The Angel's Daughter

by Jody Sharpe

  “Thanks, but no, Guy, I don’t. I do really appreciate your asking. We want to be left alone. We don’t want to give the hype any credence.”

  “Ignore them and they’ll go away? I hope you’re right but I saw Dan Pica from the San Francisco Chronicle over at the Next Door Café. Laurjean was giving him hell. I know him. He’s a good guy but was assigned this story. He said you told him you wouldn’t talk to him so now he’s looking at doing a writearound. The stories aren’t going to be killed.”

  “I’m sorry but we have to stick to our plan. Hopefully, things will die down. I want you to know how much I appreciate your support. Dad is coming in soon and so will Taylor. We’ll be fine. I refuse to close the store.”

  The two men talk to me for a little while longer before leaving. They both gave me their cells numbers if I needed them. Guy said he won’t print a thing if I don’t want him to. I’m blessed to know such nice people.

  Two female tourists come in. The older one asks her friend, “There’s a lot of hullabaloo in town today, lots of media. Wonder what it is? Oh, look at that cute cat bed.” I sell it to her with no problem, and they leave...

  My father comes in asking, “Red, everything all right?”

  “I guess, Tiffany Gould just left and two reporters were here but I sent them away. Phil and Guy were in and asked if we needed help. Guy asked if I’d make a comment for his paper and I told him we decided not to.”

  “That sounds good. Everyone is so supportive, it’s amazing. Listen, I’ll be back in a little while. Louie has an upset stomach, so I’m taking him over to Josh. Doc’s not coming in today so might be awhile.”

  “It’s okay. Hope he feels better.” Dad leaves and since it’s slow I sit in the chair for a moment trying to focus on other things. The door slams open again hard. It’s the unlovely Bambi Blakley again. Her black eyes are furious, her stomping walk sounds like a herd of buffalo.

  “Where’s Hannah O’Ryan?”

  She obviously doesn’t recognize me for a moment so I stand up. “You’re not welcome here, so please leave now or I will call the police again!”

  “You’re blonde now? You look awful. Don’t know what Sam saw in ugly you. And you have one hell of a damn nerve. They shut Gramp’s farm down this morning thanks to your stupid family and that ass of a Police Chief. Hope you’re happy, because I’m really going to get you now!”

  I hadn’t heard they’d shut the farm down. “I asked you to leave. I’m calling the police now.” I walk over to the phone, dial 911 and tell them to send someone over.

  Bambi screams, “I’ve got an interview with Starz magazine and Person to Person magazine called me too. You will be sorry, you just wait.”

  Taylor arrives just in time. He thunders over to her, his chest pushed out, “You again! Leave at once woman!”

  Incredibly, Bambi turns on her heels and does just that. After he shuts the door Taylor and I look at each other. “Oh girl, I am your white knight! Well, not white maybe!”

  “Taylor, you were awesome.” I hug him but we aren’t laughing this time. I call the station to cancel but it’s too late, Sergeant Jim Nero walks in.

  “Hannah, I just saw that black-haired woman from the other day. Was she the problem?”

  “Yes Jim. Taylor handled her.”

  Jim pats Taylor on the back, “Really, Taylor? Maybe you should apply. We need a new tough guy on the force.” He laughs.

  “Jim, if I was as strong and burly as you, I would consider it!”

  “I’ll leave but you can call us anytime. We are asking the few media here to be respectful and not bother you or other folks. It’s really unbelievable. Hannah, if you really are an angel then make them disappear.” He and Taylor laugh at his joke and I join in with my best fake laugh.”

  “If only I could.”

  If only I could fly, I’d fly way away from here but that’s not possible. I’ve got to stand my ground like Dad and I decided. Then I think about the farm being shut down and my mind floods with relief. I hope they’ve found someplace good to take them.

  Josh picks me up at six.

  “I’m taking you out to dinner. We’re getting away from this nightmare.”

  “I can use it,” I answer him.

  It’s surreal. Why does anyone think I’m really an angel? Sam’s book must be good. I’ll start reading it. After all I should know what I’m up against. I can’t be afraid of what I’ll find.

  Josh grins as we head down Main Street. The trucks are gone now and so it looks like a typical evening in Mystic Bay. People are going to dinner, shopping or strolling through the park. It feels good seeing our town like it normally is.

  Josh is still grinning at me so I laugh, “Why do you have that cute little grin?”

  “I smile more when I’m with you.” He keeps smiling.

  “Are you taking me to dinner to Pal’s Captains Inn? I didn’t dress for it.” He shakes his head no but doesn’t answer, he’s got me curious. “Josh, it’s weird, even with the media in town today and Bambi’s screaming visit, I feel pretty good. Maybe it’s because I know they shut that horrible petting farm down.”

  “Yeah, it’s fantastic news.” He drives down Sea Breese and pulls into the long driveway of the Lindley place.

  “There’s Dad’s car. Are we all invited for dinner?”

  He kisses my hand but doesn’t answer and we get out of the truck.

  We walk in the main house with its warmth and friendly charm. I smell an Italian dinner cooking. There’s a fire in the old fireplace but no one is there to enjoy it. We walk to the kitchen to find it empty, so we go out the back door. My mouth literally drops open. There in the back pasture are the petting farm animals grazing quite happily in their new home. Doc, Shari, Dad and Aunt Helen wave to me and walk to meet us.

  “We have some new additions,” beams Doc with his arm around Shari.

  “Isn’t this marvelous dear?” Aunt Helen’s happy.

  My father looks ecstatic, “The animals know it’s their home now. They’re healing and feeling peaceful. It’s heaven sent.”

  “I’m almost speechless, but not quite. “Hallelujah and Amen!”

  Josh adds, “This is the best news, ‘grow old with me, the best is yet to be’ as the poem goes.”

  Doc reaches over to pet Jacob’s old dog. “We couldn’t separate them. We thought you could use a surprise today, Hannah. So… surprise!”

  “Wow, this is wonderful. Maybe Dawn’s mother and father are here.” I pet one of the deer.

  “I’m sure,” says Doc. I’m thinking this dog, Leroy, could have been a relative of Duke’s. Look at him. He looks a lot like a coyote mix to me. That old man said to take the dog, he didn’t want him either. I couldn’t believe it. Leroy’s gotta be around thirteen.”

  I’m stunned, “That’s so sad.” I get down on my knees petting the old dog. He seems happy and that’s all that matters now. “Do you think he dumped Duke’s mother and her pups in the woods three years ago too?”

  Doc replies, “Yep, that might have been the chain you found. Maybe she got away with Duke. A miracle.”

  “They are all so precious and we’re so happy to have them,” Shari sighs. “I wondered what we’d do when Eric retires. I guess we know now.”

  We stay awhile admiring the pastoral scene. The Lindley’s ask us to stay for dinner. We say no giving them thanks though. We leave them to go to dinner by ourselves.

  Suddenly starved for Italian, we drive over to Bob’s Pizza. There are a few people we know at the restaurant but no one says anything to us about what’s happening. It’s all pleasantries as usual. The pizza with the works is our favorite. I eat almost a whole piece but then my appetite leaves.

  “Maybe they didn’t notice the trucks and reporters,” I wonder to Josh.

  “People noticed, but they want to protect one of their own. It’s a pretty cool town we live in.”

  “All I want to think about now is how great it is for those animals at Doc and Shar
i’s, yet still I’m feeling drained.”

  “Han, finding a good home for them is a good sign. Good things are on the way, I bet.”

  My heart wants to believe him but I know Sam and have seen how clever he is, and how mean. I’m in for the fight of my life and I know it.

  To: Hannah’s email@…..

  From: Sblakley’s email@…..

  My lovely, meet me at eight at The Pelican Wharf…San Francisco? I’ve got more ex-wife issues I have to attend to first.

  Love, Sam

  The week has become especially rough and so I hired Mary Jo, the young woman Andy is dating, to help Taylor mind the store. She’s very sweet and works part-time at an animal rescue. I’m not in the store anymore because of the increased media presence in the town. They’re swarming like African bees saying stinging things around the locals. It seems people love this kind of hype, anything raising questions about deception or paranormal type stuff. Bambi was in Starz magazine like she threatened. In the piece, she said she and Sam remain close and that he told her I’m the “real deal”. The buzz is all over the news. “Is there a real angel living in California? Is she a liar? Is she pretending? Who are Hannah O’Ryan and her father Gabe?” I can hardly stand it.

  The perplexing thing is that Sam has stayed quiet. We haven’t seen any interviews in the paper or TV since. But there have been TV reports by Tiffany Gould. I think she must have gotten enough footage, as I haven’t seen her truck around. Of course “My California Angel,” is selling like hotcakes as Aunt Helen likes to say. Me? Well, I’m staying in my apartment at night and hole up in the house during the day. Since sleep and I aren’t friendly anymore, I’m up to the last page of Sam’s book. I read the lines Sam wrote, but this is not my work. It’s my style but his words.

  Max stood at the top of the bridge afraid to go on without her, afraid he was dead inside if he couldn’t press her to him, feel her, breathe in her very essence. The dark angry waters raged below. The wind pressed him back. Rain was falling. He was about to jump when he heard her call, “No, Max!” Was his mind deceiving him? How cruel life was.

  He looked up and she was there hovering, her wings torn and soaked. They were no longer the satiny white he remembered. Her face was worried, but oh so beautiful in the light from the lamppost. Max’s heart sang as Honor lighted by him and took him in her arms. He smelled her fragrant beauty again. Like she was a drug, he longed for her even more than ever.

  Honor kissed him. “We will be together. I can’t live here on earth without you, my love. I’m here now, forever.” Her long flowing hair and wings wrapped around him. Her mouth found his again and he finally felt whole once more.

  “Never leave me again, Honor.”

  “Never.”

  Max’s eyes swelled with tears. His heart was back, the love of his life, his very own California Angel.

  I put the book down reflecting on the story. I want to throw it out in the trash. What else can we do now but wait? Wait for what?

  Dad still tries to be cheerful but he can’t shed his perpetual worried look. Yesterday Aunt Helen and I ignored the door bell as we cooked and put things in the freezer. Laurjean and Donnie came over last night to visit. Josh stays his wonderful supportive self. Yet I have to face the truth. I feel like I’m going bonkers. I have to put an end to this, but how? I put my head down on the pillow and start to fall asleep but the banging on my door wakes me up. Like a fool and half asleep I open the door. It’s good old Tiffany Gould.

  “Can I come in?” she pleads in a little girl voice. I’m horrified that in a sleep deprived stupor I answered the door. I let her in thinking maybe I can fix this fast somehow. She sits on the couch.

  “Look Tiffany, I’m tired and it’s seven in the morning. You have to leave me alone and most of all leave my family and my town alone. This is harassment. I’m not an angel.”

  “I think you don’t realize the importance of this, Hannah. People want to believe you’re an angel. If you want to end this whole angel business then give me an exclusive interview and a DNA test. Then promise, it will all go away. You’re in a corner now as it is.”

  “What? That is out of the question and an invasion of my rights. You’re wasting your time and mine. If you wanted to end this whole angel business you could tell your public that you’ve had a change of heart and walk away from this circus. You’ll win the respect of our town, our family, and most of all me.”

  “I can’t do that. I have a career to think of. You can’t be a real angel, obviously, and I want you to prove it. I’ll really leave you alone if you do. Besides, you don’t have any angel qualities I can see and your blonde hair makes you look like white trash.”

  I open the door wide, furious at myself for letting her in. “It’s time for you to leave now, I’ll call the cops if you don’t.” I find my cell and key in 911. Tiffany exits my apartment like a robber leaves a bank before I can push send. At the bottom of the stairs she turns to me and yells. “We will get that DNA!” Then she walks as quickly as she can down the alley to her awaiting van. I look at myself in the mirror. Well, my hair does look pretty bad this morning.

  What am I thinking? DNA? I never thought of that. Is Dad’s DNA different? Is mine?

  ……………………………………….

  Its 6 pm. Josh comes over for dinner and I tell him what’s happened leaving out the DNA part.

  “You have to move out of the apartment and into your Dad’s house. I’ll stay with you all every night. We will get Donnie to station some men outside at all times. You have to call Hattie’s firm and start the retaliation rolling. This isn’t going to go away now. It’s become a reality show and the public is eating it up.”

  To: Hannah’s email@…..

  From: Sblakley’s email@…..

  My secret love, Last night you looked like a goddess. Tonight again.

  Love, Sam

  Sam did write a passionate romance albeit in my style. But the sex scenes in it are pretty vivid. It makes me shudder to think of being with him. He didn’t really love me like he said. He just took advantage of vulnerable, immature me. Why was I so naive? Once I overheard one of the other students say she’d gone out with him and her friend did too. But I was too afraid to ask Sam about it.

  Tiffany Gould’s staying in a motel in Millersville and has been reporting live every day from different locations in town. We’ve taken Josh’s advice. It’s been two weeks now since this whole apocalypse started. I’m peeking out of the lacey pink curtains of Aunt Helen’s bedroom at six am. Josh sleeps soundly in the living room on the couch near the front door. Donnie has stationed a policeman outside down the alley. Yesterday Bambi was interviewed by reporters from other stations and Meredith called to say she saw her in a tabloid magazine at the supermarket, insisting I’m the angel in Sam’s novel. All night I’ve tried to do what Larry Strong told me; to wish them well, think peaceful thoughts, but the human side of me can’t seem to do it.

  There’s a different vibe buzzing now among the reporters and locals. Everyone is completely on edge. People we know are being questioned but everyone is declining to comment. The New York Times and LA Times published articles yesterday. We’re going to sit down this morning and discuss what we could say to the press to make them go away. Should I call Hattie and have my day in court? I have only my papers and some emails. Is that proof?

  The really hard part is watching Dad suffer. He’s lost his spunk. He’s pensive and slightly detached from the goings-on in the house. Bubbles has spent more and more time in the kitchen with Aunt Helen the last few days. I’m trying to be positive but I can’t seem to get a hold of my peace. I haven’t seen Uriel or had an out of body experience again. The store is suffering as we have been forced to close early now. I can’t even leave the house except early morning and late at night. Josh says I have to keep the animals in during the daylight, as you never know who will be lurking in the bushes with cameras.

  I tiptoe around Josh to get Homer and ta
ke the animals outside. Then I walk across the alley and put Jesse into the store. I turn my head to see Jim Nero stationed at the side entrance to the alley at Seashell Lane where he can have a clear view of the front and back of the house. We wave to each other. When I come back in, I try not to make too much noise as I make coffee. I sit in the chair at the table and then the tears come again. DNA! I can’t stop thinking about it. What will I do? Tiffany hasn’t mentioned it. Maybe she’s given up that idea. But why would she?

  Dad comes in looking harried. His hair is askew, his skin quite pale but still he tries to put a smile in his voice. “Hi Red. I just got a call this morning from a CBS reporter wanting an interview and People magazine had left a message again.”

  “Thanks for fending them off, Dad.”

  The phone rings, I answer it. Its July North’s assistant calling from New York. July wants an interview tomorrow. This is unbelievable…..She’s coming here because Sam is giving her an exclusive interview at Mystic Bay High School at 5:30 tomorrow. It will air tomorrow night. Sam wants to explain to the town and public why he wrote the book about me. He says it’s extremely important. The assistant says July wants to interview us first. She recommends it as she feels all this silence isn’t helping us.

  “No, thank you,” I tell her assistant. “Please explain to July we appreciate the thought but we are a private family and don’t want to be involved with Sam Blakley’s book.” I do take down her number at her insistence. I look into my father’s eyes. He’s overheard and I see his worries as clear as ever on his face.

  “Oh Dad, this is awful. Josh thinks it’s imperative we call Hattie now and get her law firm involved.”

  His face is grim. “Yes, I guess it is. Sam’s coming here? How callous can one human be?” Bubbles jumps over to my shoulder.

  “Can you feed her, Red? I need to lie down.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Sure, I just don’t get this human world sometimes. Why not treat each other with respect, with love like we all seem to do in our special little town?”