffic. In twenty minutes, she would be home.

Living in the countryside had its advantages. Angela truly enjoyed what country living offered. No city congestion, no stoplights and neighbors a hundred yards away in all directions. Living alone in the country had not made her parents happy, however it was her life and she was determined to live it her way.

Driving up the winding country road, she knew her speed was well beyond the limit. Exceeding that limit made her feel rejuvenated. She loved the feel of her sports car hugging the curves with just a faint squall of the tires in the turns. The sound of the engine as it accelerates quickly and decelerates for the next curve brought a smile to her face. The feel of power and control forced her heart up into her throat, pounding, pumping even more addrinaline into her system. She wanted more power, more scream from the engine. She loved the flashes of sunlight through the trees. She felt more alive on the drive home than any other time of day. It was Friday, the weekend, time to relax and enjoy. There was no traffic and not a cop in sight. Faster and faster, just a little more, “I can hold it. One and a quarter mile to get home and I’ll be…” Her thought was cut short.

Entering the last curve, Angela pushed her sports car to the highest rpm’s she dared. In her ears she could hear the scream of the engine, in her mind she was the driver of an Indy race car. In the middle of the curve stood a doe with her fawn.

Angela did not have time to think. She saw a mother and her child standing in the road. What happened next would change her for forever.

Slamming on her brakes to reduce the speed and she turned the wheel, served to slam her car into the embankment. The combination of speed and angle caused the sports car to impact and lift into the air spinning and rotating as it went. The airbags deployed due to the impact. The airbags prevented her head and face from striking the steering wheel. In an instant she was looking at the sky. She saw trees and the limbs of trees, but could not understand why she was looking down at them. Then the small, fast sports car landed on its top.

When the car came down on its top, the world around Angela exploded. She lost consciousness.

Beyond the crest of the curve, the car landed upside down and became a spinning top in the middle of the road. Angelas’ darkness did not last long. When she came to the car spinning reduced to a slow rotation and then came to a stop. She blinked the blood from her eyes in an attempt to see. She tried to move her arms, but they either would not respond.

To no one, Angela cried out, “Oh, My God. I’m paralyzed, I can’t move. Lord, please have mercy on me.” With her body still in the seat belt, and her head pressed against the crushed top, she had a clear view of the way she had come. Unable to look anywhere else Angela prayed, “Oh God, please help me. Please help me.”

The day had been windless. In her condition, she could only look at the debris on the roadway. As she continued to pray, she hoped no one would round the curve speeding, as she had done. From nowhere a soft breeze began to blow stirring the scattered leaves on the roadway. The breeze, only slight in its beginning, grew stronger. As it grew, it seemed to be coming from all directions. It blew through the car, ruffling her hair. It came from the direction she had driven. It came from the upper hills down to her. It came up through the forest below.

The winds converge from all directions and meet with the leaves in the road. Angela watched as the winds spun the leaves around and around and higher and higher. What appeared to be just a few in the beginning, now became hundreds being carried by the wind.

Angela watched in disbelief and she continued to pray for help. She watched as the leaves spun up to a height of seven feet and four feet in width. As quickly as the wind started, it stopped. When the wind suddenly stopped, the leaves fell away and there in the mist stood a man. Not an ordinary man. He was a tall, dark and solid man. Broad in the shoulders, a barrel of a chest and slim waist wearing work pants, worn work shirt and worn boots. He looked at Angela, who was only twenty feet away. Taking what seemed to her extremely long steps, he was knelling beside her in a second.

“Are you an angel? Are you real?”

The strange man looked at her with eyes the color of dark seasoned oak, with a twinkle in them like sunrise. Touching her on her forehead he said, “I am here for you, now rest.” Without warning Angela felt herself a drift with no pain. From somewhere faraway she could hear a siren. She heard the stranger saying repeatedly, “I am here for you. You are safe.”

Angela did not know how long she was adrift. When she again became fully aware, she was being placed on a stretcher. The stranger, with the dark eyes and dark skin, could only be seen by her. When she looked for him, he was farther away.

When she was loaded into the ambulance, she begged them to let her black friend come with her. The EMTS were confused; she was alone when they arrived. Before the doors closed, Angela was able to see over her toes. With a grateful heart, she watched as her angel returned to the winds and the leaves blowing in the street.


Word Count: 1499