CHAPTER 4

“You’re already moved in, baby,” Tess announced with a smile as she handed Monica a key that dangled from a ring containing a small angel. Though the supervisor had immediately noticed Monica’s exhaustion at breakfast that morning, she had remained quiet about it, figuring that the two younger angels had already discussed it. The little angel had tried diligently to be upbeat in the face of blueberry pancakes, but Tess knew that her charge was fooling neither she nor Andrew.

Monica nodded her head as she stared at the building before her, noting how it wasn’t in the most elegant or peaceful of settings. It looked as if it could stand a good coat of paint and some major landscaping, but she tried to push the negative thoughts aside as she tried to speak above the roaring and steady stream of traffic behind them, “When will I be meeting David?” She inquired, trying to focus on her purpose to being here at all.

“Your shift at O’Reilly’s pub starts tonight at 6:00, Angel Girl and chances are you will meet David there,” Her supervisor explained, though she didn’t miss the anxious look that passed over Monica’s face as she did the math for an eight hour shift, “You’ll be fine, baby.” She added gently, as she gave her charge a quick, but loving hug before releasing her.

The little angel attempted a smile in both Andrew and Tess’ direction, before she forced herself to begin walking to the building. Noting that the number on her key read 302, she assumed it was on the third floor as she found the stairs and slowly ascended them. The stairwell was dimly lit and she found herself climbing the steps faster and emerging onto the third floor with her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

She took a deep breath and let the relief flood through her as she leaned on the end of the banister. “So far, so good,” she said, sarcasm heavy in her voice. She spent a moment wondering if maybe Andrew could put in a stronger light-bulb. She didn’t know how much it would really help, and she had a feeling that she would probably just get very good at running up the stairs.

Thankfully, there was a window at the end of the hall, which made that area less foreboding. She walked towards it, looking at the numbers on the doors she passed. They were brass, and in need of cleaning, just like the rest of the building. The carpet was worn and dingy, and the walls looked like one too many people had banged into them while moving in or out. She reached apartment 302 and let out a sigh as she put the key in the lock and turned the knob.

The door swung open and she stood for a minute, eyes blinking as she took in the room. Everything appeared freshly cleaned and painted. The floor was polished hardwood, and the windows sparkled even in the overcast light. The furniture Tess had spoken of was overstuffed and comfortable, very much like furniture in the little house she had just left.

She was about to walk in and look around but was stopped by the soft feeling of fur wrapping around her ankles. “Lucy!” she exclaimed as she picked the kitten up and cradled her close to her chest. She had already been feeling emotional about the apartment, and this last gift brought the tears to her eyes. “Oh Father, thank you,” she whispered.

The little angel spent the rest of the morning puttering around the little apartment. She unpacked the suitcase she found on the chest at the foot of her bed, arranged all of Lucy’s supplies, and thought about trying out each of the flavored coffees that were prominently arranged in the cupboard. She was trying to keep herself busy enough that she wouldn’t have a chance to think about where she was going to be working. As she moved Lucy’s basket for the third time she actually found herself almost wishing that the place had been a bit more run-down. If it had looked like the rest of the building fixing it up would have kept her occupied for days. Instead, she bent down to inch the basket slightly closer to her bed, looking over when Lucy eyed her questioningly and meowed.

She set the basket down and picked up the kitten instead. “Okay, okay, I get the message,” she said. “I’ll stop moving things and sit down with you for a while. I think I saw some books in the living room.”

The living room was very inviting, especially with the weather outside continuing to look dreary and depressing. However, Monica just didn’t seem to be able to sit still. Sitting still involved thinking and that was the last thing she wanted to do. There was a short bookcase between the two windows in the room, and she pulled out a book at random, giving a little laugh when she saw that it was Swiss Family Robinson. That book seemed to be following her.

She sat down on the sofa and curled her legs up, tucking Lucy in the cozy spot next to her hip. She was surprised when she was actually able to read more than one page, and before long she had finished the first chapter and moved on to the next. Unfortunately her new found peace was short lived.

The crash from below startled her enough that she jumped slightly, causing Lucy to follow suit and leap from the sofa, dashing for the relative safety of the bedroom. Monica didn’t have to strain to hear the yelling that followed the crash.

“Why didn’t you watch where you were going?” the loud voice carried through the floorboards.

“I’m sorry, but I tripped.” Monica assumed that the second voice came from the man’s wife.

“Well I guess we won’t be having dinner now,” the man shouted back.

“Don’t be silly, I can fix something else. Just calm down.” The woman sounded almost surprised at her husband’s outburst, but Monica flinched when she heard the man shouting again.

“Nevermind! I’m going out. Don’t bother waiting up.”

A door slammed but it was long moments before the little angel finally uncurled from her position on the sofa and started to relax. She wanted to go downstairs to talk to the woman. She wondered if maybe she had been sent to help her as well, but her fear held her motionless. She didn’t want to be around if that man came back.

She remained on the sofa long enough for Lucy to venture back into the living room looking for her. The little creature jumped up next to her and head-butted her as forcefully as she could… which of course wasn’t very much. In fact it was just enough to make Monica turn to her with a look of appreciation on her face.

“Are you trying to cheer me up, wee one?” she asked as she scratched Lucy between the ears. “Well you’re doing a fine job of it, but I’m afraid it could take a while.”

Monica was still jumpy and nervous when a knock on the door signaled Andrew’s arrival and she literally raced over to answer it.

“Andrew! I didn’t think I’d see you so soon,” she said.

The other angel was a little taken aback by her excitement, but at least she was smiling, and he wasn’t about to question that.

“Well I got a message that the bulbs in the stairwell needed to be changed to a higher wattage,” he explained with a wink.

“What?”

Andrew simply pointed upwards and watched the relaxed smile appear on Monica’s face.

“So, since I was up here I thought I’d just drop by.” He looked around the living room noticing all the homey touches. “I see that someone has been very busy!”

“Actually, no,” Monica said. “It was like this when I got here,” she continued, “courtesy of the Father.”

“What did I tell you?” Andrew replied. “He’s always watching out for you… right down to making sure your apartment is cockroach free.”

Monica smiled, knowing she had been wrong to ever doubt, “Can you stay for awhile?”

Not missing the twinge of hope present in her voice, Andrew smiled regretfully, “Only a few minutes right now, angel. The phone has been ringing off the hook in the office with things needing tending to. It appears that the gentleman I’m filling in for was a bit of a procrastinator.”

“That much is obvious,” She remarked distastefully, knowing that her own tidy and tastefully furnished apartment seemed out of place compared to what she had seen of the rest of the building, “Has your assignment been made clear to you yet?”

Andrew shook his head, “Not yet, so I plan on using the time until I do know to make things safer around here for everyone.”

Her heart swelled with love for him at his words. She knew that though he meant what he said about making it a safe place for all the tenants, it was also his way of making her feel especially safe for the duration of her stay and though she temporarily lacked the words to express her gratitude, he didn’t miss the look in her eyes.

“And I’ll be starting with getting you a deadbolt for your door,” He informed her, noting how the front door only had a small lock on the knob and how though this might not have bothered her yet, by nightfall, she would be completely aware of it.

“Thank you, Andrew,” The little angel told him sincerely. A part of her knew that God would be looking after her and that the deadbolt wasn’t really necessary, but it was obvious that both she and Andrew knew that in human form, she was going to feel safer with it.

“You’re quite welcome,” He replied softly, moving to kiss her forehead gently, “How are you getting to the pub this evening?”

“I noticed a bus stop right down the street,” Monica explained, knowing that though the pub was only about ten blocks away, she had no desire to walk it in this neighborhood, “So, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

Seeing how hard she was trying to put her fears aside, Andrew elected to not push any issues; he was going to worry about her regardless of whether she was terrified or perfectly calm like she was at the moment, “As long as you’re sure, I’m going to get going. You know what to do if you need me.”

“You know I do,” She replied, managing to hide her disappointment with his all too soon departure as she felt so much better with him by her side and when he left, she knew that the silence she had once enjoyed had now become her enemy once again.

Relief filled the Irish angel as the bus finally pulled up to the stop where she had been nervously waiting. The only saving grace for her had been the fact that darkness had not yet fallen, as it was dark enough as the rain continued to fall. Dressed in the long green skirt and peasant’s blouse that was the uniform she had discovered hanging in her closet, Monica quickly boarded the bus and deposited the coins needed for her fare.

“How late do the buses run?” She asked the driver before she moved to take a seat.

“Midnight,” He responded gruffly, never so much as glancing at her and not seeing her crestfallen expression.

With a tired sigh, she took a seat close to the window and settled back for the relatively short ride as her mind went over her options for getting home tonight once the bar closed. She supposed she could possibly hail a cab with any money she might earn in tips, though that solution didn’t feel right to her as generally any money she earned on assignment, she made a point of putting into a charity or asking the Father what He would have her do with it. However, nothing about this assignment felt right to her in the first place as she would prefer to be somewhere else; anywhere else, other than here in this city going to work at a bar of all places.

She had tried to catch a nap this afternoon, but no matter what she tried to think about in order to fall asleep, her mind kept going back to the last few weeks as the minutes had ticked by, she began to grow too distraught at the aspect of having to work that evening for sleep to come. Instead she had lay down on the couch and played with Lucy, unable to stifle giggles at the realization that when she would throw the catnip mouse across the room, the little animal would retrieve it for Monica to toss it again. The angel had then taken another moment to thank the Father for His gift of Lucy’s company, as the kitten was such a welcome distraction from all she harbored in her heart.

But there was no trace of a smile as minutes later she stood outside of O’Reilly’s pub, trying to summon her courage to go inside. It was certainly not a large place and she honestly say that it was in better shape than the apartment complex, but she still knew what she would find inside and as she entered the door, she was unfortunately not disappointed.

The air with thick with smoke and loud voices, even at this early hour and the angel supposed that many men probably stopped in for a drink on their way home from work. Most of the interior was made up of wood, with beams crossing the ceiling as well. Though the pub was dimly lit, she could tell that the bar itself was also made of dark wood, as well as the few booths that were scattered near the bar. The backs of each booth were high, complete with places to hang coats or jackets and most of them seemed to already be occupied by working class males, which didn’t strike her as all that ironic as most of the servers and bartenders appeared to be female.

“You must be Monica.”

The little angel turned her head at the voice and forced a smile she didn’t feel, as she faced a young woman with long, curly blond hair and bright blue eyes. Her face was pleasant and her smile did manage to put Monica somewhat at ease, “Hello and yes, I am.”

“Beth,” She replied, smile still in place as she shook the angel’s hand, “Tess called from the unemployment office and said to be expecting you. You came very highly recommended, which is good as we are down one bartender.”

Monica smiled at her supervisor’s ability to instill confidence even when she was not present, “I’ve bartended before,” She offered, knowing that even if that had not been the case, that the Father would have given her the knowledge to do the task at hand.

“Great. Follow me and I’ll give you the low down on how things work. Matthew, the owner, if off tonight, but he is pretty nice and you shouldn’t have any trouble getting along with him,” Beth explained as she led the way to the bar and for the next hour, Monica was engrossed in prices and the register as well as learning what her duties for the night would be.

It seemed simple enough. She would make drinks and help handle the patrons who were sitting at the bar itself, and Monica was actually beginning to feel fairly competent as well as confident that she could indeed do this. The smoke annoyed her somewhat, but she told herself she would get used to it, despite the fact that she seemed to be the only one in the place that lacked the habit, as even Beth seemed to keep one burning at all times while she helped Monica tend bar.

The evening was going relatively well and before she knew it, it was eight thirty and the angel was surprised with how quickly time was passing. She could easily handle doing several tasks at one time, all the while keeping up with Beth’s lively chatter, as well as getting acquainted with the two other waitresses who handled the booths and tables out on the floor. Monica was actually starting to feel that she could enjoy working here, as the patrons were pleasant enough and there was only one man who was making her feel uncomfortable, but Beth had thus far been dealing with him.

He had been drinking heavily, downing one mug of beer after another, his expression bordering on anger and the little angel had been making it a point to steer clear of him. There was something about him that reminded her of that day in the stable with Douglas McArthur, though she was unable to put her finger on exactly what it was. She only knew for certain that she didn’t like the feeling he instilled in her and she hoped that he was not a regular.

The sound of a fist pounding on the bar, caused her to jump as a voice bellowed out, “What does it take to get a drink around here?” Whirling around, Monica came face to face with the man of her concern, but what sent shivers down her spine was the fact that she had heard his voice before.

It was the angry voice of the man who lived below her and at the moment, that anger was being directed at her.