The grudge - by Deyse

It was another beautiful and sunny day in Tulipville but since Monica and Tess had arrived at the cosy countryside town, their efforts to finish the old grudge between Pastor Robert Harrigan and Dr Lucy Scribner hadn’t produced any result. Besides, the little Irish angel wasn’t feeling as cheerful as usual and it was possible to notice a hint of sadness in her eyes whenever she was completely alone.

On that morning, before she started to work on her assignment, Monica decided to take a walk along a vast green field and, once in a while, she stopped to admire the view. It was then that, suddenly, she heard a familiar male voice right beside her.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Andrew spoke, also admiring his surroundings. But she barely acknowledged his presence.

“Seems so...” was her feeble reply, and he soon noticed the slight change in her usual cheerful mood.

“Monica? Is there something wrong?” he asked, slightly worried when she lowered her head to avoid his glance.

“Why should there be? It’s not an easy assignment but Tess and I are doing our best. As a matter of fact, I was going to Dr Scribner’s house right now, so if you excuse me...”

Then she started to walk, leaving him behind, now with a rather puzzled expression on his face. But the blond angel gave some steps ahead to catch up with her. “Hey, Monica, what is it? Did something happen? Has Dr Scribner been unkind to you?” he wanted to know, placing his hand over her shoulder and already loathing the thought of someone treating badly the angel he loved so much.

The little Irish angel stopped walking and finally stared at him: now it was possible to see a trace of sadness in her brown eyes, evidence that something had indeed happened. “I’ve already had some assignments who have been unkind to me, Andrew, but, in most cases it didn’t affect me that much because I knew that they were strangers and that in the end they would accept the Father’s love. But... when a friend is unkind to me, then it does hurt!” she spoke, some tears threatening to fall from her eyes at any second, and then she started to walk again.

Now deeply surprised, the blond angel made her stop once more, “Monica... Angel, wait... What are you saying? I don’t get it...”

“I think I’d better go, Andrew, because I have some community service to do and I ca go to jail if I don’t do it properly!” Monica finally spoke and now the blond angel realised what was causing her so much sadness. Working as a judge, he had playfully threatened to send her and Tess to prison if they didn’t pay the fine for dangerous driving.

“Monica, I was joking! Of course I wouldn’t do that with you or Tess, I...”

“I know you were joking...” she replied, calmly, yet with a sad voice, and once again looking at the ground, “... after all, you’ve never been to jail, have you?”

Then he finally knew why she was so upset with him: Monica had been in prison in some of her assignments, either doing the Father’s work or due to a mistake she had unintentionally made. And his heart clenched with guilt, as he was finally aware of what his little joke had caused.

“Oh God... Monica... I’m sorry... I...”

“I just hope the next time you make a joke, you’ll be more careful. It can hurt feelings, you know.”

She started to walk again and although Andrew followed her, the little Irish angel didn’t stop this time. “Monica, angel, I’m sorry! I... I didn’t man to hurt your feelings; it was just a silly joke! It was stupid of me, please, forgive me!”

“I have to go now, Andrew. Dr Scribner needs me...”

With that, she disappeared from the field, leaving a terribly guilty Andrew behind.

*

The blond angel walked around the city with his hands tugged in his pockets and with a miserable expression on his face, and soon he found Tess cleaning the windshield of her ‘baby’. And the supervisor didn’t miss the unhappy look in his green eyes.

“Am I allowed to address the court now or should I wait until I am instructed to do so?” she spoke, with irony, which only caused Andrew to feel twice worse: she too was upset with him.

“I was a jerk, Tess... I admit it...” he sighed and lowered his head.

Tess placed her hands on her hips and looked at him, “Hum... am I wrong or is it the angel boy I once knew back to his own self?”

“Can you forgive me?”

“Well... I don’t know... You threatened to send Monica and me to jail and that’s a serious fault!”

“It was a silly joke, Tess. You know I would never do such thing with the two angels I love most in the entire Heaven.”

“Ok, you’ve earn it, angel boy, come here! Give me a hug!” 

The blond angel didn’t waste any second and gave the supervisor a bear hug. “I’m glad that at least you can forgive me...” he said, still with a sad expression on his face.

Tess stared at him questioningly, “What are you talking about?”

“Monica... I forgot she’s had some hard assignments before when I made that silly joke and then I hurt her feelings...”

“Oh no!”

“I met her some minutes ago... she didn’t want to talk to me...” he sighed deeply, “... oh Tess, I feel terrible!”

“Oh don’t tell me that!”

“She’s not even angry at me, you know. it’s worse than this, she’s disappointed...” he completed, deeply sad.

“Oh Father, we came here to put an end to one grudge and now we have two!” the old angel exclaimed.

“I love her so much Tess...”

“I know you do, baby.” she squeezed his hand.

“I’ll go look for her again; I can’t leave things like this, she...”

“No, don’t do it; not now!”

“But I can’t stay here knowing how upset she is with me, it’s the worst sensation I’ve ever had!”

“Wait a little. I know the right moment for you to talk to her.”

*

Dr Scriber’s and the pastor’s houses were separated by a fence and a tall tree, where a long time ago, the couple used to play together and, during their teenage years, they used to make love promises to each other. Tess and Monica met at that exact point, where the supervisor had told her young charge their sad love story and about the tiny rose he had once given her, swearing eternal love. all this narrative had been attentively and secretly heard by Brian, the pastor’s nephew, and by Andrew, who nodded his head with a pensive expression on his face.

*

After knowing that Brian would recover from the accident he had suffered, thanks to an experimental drug administered by Dr Scribner and most importantly, thanks to a miracle; and after knowing that the doctor and the pastor had finally put an end to their grudge and admitted they still loved each other, Tess and Monica headed to the doctor’s house, to find her old wedding dress.

But in the way, Tess excused herself saying that she ‘would buy the necessary material’ to restore it, and told Monica she would meet her at the doctor’s house.

But when Monica arrived there, instead of a garage full of old stuff, she found a clean room, with nothing but a table, 2 chairs, and a candle light dinner ready to be served.

Surprised and a bit confused, she came closer to the table and also saw a small velvet box with a small card, in which she could read “To Monica.” Sighing deeply, she took the card and read its content.

“Dear Monica,

Words cannot express how sorry I am for these silly words. please, have in mind that those were nothing but a foolish joke, spoken by a foolish angel, who feels incredibly terrible right now.

But never ever doubt of my love for you, angel. And know that I’m always carrying you in my thoughts and in my heart. So I’ll ask you to please forgive me and give me a second chance, because existence without you, Monica, is like seeing the world in black and white. I love you.

I’m sorry.

Andrew.”

There were tears threatening to fall from her eyes at any moment. Trying to force them back, she now took the small velvet box and opened it: a tiny red rose bud rested inside the box and, knowing exactly the meaning of that little gift, the little Irish angel couldn’t help but cry.

“I’m sorry...” a familiar male voice spoke, right from behind her. “Please, forgive me?”

Monica turned around and saw her beloved friend standing right in front of her, with sadness and regret evident in his sparkling green eyes. And when he saw she was crying, Andrew became twice worried and quickly shortened the distance between them. “Monica? Angel, are you...”

“Oh Andrew...” she said, and wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. “I do! I do! Of course I forgive you, Andrew!”

The blond angel felt a flood of relief washing his soul and also holding her as tightly as he could. “Monica... You have no idea how much I love you, angel!” he spoke, running his fingers through her hair and kissing the top of her head.

“No... I guess I do...” she replied, pulling away just a few inches to show him the tiny little rose in her free hand.

“I know I hurt your feelings, but you can be sure I’ll never make this mistake again, never. It hurt so much to know that I made you sad...”

“But I was not angry with you Andrew.”

“I know that... I know this kind and warm heart of yours would never ever hold anger towards me or Tess or any other living creature in this world.” He stroked her cheek tenderly. “That’s why I love you so much... that’s why I felt so terrible for hurting your feelings, which, I repeat, wasn’t my intention.”

“You’re saying that you’re sorry; I can see it in your eyes! So I forgive you.” she smiled cheerfully despite her tears, “And I wouldn’t be able to stay away from you for too long, you know. I missed you terribly in only a few days!”

He gently stroked her cheek. “Monica... Angel... During these days we stood away from each other and watching Dr Scribner and the pastor I ... I realised something... You’re my world, baby. Having you by my side is more than a blessing; it’s a gift. I love you. With all my heart, with all my soul.” He spoke; his eyes shining with love and sincerity.

Then, watching as her moved smile grew wider, the blond angel bent his head and their faces inched closer, until their lips finally met in a loving, sweet kiss, which had not only put an end to the small argument between the two angels, but also revealed how great was the love they felt for each other. Andrew felt Monica moving one hand to caress his face and held her even tighter, never breaking their tender kiss.

Then, when they finally parted, Andrew took her free hand and kissed the back of it. Monica looked at his bright green eyes with love, tenderness and surprise for what had just happened.

“Andrew...”

“Monica... I’m in love with you, angel... I love you so much...”

“I... I love you too, Andrew... God... oh Father... I never knew how much until... until now... But... the truth is that I’m in love with you too...”

Gently stroking her cheek, he bent down and both shared another romantic tender kiss. Then, Andrew kissed her forehead and held her tightly once more.

“Angel?”

“Yes?” she spoke, resting her head over his shoulder.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure!”

He pulled away just a few inches to look at his face, “Do you want to be my angelgirlfriend?” he asked, with a playful smile upon his handsome face and watching with delight as she too smiled cheerfully at him.

“I do!” the Irish angel replied, giggling. “I love you!” she replied, grabbing his face in both hands and placing lots of kisses on his cheeks and lips.

“That’s the best ‘I do’ I’ve ever heard!”

“Well, that’s the best ‘I’m sorry’ I’ve ever heard too!”

Now with a more serious face, he took her hands in his own, “You’ll always be in my heart, Monica, never forget that, ok?”

“No, I won’t. I’m carrying you right here as well, Andrew, together with all this love I can see in your face. I love you forever.”

“I love you too, honey. Forever.”

*

Some time later, Dr Scribner and pastor Harrigan got married, in a beautiful ceremony, to which the angels and the rest of the city were invited. At the end of the ceremony, Tess, Monica and Andrew stood at the entrance of the church to watch as the car took away the newly weds and the Irish angel couldn’t help but crying with emotion.

“So, what did you think?” the supervisor eagerly asked.

“It was a beautiful ceremony!”

“No, I’m talking about the dress!”

“The dress was beautiful too, Tess.” Andrew replied, secretly chuckling at his 2 beloved friend’s attitude.

“Isn’t it amazing how just a few words can change 2 people’s lives?”

Andrew nodded his head in agreement, “Yes... ‘I do’!” he said, remembering the night in the garage, where he had confessed his true feelings for Monica and also apologised to her.

Monica looked at him with her eyes full of love for the blond angel, also remembering that special occasion, “No; ‘I’m sorry’!”

A slight smile appeared on his face, and, equally happy, the Irish angel threw the small amount of rice behind the newly weds car, which immediately transformed into a white dove.