CHAPTER 7

The prison walls were particularly chilly that night, as if affected by the sorrow and pain erupting from an angel’s heart. When Andrew arrived at the police station, even the most experienced policeman was shocked by the amount of blood in his clothes, which contradicted his claims of being innocent and that they were making a terrible mistake.

But the weird, terrible truth was that he had been arrested for shooting Monica.

He was thrown inside an empty cell, as the sheriff didn’t want him together with the other prisoners, fearing the consequences. “Let’s contact the state prison as soon as possible and send this guy away from here before something really bad happens to him.” The man said, but not really caring about the new prisoner, “I don’t want him to cause me any trouble!”

Now Andrew was sitting on the cold floor, holding his head in both hands and with tears permanently falling from his sad eyes. The images of the shot, Monica’s scared eyes staring at him and all the fear and pain written on her meek face were constantly in his memory, like a flashback that never ceased, “Father... Please, help her... Let her be alright... I don’t want her suffering, it was all my fault... all my fault...” he whispered, the sadness that flowed through his soul was almost physical pain, “Please, don’t let her suffer... Heal her with Your power, I know You can...”

The other prisoners looked at the blond man with confused and even scared eyes. The sheriff had made him replace his clothes covered with blood by a simple pair of jeans and white T-shirt but the other men inside the police station knew that he’d done something a lot more serious than stealing a couple of dollars.

Suddenly, Andrew felt another presence inside his cell and he didn’t even to raise his head to know who it was: he could feel evil emanating from Gregory’s figure. “What did I tell you, buddy? Not to mess with me!”

“Go away... Go back to the darkness where you belong...” the blond angel spoke, his voice was harsh but still low. Smiling, Gregory knelt down right beside him and went on speaking, “I got one very confused boy who will probably become a murderer in a few hours and he’ll live forever with the guilt! But I also have an angel who not only failed his assignment but also ended up in a prison cell! And of course there’s Monica’s very serious condition... Who knows if by this time she’s already left her human form?”

“Shut up!” Andrew’s angry and now loud voice echoed through the corridors, calling the other prisoners’ attention. The men in the other cells were even more scared, thinking that he was also crazy besides a criminal. A police officer heard his voice and came all the way up to his cell, “Hey, buddy, you’d better shut up before I lose my patience with you! It’s late already!”

When the officer went away, Gregory continued to speak, “But you know, it’s a shame not getting to see Monica anymore, she’s like a living breathe! So pretty... so... It’s always a pleasure to see her!”

“God is watching over her... He won’t let anything bad happen to her...” Andrew spoke, his eyes permanently on the floor.

Now happy with the effect his words had on the blond angel, the demon disappeared, and only then Andrew broke down and cried, still not believing that his dearest friend had been so badly hurt and at that moment she was fighting to stay alive. Angels couldn’t die, that was true, but their human form could, as it was exposed to all sorts of dangers a human being was. And guilt tore his very soul when he remembered that she gave up on herself to spare his existence, even after the rude, cruel way he’d treated her. Monica was indeed the most amazing and kindest creature he’d ever met in his whole existence. Her warm heart, her sweet manners, her innocence and compassionate heart had always enchanted him and just the mere fact that he could stay next to her was enough to make him feel eternally grateful.

Being away from Monica for a few days would always cause deep sadness alone. Being away from her forever would fill his existence with eternal sorrow.

*

Tess arrived at the city hospital crying with anguish and despair. Adam had warned her about the incident at the school and about the possibility of taking the young angel back Home, as her fragile human body had been seriously hurt. The mere thought of seeing her “angel girl” suffering so much and so badly hurt filled the supervisor’s heart with great sadness. And when the doctor who had first assisted Monica finally came to talk to her, Tess’ shock was even greater than she could’ve ever imagined.

“Please, have a seat.” The man said, concern and great apprehension visible in his eyes.

“Please, doctor, tell me about Monica’s condition? Will she be alright?” the old angel desperately wanted to know, somewhat reading that seriousness of her dearest friend’s condition in the sad marks on the man’s face.

“Are... are you a relative?”

“I’m like her mother, doctor. Monica is like a daughter to me...”

He sighed deeply and conjoined his hands over his desk, searching for the best words, “We’re... we’re doing the best we can. There’s a team of three doctors operating her right now, trying to remove the bullet from her chest without causing more damage to her internal organs...”

Tears fell from Tess’ eyes and for a second she doubted if all that was really true or just parts of a terrible nightmare. Monica had been in a situation like that a while ago and those were really hard times for her and Andrew. Going through all that again was extremely painful.

“I’m terribly sorry...” the man said.

“I... I just don’t understand why all this is going on...”

“Monica is young and healthy and we’re putting our hopes in this fact. And if there’s some comfort in knowing this... they’ve caught the criminal, you know. Hard to believe that a teacher could attack and shoot a defenceless young lady like that! It’s just disgusting!” he said, with visible anger in his eyes. Hearing that, Tess stared at the man in shock. “I beg your pardon, doctor?”

“The man who shot her. He’s a teacher at the school near this hospital. I’ve heard that he and Monica some kind of relationship but that he abused her frequently. A school employee called the police as soon as he heard the shot. And he said he already feared the worse, considering the teacher’s behaviour.”

Tess went pale for the second time at hearing that new piece of information. When Adam had alerted her about the incident and that Monica had been hurt, she headed to the hospital immediately, never caring to hear what had caused that. In fact, she was expecting to meet Andrew there and he would tell her what had happened but strangely the blond angel wasn’t anywhere around and that fact alone worried her. And now, hearing that Andrew had shot Monica sounded just as terrible and unrealistic as the fact that the little angel had been shot.

“That... That cannot be true...” was all that she could utter.

The doctor’s beep rang and he stood up to attend another emergency, “Monica’s got the best doctors taking care of her, Tess,” he said, placing a hand over her shoulder, unaware of her double shock. “Pray for her, after all it’s God’s hands guiding the doctor’s hands.”

He left the office afterwards and only then did Tess spoke again, “Father... what’s happening here? I know there must be an explanation to this and I know You have a plan but... everything is so confusing now... so confusing...”

*

[i]It was a bright sunny day with the bluest of the skies and a gentle breeze spreading the sweet perfume of the wildflowers and there, in the park visited by lots of children and families, a beautiful auburn lady enjoyed as her friend, a tall blond man, stood behind her and gave another push in the swing she was sitting on, the continuous movement dishevelling her long hair.

“Everybody should try this once in a while, you know, Andrew. Humans have always complained that they cannot fly and forget they can enjoy other simple things like this!”

Chuckling, the blond angel nodded his head as he gave his friend another push on the swing. “Yes. In fact, this is the safest way to erm... fly.” He said, backing up a little, deciding she was high enough for the moment.

“Oh, but don’t you remember when we tried parachuting? That was good too! We  could do it again!”

“Well... we’ll see about it but now you’re staying right here on the ground where I can keep an eye on you!” the angel moved to stay next to her.

Giggling she turned her head to look at him, some strands of hair flying in the air and covering part of her face, “You kept an eye on me even up in there, don’t you remember you grabbed my hand and didn’t let it go until we were on the ground.”

“And that’s what I’ll keep on doing over and over again, angel!” he crossed his arms in front of his chest and put on a mock serious face, “You’re stuck with me for the rest of the eternity!”

“Well, that’s a blessing I’ll thank the Father for the rest of my existence!” the cheerful smile on her face made his own smile reappear. “And I’ll be a tiny more grateful if you could give me another push!”

The expression on his face turned into a mischievous one and, after picking up her sandals left on the grass, he started to walk away from her, “I’m sorry, angel, but I have to go to the café right across the street, I heard they make some great hot chocolate... oh, and coffee there is good too...”

Hearing this, her eyes grew wide and she stopped the swing with her bare feet, “Hey! Wait for me!” Running after him, she reached the blond angel quickly, “Why didn’t you tell me about it before?” she complained, with such a funny upset face that Andrew couldn’t help but to laugh and wrap his arm around her small shoulders, kissing her temple lovingly.[/i]

Andrew woke up in the cold prison cell whispering Monica’s name but when he opened his eyes, the sad reality struck him once again. Two days had passed since the incident at school and so far nobody had appeared to tell him how Monica was, which was little by little killing him inside.

“Father, please, send me a sign that she’s still alive... Please, answer to my prayers... keep her safe and away from pain. She doesn’t deserve it, it was all my fault, all my fault!”

A prisoner had been watching the blond angel for the two days he’d been there with a pensive expression on his face. Andrew didn’t look like a criminal, that was sure. And his constant nightmares and the name that was always in his lips told him that the new prisoner was carrying a heavy burden with him.

“She must be very important to you...” the man finally spoke, and only then did Andrew raise his head, finally realising he was being observed. “Monica... that’s the name you were whispering in your sleep,” the prisoner kept on talking.

“She... is...” Andrew’s reply came in a low voice, “She’s... a blessing...”

“And where is she now?”

Trying hard to force back the tears that were threatening to fall from his sad green eyes, he sighed deeply, “Away...”

The man elected not to ask further questions, sensing the great pain that was erupting from Andrew’s heart. Whatever had happened to him, it must’ve been devastating, judging by the miserable expression on his face.