California Angel

by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg

  The entire world stretched at her feet in breathtaking splendor.

  Joey was excited and pointing. "That's Big Ben over there. And see, there's the Eiffel Tower. Right there is the pyramids."

  Toy smiled, a smile that entered her body and remained there. "It was you all along," she said.

  "Well, yeah," Joey said, giving Toy a big wink. "Just a regular guy from Brooklyn. I did trick you a little on the car, though, I have to admit. But I'm not the big boss. I'm just a soldier."

  As Toy looked at him, seeing him for first time, she saw that his police uniform was really a uniform like they paint on toy soldiers. The pale blue had turned to red and the coat was fastened with brass buttons. He made her think of the wooden soldier her father had been carving the day she had visited him in his workshop.

  For a moment she was certain she was having another one of her dreams, her visions. "Joey, unless I'm hallucinating again, that's the whole world down there, not just Manhattan. That means you're an angel, not a soldier."

  "Oh," Joey said, "we don't do wings anymore. People didn't take us seriously. See, it used to be kind of a battle. These days it's more of a war. The Boss runs a tight ship. He calls it His army."

  Joey stopped and removed what looked like a portable radio, holding it up to his mouth. "Yeah, I see it. L.A., right? Yeah, I'll get someone right on it. I know. I know. I've been a little tied up." Joey turned to Toy. "This will be your territory soon. We've been a little shorthanded in California lately. Just not enough good prospects applying for the job."

  Toy followed his gaze to a small corner of the landscape below them.

  "You got a little advance training, Toy, because you'll be covering California for us and the Boss is extremely annoyed. This was prime real estate, some of His best work."

  Joey looked and Toy could see long stretches of sandy beaches, shimmering blue water, palm trees swaying in the breeze. Then the scene shifted slightly and Toy could see a long, jagged crack which she realized was the San Andreas Fault. "If things don't get better soon," Joey said sadly, "the Boss might really get angry. But that's okay," he added quickly. "You're going to do real good, Toy. You're going to straighten these people out before it's too late."

  They were back on the crest, walking down a narrow cobblestone path that Toy seemed to recall seeing before. On both sides of her were fields of blooming flowers, their fragrance so sweet and their blooms so perfectly formed that Toy was enraptured by their beauty. "Where are we going?"

  California Angel 199

  "We're going to the mess hall. We don't work nonstop, you know. Tonight, after supper, we're having a dance."

  Toy gulped. "Will the Boss be there?"

  "No," Joey said, raising only one eyebrow, '7/e works full-time. That's what happens when you're the Boss."

  In the distance was a large white tent, the canvas billowing out in the breeze. Beyond it the sky was awash with brilliant, dazzling colors. Toy could see people milling around and heard the soft chords of what she thought was music.

  Joey's eyes were the bluest of blue. Toy's were the greenest of green. They looked at each other, met each other, this time for the very first time. Then he laced his arm in Toy's and they continued walking toward the tent.

  "What about all those people down there," Toy said, "the ones who believed in me?"

  "The Boss has a policy about things like that."

  Toy was curious. "What kind of policy?"

  Joey smiled before answering, his shoulder twitching with nervous energy, "Well, you know, the Boss has His own way of doing things."

  Now Toy was really curious. "Come on, Joey, tell me the policy."

  "It's pretty simple," Joey said. "The Boss likes to keep them guessing."

  "Guessing?" Toy said, thinking it sounded so flippant, so callous.

  "Well," Joey answered, "He calls it something else really. That's just my own interpretation."

  "What does He call it?"

  "Faith," Joey said, an enormous smile appearing on his face. Then he turned and looked off in the distance as a person walked toward them down the cobblestone path. "Well, whadya know, look who's here?"

  Toy stood perfectly still, her eyes wide with growing wonder. Margie Roberts was walking toward her in the peach dress. When she saw Toy, she rushed into her arms. Toy crushed the child to her chest. "Oh, Margie," she said, tears of joy streaming down her face, "you look so beautiful, so strong, so happy."

  "You're here," Margie exclaimed. "You're finally here. I was so tired of waiting."

  "Yep, this one's a case," Joey said, laughing at the sight of Margie and Toy together, locked in a loving embrace. "Wouldn't leave me alone until I came down to get you, and I was plenty busy, let me tell you. You know," he said to Margie, shaking his finger at her, "New

  York is a hard state to cover. Just wait until you get a territory, young lady, and then you'll see."

  The moment he stopped speaking, Toy heard the sound of trumpets and suddenly saw legions of angels assembling beneath the big tent, chattering and giggling among themselves. They were dark ones, light ones, small ones, tall ones. Some were children, some were adults. There were no wings or halos, but Toy saw exquisite colors swirling around each being and could feel their overwhelming love.

  Joey stood ramrod straight in front of the assembly of angels, every bit the soldier now. On the opposite side of him, Margie Roberts took up a similar stance, giggled, and then pushed Toy forward into a circle of brilliant light. Another trumpet sounded and the legions of angels saluted the new California Angel, formally welcoming her into the fold.