Posted in Story Showcase

Angels without Wings and Halos

by Jeannie Yee Davis 

Are there angels among us? Do they really exist? I’ve looked for them everywhere but have never seen them. Until one day when my car collided with a boulder in the ravine of I-5 near Bakersfield. They presented themselves in droves. They sprinted from all directions like they were in a marathon. They didn’t have wings and halos but appeared in the form of normal people, resembling men in various walks of life each bearing a bottle of water in one hand and a cell phone in the other. All with one goal in mind – to help the stranded couple whose names they might never know and whose paths might never cross theirs again. They might not even receive recognition or thanks.

Yet they didn’t think twice to offer whatever assistance they might be able to provide, disregarding their own safety. They instinctively ran to our MR2 and assisted with my husband’s attempt to manipulate the car off the scorching grass. It was useless. When the vehicle became too intimate with the dried grass it ignited into flames. They emptied their bottles of water in a futile attempt to extinguish the fire before retreating to their vehicles to continue their journeys.  

It all happened so fast. I only remember flashes of these unsung heroes who formed a team with strangers striving towards a common goal choreographed by the master Himself. Some calling for help, some putting out the fire before the firemen arrived, and some pushing the car.

When it was all over, my husband and I were transfixed on the remains of the bonfire that once was our means of getting home. A deep masculine voice broke my anxious thoughts of being stranded, “Don’t worry I’ll stay with you until the tow truck arrives.” He extended his arm bent in an L shape to me. He held my arm against his side using it to guide me safely across the two lanes of high-speed traffic to his parked pickup. “Take my arm…walk with me…slowly…wait…now, walk…slowly…wait…walk.”

Cris and his wife, Silvia, were on their way home from a wedding when he came to our aid. Cris crossed I-5 traffic to reach us then walked us safely across that same traffic to his vehicle. They offered their home to us but when we declined, they remained with us for almost an hour until the tow truck arrived.

On that day, I discovered angels do live on this earth, but they don’t wear wings and halos. In our moment of need, they revealed themselves to us with their acts of kindness without expecting rewards. I don’t know each of them by name, but they own a piece of my heart forever. 

Previously published in e-clips

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