| "Kate, The Dream Angel" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1997. |
| CHAPTER 4 |
| The Claw from Hell was centimetres from Kate. Instinctively, she threw an arm and wing up to protect herself, then closed her eyes. |
| As had happened earlier, the horrible shriek filled the air. People screamed and ran. |
| Kate fearfully reopened her eyes. |
| The door was closed, and Brenden was gone. |
| "No!" She yelled, and began pounding on the closed door. |
| "Kate!" Bill pulled her away, and was helped by Mary. "He's safe. We got him away. He's almost Home, Kate." |
| "Oh, God. I was so scared." Kate collapsed into their arms, crying. |
| When she opened her eyes, they were sitting on her bed, under the mosquito net. The sky was pale. It was dawn. |
| "That was amazing, Kate." Bill told her. "Now I know why you were chosen." |
| "Remember when you sneered at the idea of guardian angels?" Mary asked. "What do you think now?" |
| "All I can think about is sleeping. I don't believe what I've been through." Kate shook her head. |
| "Believe it, Kate. I doubt we could have got Brenden Home with just the two of us." Bill confessed. "Do you still want to give this all away?" |
| Kate's eyes spied her nightie on the ground, then she put it on, before lying on her bunk. "Ask me later, okay? I need to think about it some more." |
| |
| Familiar voices. Kate sat up and rubbed her eyes. What a great night's sleep! Kate felt better rested than she had in ages. |
| What time is it? She looked at her wrist, forgetting that her watch was gone. |
| Whatever time it was, the weather promised a return to the oven-like heat of yesterday. Wandering outside towards the beach, she was stunned to find that the sea had disappeared, leaving only shallow stretches of water, all the way to the horizon. |
| Her dad had told her that the tides were ten metres high, but the reality was amazing. Flocks of sea birds swooped on schools of small fish in the shallows. |
| Kate wandered around, seeing what her family was doing, then helped herself to a tall, cold glass of milk, before making cereal for her breakfast. She discovered that it was nine o'clock. |
| "What are we going to do today, Mum?" She asked. |
| "Collapse with heat prostration, no doubt." Was the unexpected answer. Kate choked on a mouthful of corn flakes. She should not have tried to laugh. |
| |
| Kate and her mum were alone again, as her dad and Sean left them. |
| Kate had thought about staying in her nightie all day, but it would have gotten too dirty. She changed into a long, white T-shirt and loose, white shorts; it was the coolest outfit she could think of that should protect her from the sun. A wide, straw hat shaded her face, when Kate inspected the miniature pool her father and brother made that morning. Both males had departed for more fishing. |
| A hole was scooped in the sand near the camp. Lining the hole was a sheet of plastic. The pool would be cosy for two, or comfortable for one person. Kate turned to her mother, "When do we get the ice?" |
| "Your Dad and I will go into town after lunch, and see if we can get a few things. Ice is high on my list of priorities, baby, so don't worry. Cool baths tonight!" |
| "Good on you, Mum!" |
| "You sound like a TV commercial. How about an energetic game of scrabble?" |
| |
| What could you do, when all there was to existence was sweltering heat? Kate wondered. All her energy was spent in trying to keep from overheating, and it was not working. She could not raise enough enthusiasm to feel bored. She existed by enduring each minute in growing misery, one minute after the other, then hour after hour, until her mum could no longer stand to watch her. |
| "Come on, Kate. I'm not waiting for them to get back. Let's let the tarp down, so you and I can get into town." |
| Kate was so grateful, she could have burst into tears, except her eyes had dried out. She felt dizzy, and slightly ill, with a headache threatening to invade her skull. |
| The air-conditioning in the car was surely a taste of Heaven, Kate thought. She turned the fan up high, and aimed the air ducts straight at her face and chest. |
| At the ice factory, they were able to buy ice in big blocks, as well as small cubes. The sales clerk sold them two foam boxes to act as extra ice chests. They took their treasure back to camp, filled the pool with salt water, and one big block of ice. They raced each other into swimsuits, then crowded into the pool, while the ice floated between them. Kate faced her mother across the tiny pool, and they played games of 'ice tennis', swatting the block from one person to the other. |
| The big ice block gradually melted; fortunately, it took a long time. Kate's dad and brother had returned earlier, though neither female gave up her comfortable place. |
| Undefeated, Sean climbed in with them. He was all elbows and knees. Kate yelled at him to get out, since he was too fat to fit in by himself. By way of an answer, Sean sat on Kate, ending her argument. She had no breath to protest. In desperation, Kate pinched his side, hard. |
| It took all four of them to clean up the mess that was made of the pool, and no one had use of it again that day. Tempers were foul by dinner time. |
| |
| Once more, there were fish steaks on the barbecue, washed down with plenty of drinks. When Kate mentioned at the table how nice it would be to have the pool filled again, she was glared at by everyone. |
| "Be glad I'm letting you have a sponge bath." Her father threatened. |
| It was while she was having her lukewarm wash, that Kate discovered that white cotton clothing did not stop you getting sunburned. |
| A very sore, very red thirteen year old had to endure her mum's ministrations with a wet cloth made into an ice bag. Despite the heat, Kate shivered each time the cold bag was moved from one reddened area to another. She was put to bed outside, with aspirin to help her sleep, and just a damp sheet on top of her, to cool her down. The last thing she remembered was her mum putting a thermometer under her armpit. |
| |
| Kate sat up, and the sheet fell flat against the bed. |
| Her father was staring at where her head had been lying on the pillow. He seemed worried. Her hand reached out and stroked his face, and he relaxed slightly. Not once did he look at Kate, he only kept watching the bed. Kate launched herself through net and canvas, to meet Bill, who was alone. She did not ask where Mary was. Apprentice angels were kept busy. "What's on for tonight, Bill?" |
| "Something very special." Was all he would say, as they winged towards a distant city. |
| He led Kate to a hospital. |
| "These places keep us busy." Bill said. |
| Walls, floors and machinery were passed through as easily as air. There were many rooms, and Kate was sure she caught a glimpse of another angel. Bill paid no attention to anything, except their destination. A surgical theatre. |
| Doctors and nurses surrounded a woman who lay under green sheets. She was pregnant. |
| Bill and Kate stood close to her, while people passed through them, unnoticed. Bill held Kate's hand and placed it on the woman's stomach, which was heaving. A feather light touch against her hand, made Kate draw back. Another hand, that was barely three centimetres long, took hold of Kate's index finger, and Kate found herself nursing the tiniest baby she had ever seen. She easily held him along the inside of her arm. He put his head against her, and fell asleep. |
| Kate watched the wrinkled, red face, as he twitched and waved his perfect little arms. He was so beautiful! When he opened his mouth in a yawn, she touched his tongue with her little finger, and he sucked greedily. Kate smiled up at Bill. |
| "He's yours to take Home, Kate. Lead the way." |
| "Does he have a name?" She asked. |
| "No. He doesn't need one. He will know who he is, just like everyone else." |
| Kate thought about what Bill said, as she spread her wings, and carried her precious passenger. "Do you mean he'll grow up?" |
| "Of course. Did you think he'd stay a baby? Everyone becomes an adult. We all reach our full potential." |
| "Does that mean that we'll all become wrinkled in Heaven?" |
| "Only if we want to. Take me, for example. In life I grew used to the way I look. Had I died at the age of, say, thirty or forty, then I probably would have kept the face I owned then. Some people are happy with eighteen year old bodies, others with eighty. I don't know of any babies that did not choose to develop into at least their teens. Adulthood is the way humans are supposed to be, and we all want to be our best. It's simple free will." |
| "What about education?" Kate prompted. |
| "They gain that in the best environment ever created. A child who dies lacks nothing, including the unconditional love of everyone around them." |
| |
| When Kate walked past the first door, she had no fear. She was smiling, when another angel took the infant from her arms. Kate watched the beautiful little boy being carried through the "waiting room", and eventually out of sight. She was so elated that she had been allowed to bring him Home, Kate could not stop smiling. There was a tug at her elbow, and she turned to Bill. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his wrinkled cheeks. |
| "Thanks so much! He was so wonderful to hold. Do you think I'll ever meet him again? Will I recognise him?" |
| "I'd be willing to bet on it, Kate." He replied, smiling at the joy that was in her eyes. "Right now, we need to join Mary. There's a big job that's come up." |
| "I don't like the sound of that. What kind of job?" Kate's bubbling happiness deflated. |
| "Follow me, and you'll know soon enough." |
| |
| Just as Bill had done the first time, he led the way to a highway. This time, though, Kate could see other winged people flying about, and many were still arriving. |
| "What's going on, Bill. I really don't like the look of this." Kate watched long lines of traffic heading along the highway, moving slowly. |
| "See that, up ahead?" Bill pointed at a knot of stationary vehicles. |
| "Is it an accident?" She wondered, tremulously. Bill nodded. "Yes, but not for us." |
| What looked like a giant dragonfly roared past, towards the accident scene. A news helicopter from some TV station. |
| "He's in a hurry..." Kate began, before something flew back from the helicopter. "What was that?" |
| "A rotor blade. We'll have to be quick. Follow the helicopter down." |
| The helicopter came to rest on the road, and involved many vehicles in its end. It happened very fast, so Kate did not see all that was going on. |
| Bill found a teenage boy and passed him into Kate's arms. She knew what to do. |
| Kate was half way to the Gate when she realised she was carrying someone heavier than herself. It was only another, small miracle. Other people were on their way, some passing Kate and her confused passenger. All ages, sizes and colours. |
| "What's going on?" The boy asked. |
| "I'm Kate. What's your name?" |
| "Mark. Am I dreaming?" He asked. |
| "You're not, but I am." She laughed. "Everything is fine, Mark, and I'm taking you Home. Did you have any family with you in the car?" |
| "Car? We were on a bus tour. Where's my Mum and Dad? And Kerry?" |
| "Is Kerry your sister?" |
| "He's my older brother. Are they here?" |
| "We'll find out soon. You're nearly at the Gate. Were you asleep before we found you?" |
| "I must have been. This is getting really weird." |
| Almost a dozen bewildered people were already at the Gate. |
| Kate hovered above them, so that Mark could search for his family. |
| More arrivals were behind them, and in short time, Mark was with his parents, but Kerry, his brother, was left behind. Kate was too upset that Kerry was not going Home, until Bill told them that the other youth would be there before dawn. |
| Kate said good-bye to Mark, and flew back to her bed. She was in time to watch her dad carry the sheet from her bed to the car, and lay it on her mum's lap. Sean sat in the front passenger seat. Her dad started the car and drove towards the town of Karumba, where he stopped at a public phone. He dialled "000", and asked for an ambulance for his daughter. |
| Kate looked around the sky, and saw no sign of Bill or Mary. |
| Something strange was going on. Had her parents found her missing and panicked? Should she try and get back under the sheet, or wait? |
| With her mum holding the sheet, Kate did not have a chance to do more than watch. There was a long wait before the ambulance arrived. Her mum carried the sheet into the back of the ambulance, with the help of the ambulance men; the sheet seemed to be heavy, which was when Kate realised what was going on. Everyone thought she was under the sheet, and that she was sick, or something. |
| If that were the case, no one would notice her return. Kate hoped. |
| There was no problem with passing through the wall of the ambulance, or in lying on the stretcher where the sheet had been placed. Unfortunately, nothing else happened. Kate's wings stayed where they were, protruding through the stretcher, while Kate lay on her back in a more or less normal position. |
| The ambulance officer who stayed in the back even put a stethoscope to her chest, and called out medical stuff to the driver, who was talking on the radio to the hospital. With sirens and lights, they drove off. Headlights shining against the back windows indicated that her dad was following the ambulance. |
| An hour or more later, they were at the hospital, and Kate was being wheeled into the casualty room. No one paid any attention to the snow white wings under the stretcher. |
| She was examined by a doctor, before being wheeled into a big bathroom, where she was lowered into a bath of water; the water was slightly cooler than body temperature. |
| A nurse and Kate's mum stayed at the side of the bath. When Kate got up, both women were still looking at the empty water. |
| Bored with waiting, Kate searched the waiting room for her dad and brother. Both of them were there, looking anxious and tired. With them was Mary, who waved at Kate. |
| "What on Earth's going on, Mary?" Kate demanded. "Am I dying? I can't get back to the world!" |
| "I don't know. Bill didn't tell me. Maybe you are going to switch over early, since you handled things with the sailor so well. I haven't seen it happen before, so I can't say. Shall we go and find Bill?" |
| "What happens if I..." Kate started to say, before changing her mind. "Okay, where do you think he is?" |
| "Let's try the Gate." |
| Bill was neither at the Gate, nor inside the waiting room, when Mary and Kate called for him. Kate asked Mary to keep searching, while she returned to her body. |
| "All right, Kate, but only for a short while. I have to get back to my own pretty soon. I've got work to do for my own family." |
| "Oh." Kate never considered that Mary had any other life. "No worries, Mary. Whatever you can." |
| Back at the hospital, Kate waited in the bath for something to happen. It was boring, and she started to doze. |
| |
| Someone was brushing her face with a cool cloth. Kate struggled to come awake, and the first thing she saw was her mum's exhausted face smiling at her. "How's my baby?" |
| "What's going on?" Kate's voice was hardly audible. She felt weak. |
| "You gave us a scare. Sunburn, heat prostration, you name it." The worry was back in her mum's eyes. "How do you feel?" |
| "Thirsty, tired. Just like every other day here. At least the air-conditioning is working. Where's Dad?" |
| "He and Sean are probably sleeping in the waiting room." |
| "Did you get any sleep?" Kate had the grace to look guilty. |
| Her mum smiled. "What do you think?" |
| "Sorry, Mum." |
| "Not your fault, baby. Maybe your father realises that not everyone is able to cope with this climate." |
| "You mean we might be going home?" Hope lit up Kate's eyes, and her mother shrugged. "We will if I have any say in it." |
| Later, Kate sat up with the help of her mum, and she was able to assure her dad that she felt much better. The only problem was that Kate had nothing that was decent to wear in public, since no one had remembered to bring any of her clothes, so her mum went out and bought a cheap, cotton dress. |
| Kate was glad the dress was loose, because she was very sore with mild sunburn. She did not think that she was so bad that it would have led to heat stroke, or whatever it was. The most important thing was that they could be going home! |
| The drive from the hospital to their campsite was long and reasonably comfortable, since the car's air-conditioning was on all the way. Kate's family stopped for lunch in a modern roadhouse. Later, they continued on the road, until evening, when they pulled up next to their van. |
| "That's lucky." Her dad said. "At least no one's broken in and stolen everything." |
| Kate could not help feeling guilty. She was sorry that his holiday was spoiled because of her; it was her fault for not dressing properly for the tropics. |
| While her mum and Sean were inside the van, she put her arms around her dad's waist and rested her head on his chest. |
| "I didn't do it on purpose, Daddy. I didn't mean to ruin your holiday." She burst into tears, and an instant later her father was stroking her hair. |
| "It's all right, baby. No harm done, really. Sean and I got to do some fishing, and we made it all the way up here. Now it's time to think about you and your mother...past time, really. If any one needs to apologise, it's me, for not considering your health." |
| "Don't say that, Daddy. I'm a wimp. I should toughen up." |
| "Not a wimp, Kate. You're a young girl, not used to anything except your own home." He kissed her forehead. "Want to help me set up for our last night here? I imagine you'll still want to sleep outside." |
| "Gosh, yes, Dad! I'm roasting already. Um, could we fill the canvas pool again?" |
| "Don't flutter your eyelids at me, young lady. It'll get you nowhere." Her dad said firmly. |
| |
| Following dinner, Kate was able to change into her bikini and relax in the ice-cooled pool, which her father, of course, had filled. |
| As her mum often told her "A good, little girl can always con her daddy into doing almost anything for her." |
| After Kate finished soaking her pinkly glowing body, her mum and brother took turns cooling off. Unfortunately for Kate, as her skin warmed up, the stinging of her sunburn returned. There was little she could do about it, other than to wear her lightest, cotton nightie. Rolling over in her narrow bed tended to scrape the tender bits. After a while, Kate fell asleep. |
| |
| Once awake into her dream existence, Kate flew up, looked around at the empty sky, then flew to the Gate, alone. |
| She was getting used to flying on her own, and was confident that if she did not find someone she knew, then she would get back to her waking body without the problems of the previous night. |
| She was no longer ill with heat, so she was strong enough for the changeover. |
| Kate was nearing the Gate, when an angel flew next to her. He was bearded, with dark skin, almost Arabic, and wore a robe of grey cloth. |
| When Kate stared at him, he nodded to her. |
| "You must be Kate. I've heard about you from a couple of my friends." His voice was a little raspy, though pleasant. "They told me you had a difficult start. What do you think, so far?" |
| The feathers of Kate's white wings contrasted with his light brown, as they flew. She thought a moment, before answering him. "I'm not sure about any of this yet. I've got so many questions, and no one will answer them." |
| "Why don't you try me?" He suggested. |
| "Will you give plain answers, or riddles? I'm only a dumb girl, and I get confused easily." |
| "What a load of rubbish, Kate. Who says you're dumb?" He growled the question. |
| Kate's eyes widened in surprise. "Sean, does, and so do kids at school." |
| "Why do you believe them? By telling yourself you're dumb, you make yourself dumb. If you keep telling yourself that you're clever, then you WILL become clever. There's no magic to it, it's simple psychology." He told her. "Give me your first question. The first thing that pops into your head." |
| "Why do we need wings to fly, if we're magic?" |
| "We don't. Look." As he spoke, their wings were gone, though they still flew. "How do you think we look?" |
| Kate studied him, as he flew, his arms folded on his chest, and his feet trailing behind. |
| "You look out of balance. Kind of unfinished. I'm not sure." |
| "Right. It's a matter of beauty and harmony. We can be any shape, but this is one we feel most comfortable with. Next question?" |
| "Why do people die in such terrible ways?" |
| "I don't know all the answers to that one. People take chances, or unwittingly put themselves in situations where there is great danger. Nobody's life story is written until they write it themselves, using the gifts they were born with, combined with the peculiar circumstances of their environment." |
| "That sounds like a cop out." Kate accused him. She was disappointed, since she had felt he was at least as trustworthy and loving as her father. |
| "It sure does, Kate. It sounds too simple to be true, I agree. However, nothing changes the fact that it's the only answer." |
| They flew on in silence for a few more seconds. Kate frowned, as she tried to think of the hardest question she could. "Why do some people have to go through a long and painful life?" |
| "Can you be more specific? I think that if I answered such a general question with a general answer, you would think I'm evading you." |
| "Okay, let's say that there's a little baby born with all kinds of disabilities." |
| "What kind? Deaf, blind, mute?" He prompted her, and Kate nodded. "When you get back to school, go to the library, and read the biography of a girl named Helen Keller. When you've done that, you can tell me if she would have been better off dying at birth." |
| He smiled at Kate, to take the sting out of his words. "Kate, disabilities don't matter. I say that because everybody is born with some disability. Take you, for example." |
| "Me! What's wrong with me?" In panic, one of Kate's hands flew to her face and the other to her heart. |
| "It's not so obvious yet, though over the next few years your disability is going to become clearer." His face was serious. |
| "What is it? Cancer?" Kate was worried. What could it be? |
| "You have a very common disability, and one of the hardest to overcome. Physical beauty. You are growing to be a stunningly beautiful woman, Kate, which means that you will get your way with most people, and not learn how to get along with them. Not until after your beauty fades will your wisdom bloom." |
| "What will happen to me?" Bemused, Kate allowed herself to relax only slightly. |
| "I won't tell you what the future holds for you, Kate. It's not written yet, and I have no interest in specific incidents. You will be no better or worse than other women in your circumstances. What you make of your strengths and weaknesses is entirely up to you." |
| "How can you make anything out of weakness?" |
| "One day, when it's your time to come Home, you can ask people like Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc. Joan's a good person to talk to, she wasn't much older than you when she was sent Home by corrupted priests. Look up her biography, too. Do you want me to go on? I've got a couple of billion people I could name." |
| Kate shook her head. "I'm confused. What do you call a disability?" |
| "A disability is anything that stops you from reaching your full abilities. Anything can be a disability, any disability can be an advantage. It depends on your attitude and your environment." |
| "Like what? What about a really brainy person?" |
| "Intelligence can stop you from learning how to struggle for truth, because you always think you're right, and ignore others. Good memory can keep you from learning how to think things out for yourself. Even a person with tremendous reasoning power can be misdirected if given the wrong information to start with." |
| "If all that's true, then what's the point in being alive?" Kate demanded. "Why can't we all go Home, without having to struggle?" |
| "I refuse to answer that, because you already know the answer, and you've worked yourself into a quarrelsome mood." |
| "I'm not!" She snapped, angry at how she felt everyone was being condescending towards her. |
| "You are too! And if you keep arguing or sticking your bottom lip out, then I'll hold my breath until I turn blue!" |
| Kate stared at him in wonder. The she started giggling. "You win. We're here 'cos God gave us free will... Was there ever Adam and Eve?" |
| "Thousands of them." |
| "I mean the first man and woman. You know the Garden of Eden? That stuff." |
| "Yes. And no. I would prefer that you were immortal before you found out. Let's just say that it can't hurt anyone to believe in that version of Creation. It's close enough so that any discrepancies are immaterial to your future." |
| "I thought you weren't going to evade my questions." |
| "I made a mistake." The angel shrugged, palms up. "I was making the example too simple." |
| "How can an angel make mistakes?" |
| "We're not perfect. I was born of a human mother, just like you, Kate." He grinned at her. "Would you like your wings back?" |
| "Yes, please." |
| "Nice manners, Kate. Why do you want them back?" |
| "I like them. They're beautiful, and it feels good to fly with them." |
| "Good answer." He nodded, and they both regained their wings, as if they never lost them. |
| The Gate loomed ahead of them, closed as usual. Instead of knocking, the angel flew through the doors, which slammed open. People turned to stare at the angel and Kate. The man with the fishing rod waved and said something to the people near him. As the secret was passed down the line in both directions, arms began waving, and cheering. |
| "What's going on?" Kate asked the angel. |
| "I guess they know that I'm glad they're here. I've got to go, Kate." He told her, before flying close enough to kiss her cheek. "We'll meet again. You will come to a painful crossroad and I will send you a message, if I can't be there myself." |
| With a powerful thrust of wings, he was swooping above the line of people, and through the narrow door to the waiting room. |
| "Wait! What do you mean?" Kate wondered who he was, but she did not want to show her ignorance by flying to someone in the line and asking them. She compromised by going to the man with the rod. "Who was that?" |
| "Someone who loves you. That's all I'll tell you about him, my child." He stroked her hair, to take the sting out of his words. |
| "Do you know what I'm supposed to be doing?" |
| "Bringing the lost to me. Go and find Bill, so he can guide you. Tomorrow we're having a special day of celebration. Tune up your singing voice." He advised her. |
| "What celebration?" Kate asked. |
| "Jumada I." |
| "What's Jumada One? Isn't that Islamic?" |
| "So what? Any religious event is cause for celebration. Soon it will be Christmas. You missed the Fast of the tenth of Tevet. We get lots of chances to celebrate. I used to be Jewish, like you." |
| "What are you now?" Kate asked, not realising what she said. |
| Everyone in earshot burst out laughing, and Kate went bright red with embarrassment. |
| Idiot! She raged at herself. There could only be one religion in Paradise! |
| After thinking for a short while, Kate saw how funny it was, and she began laughing with them. She waved good-bye, and flew back to her camp, watching for Bill or Mary. |
| Kate was less than a thousand metres over her bed when she felt something attracting her to the nearby town of Karumba. She allowed herself to be turned away from the camp, and let the force guide her. |
| A very old, sad man sat alone in his bed. No one else was in the house, which was decaying slowly around him. He was breathing funny, and Kate realised he was sobbing. Kate had never seen anyone who looked so old and withered. |
| "I guess I'm the one who has to take you Home." Kate said, more to herself. |
| Her surprise matched the old man's, because he looked directly at her. |
| "Who's there?" He asked, voice weak and broken. "What's that light?" |
| Kate took a step towards him. Could he hear her? |
| "What do you see?" She asked. |
| "A beautiful, bright light! Oh, it's so beautiful. White. All white!" He was wide eyed, staring at Kate in wonder. "Am I dead?" |
| Kate did not know how to answer him, since she was not sure herself. She took another step, hesitated, then a third, and reached her hand out to him, close enough for him to touch. |
| "Who are you? Are you God?" His voice shook. |
| "No. I'm your friend, come to help you go Home. Are you ready?" |
| "What's it like?" His voice still quavered with fear. "I'm not a good man, am I supposed to tell you my sins? What do I do?" |
| "Take my hand." She did not let her own doubts show. |
| When he leaned forwards, and his fingers touched Kate's, his old shell fell back against the pillow, no longer important to him. The old man slid off the bed, while holding Kate's hand, and his eyes suddenly focused on Kate. |
| He was confused. "I expected someone...bigger." |
| "I'm stronger than I look. If it bothers you, close your eyes." Kate grinned. |
| When he took a deep breath and closed his eyes as she suggested, Kate picked him up, opened her wings, and they were on their way. Kate's passenger was too stunned to speak, even when she handed him in at the Gate. His eyes were fixed on what lay ahead, and he did not notice when Kate left. |
| |
| Kate woke up feeling refreshed and happy. She must have had a nice dream, though it was a pity she did not remember her dreams. |
| There were her clothes again. Why on Earth did she keep doing that? One day she would be caught by someone outside the family and she would absolutely die of embarrassment. |
| The others were still asleep, probably making up for the night before, when she was sick. Kate crept into the van as quietly as she could, so as not to wake anyone, found clothing for the day, and dressed outside. |
| She watched a small plane take off from the airstrip, and wished that she could fly; what a wonderful experience it would be. |
| Working on her own, Kate emptied the makeshift pool, hung the plastic sheet to dry, and went about tidying up the campsite, to save time later. When she heard movement inside the van, Kate went in and was met by Sean. |
| "Good morning." She greeted him. |
| "What's good about it?" He mumbled. |
| "What's got your knickers in a twist, Sean?" |
| "It's your fault we're going home early." He glared at her. |
| "That's enough of that." Their dad ordered. He sat up. "It's not Kate's fault, for one thing, and for another, we're not going home, we're changing locations." |
| "Where to, Dad?" Sean brightened. |
| Kate stared in shock, feeling betrayed. Her mother said they would go home! |
| "The East Coast. We won't get all the way there today, but you'll be swimming in a real swimming pool and sleeping in air-conditioned rooms tomorrow. It's just too long a drive to get to Sydney in a hurry." |
| "All right!" Kate exclaimed, relief coursing through her. At least they would be out of the heat and back to civilisation. "You're one real Cool Dude, Dad!" |
| |
| While the others got themselves up, Kate prepared breakfast of coffee, toast, eggs and sausages. She was full of energy, impatient to be gone. |
| What seemed like several hours was only one, and they were motoring off. Kate settled against the seat cushions, relieved and happy, though Sean was barely speaking to her. She searched her travel bag, found her cassette player, and listened to music. |
| They had an early lunch at a town named Croydon, and her parents considered the possibility of getting all the way to the coast that day. A phone call later, and it was decided to make no unnecessary stops; they were booked into an air-conditioned cabin in a caravan park near the coast. |
| Kate hugged her parents, and hurried everyone into the car. There were a lot of kilometres to cover. |
| With the adults taking turns driving, the four of them reached their day's destination shortly after dark. Sean had slept most of the day, leaving Kate with no one to play with in the car. He was fresh and alert, while the others were tired. |
| As soon as they had checked into the small cabin, everyone changed into swimming costumes and splashed around in the freshwater swimming pool. |
| |
| Real showers! Kate was delighted. It was sheer luxury to be able to wash her hair, then dress up and go out to dinner in a seafood restaurant. |
| Kate walked with her family back from dinner, enjoying the cool breeze that teased her skirt and hair. She felt tired, happy, carefree and enthusiastic, all at the same time. This was more her idea of a holiday. The only thing missing was a TV set in the little, one room cabin. |
| |
| Sean wanted to sit up and play cards, since he was wide awake, but no one else was interested. They changed, ready for bed, brushed their teeth, and it was lights out at ten o'clock. The last thought Kate had before she fell asleep, was that she was determined to keep her green nightshirt on all night. Maybe, the cool air would mean she would not get so hot that she would pull things off. |
| |
| Kate spread her wings as soon as she got up. Though Bill and Mary were nowhere to be seen, she could hear singing from above. She no longer had to consciously think about flying to be in the air. |
| Kate knew her destination and wasted no time getting to the Gate. |
| There were people everywhere, most of them winged, and everyone was singing Jewish songs. There was no music, other than their voices. Kate added her soprano. |
| Her heart swelled with so much joy, Kate felt as if she would explode. At some stage, Mary joined Kate, and they linked arms as they sang. It was the most wonderful feeling Kate ever had, singing praises to God. Hour after hour, with barely a moment to catch a breath, every cheek wet with tears of ecstasy. Kate felt she could sing forever. |
| With a suddenness that left everyone feeling the loss, the singing stopped. Kate hid her face in her hands and sobbed; whether from the fact that the songs were gone, or from the lingering memory, she did not know. Mary patted Kate's back and stroked her feathers; the aboriginal girl was crying, too. |
| Bill spoke from nearby, "Now do you understand how petty the world's events are, compared to this?" |
| Kate looked up, into his reddened eyes. "When can we sing again?" |
| "The next big one is Christmas. We sing at least twice a month, because most human religions celebrate some kind of holy festivals throughout the year. Sometimes, there may be two or three days in a row." |
| "Why weren't you here?" Kate asked. |
| "I was with other friends." His face held a strange, soft expression. |
| "Kate." Mary gently squeezed her elbow, "Bill's an angel. He's allowed to see Him at a distance, and sing in His presence." |
| Kate stared from one dark face to the other. "Is it any different? Singing in His presence, I mean." |
| "Kate, you can not understand. You won't know until you are there too. Can you describe what you did experience? What was it like?" |
| Kate thought about it, and finally shook her head, "It's too much for words. What would happen if I was there, and not an angel?" |
| "You can't, because you would become an angel on the instant. And now, Kate, it's time to go back. The sun is rising on a new day for you." |
| "You're kidding! So soon?" |
| The three of them flew down, though Mary left them about half way. She had her own home to go to. |
| When Kate and Bill were inside her cabin, Bill stood over Sean, and watched him snore. |
| "It might have been Sean, not you, who was found through dreams. You would not believe how close it was. Do you still have doubts about what's happening to you, Kate?" |
| Kate shook her head, then kissed him. "Thanks, Bill. Will I see you tonight?" |
| "Probably. It all depends on the choices of a few people." |
| A moment later, Bill was gone, and Kate was about to lay down on the bed. She spied her empty clothes, and remembered her determined last waking thought. She got dressed. |
