Angel Angst

by Abby L. Vandiver

  “You mean it shows you were behind the camera when it took a picture of the blur. You’ve got timers, and are an expert in photography.” He pursed his lips. “Like I said not much help.”

  Sunny let out a sigh.

  “But don’t worry,” Divit said pulled out the small stool to the vanity and sat on it. “I think you’ve got all the help you’ll need.”

  “How is that?” Sunny asked.

  “Who is that?” Divit said, a grin spreading across his face.

  “What?”

  “Remember when you told me that you were praying this morning?”

  “Yeah. I was so afraid, I recited the 91st Psalms.”

  Divit leapt up from the small stood, nearly knocking it over. “You didn’t tell me it was the Psalm 91. This is even better!” He practically did a jig.

  “What has gotten into you?” Sunny asked and laughed.

  “I have a theory,” he said lowering his voice to almost a whisper. “But I have to be sure.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small Bible. It housed the New Testament, and the book Divit was looking for, the Book of Psalms. He leafed through the pages, and when he found what he’d been searching for, Sunny could see his lips move as skimmed over the passage. “Oh my Lord.” He looked up from the miniature book. “It is true. It’s really true.”

  “What’s true?” Sunny said. “You haven’t told me anything.”

  “What you said yesterday,” Divit said his face beaming. “Remember? You prayed for an angel to come and,” Divit sat back down and faced Sunny. “I’m 99% sure that what you asked for this morning has been manifested.”

  “Manifested?” Sunny said chuckling at Divit’s use of the word.

  “Yes,” Divit said and nodded, his face serious. “Don’t laugh, because I think that God dispatched an angel to come and help you out.”

  Chapter Nine

  “Divit.” Sunny clucked her tongue. “I didn’t say anything like that.”

  “Yes you did. You asked me did I think the light that came into your darkroom could have been an angel. And I think that it was.” He shook his head. “I’m sure that it was. God sent you an angel.”

  “I don’t think that God did any such thing. And you’re sounding just as crazy as I did this morning.” She stood up and walked across the room, her back to him. “Only I had good reason to be a little off,” she said under her breath.

  “I heard that,” Divit said. “But it doesn’t matter because neither one of us are wrong. And I’ve got proof.”

  “How could you have proof that I’ve got a guardian angel?”

  Divit got up and went over to Sunny. He leaned in close, a conspiratorial smile on his face, and he held onto her wrists. “Because I was here when he presented himself.”

  “Tsk,” Sunny sucked her tongue. “I know graduation is tomorrow and you’re one step closer to being a Holy Man, but that sounds ridiculous.” She pulled away from his grip. “Especially coming from you, the eternal pessimist.” She looked at Divit, smile still plastered on his face. “It never happened.”

  “Yes.” He nodded his head vigorously, grin growing wider. “It did happen. I was there, and I saw him with my own eyes.”

  “And where was I?” Sunny asked.

  “You were there too,” he said. “Standing right next to me.”

  “Yeah. I don’t think that happened,” Sunny said and Duke, who for the first time turned his head away from the wall, let out a bark. “See. Even Duke agrees.”

  “Duke wasn’t even there,” Divit said and waved his hand at the dog. He stopped and looked at the dog and then back at Sunny. “And why is he staring at that wall?”

  “I don’t know,” Sunny said. “Maybe it’s something in the wallpaper.”

  Divit turned back to Sunny. “It was the man that came in right before that police officer who arrested you arrived.”

  “No one arrested me.” Sunny said and plopped down on the window seat cushion. She picked up one of the square, throw pillows and putting it up to her chest, wrapped her arms around it. “Not technically. And he was a detective.”

  “It was the man in the blue suit.” Divit looked at her expectantly. “The angel was the man in the blue suit.”

  Sunny scrunched her nose. “You mean the guy in the jeans.”

  “See!” Divit said and sitting down next to her, he scooted in close.

  “See what?”

  “That an angel came and visited us. Well you. I was just there.”

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t see.”

  “Angels don’t have a physical body,” Divit said. “In the Bible it says “A spirit hath not flesh and bones.”

  “He had flesh and bones,” Sunny said.

  “Right because had to take on the appearance of a human body.”

  “Who looked different to each of us?”

  “Exactly!”

  “No. Not exactly. It makes no sense to me. And I can’t even believe you’re saying this.”

  “What is wrong with you? God sends you an angel and you deny its presence. You deny God?”

  “I’m denying your sanity, Divit,” Sunny said and chuckled. “Not God. Those are two different things.”

  “Just let me explain. I can explain.” He looked at her face, it showed no interest in what he had to say. “Are you going to listen to me?”

  “About the angel?”

  “Yes. About the angel.”

  “No.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because if you want to tell me about it, it’s got to be a bad thing. He must have come here to rain down fire and brimstone on me, or something equally as devastating. And I’ve gone through enough this morning.” She narrowed her eyes. “I can’t take anymore.”

  “No!” Divit said and frowned. “Why would you think that it was a bad thing?”

  “Because, Divit, you always say the worse is going to happen.”

  “That’s not true. I’ve told you this a hundred times before. I just dispense caution.”

  “Right,” Sunny said. She looked at him out the corner of his eye. “By telling everyone their going to hell.”

  “I don’t tell everyone that,” Divit said pulling his shoulders back and sitting up a little straighter. “I’m offended that you think that.”

  “Well, I would say, ‘Sorry’ . . . But since it’s true . . .” Duke started barking. Sunny pointed at him. “Everyone concurs.”

  “I think you need to listen to me.”

  “Divit, I have to get back to the police station and take those pictures, remember?” Sunny stood up. “That Detective Dunley will probably put out an APB on me if I didn’t make it back today.” Sunny looked down at her Fitbit watch and back up at Divit. “Besides, you don’t even have a congregation of your own, you’d never get enough money to bail me out.”

  “Sunny,” Divit said his face serious. “You have to hear me out.”

  “No I don’t,” she said. “But you can ride with me back downtown if you want. I could use the company.”

  “Oh dear God, help me!” Divit threw his hands up in the air, and shot a look upward. And as his head and arms went up, the deodorant and lotion came tumbling down off the dresser.

  They looked at the objects on the floor and then at each other.

  “How did you do that?” Sunny asked Divit, sheer surprise on her face.

  “I. Did. Not. Do that,” Divit said. He went over and picked up the items off the floor and held them out to Sunny. “They fell all by themselves.”

  “They did not . . .”

  “You saw them, Sunny. Oh my goodness.” Then Divit’s eyes got wide. “Oh!” He had a realization. “I know what happened. I asked God to help me make you listen.”

  “And God knocked them off?” Sunny asked. “Divit. C’mon.”

  “No. Of course God didn’t knock them off.”

  “Good. I’m glad you know that because you’re starting to worry me.”

  “His angel did.”


  “Oh. My. Goodness.” Sunny fell back on to the bed, and looked up at the ceiling. “I can’t do this with you. You sound crazy.”

  “I do not sound crazy. I sound like a man of the cloth. And as your priest-”

  “You are not my priest, Divit. I’m not even Catholic. And, if you want to be technical about it, you’re nobody’s priest.”

  “Yet,” Divit corrected. “And I’m close enough to being on to know what’s going on here. That means you have to listen to me now.”

  “I’m not listening to you.” Sunny picked up a pillow and covered her head with it.

  Divit bent over the bed and pulled the pillow from her face. “You have to listen.”

  Sunny groaned. “Listen to what?”

  He got onto the bed, on his hands and knees and looked at her. “Remember that light you said came into your darkroom?”

  “Yes, of course I remember, it’s what started this whole conversation. And now I wish I’d never told you about it.”

  “Well, the Bible says that angels come in a dazzling white and blazing glory.”

  “It was more like a light show.”

  “Whatever you want to call it. It was in a dark room and it didn’t affect your pictures, right?”

  “Nope.” Sunny shook her head. “It sure didn’t. But that was probably because I was past the initial stage. They’d already been in the developer.”

  “Or because it was an angel that came in.”

  “Why would an angel come to see about me?” Sunny asked looking into Divit’s eyes.

  “Because you asked for one. God answered your prayer.”

  “I’m not even religious,” Sunny said. “I haven’t gone to church on a regular basis since my mother died.”

  “You were able to recite the psalm that summoned the angel.”

  “Oh my goodness,” Sunny covered her face with the hands. “I didn’t summon anyone.” She spread her fingers and looked at Divit. “Or anything.” She sat up on the bed. “I went to Sunday school. They taught us Bible verses. That’s what you do when you’re a kid. Sing in the choir, go to Vacation Bible School. But since then, I only go on Easter and Christmas, if that. God wouldn’t send me an angel.”

  Divit flipped over and sat next to Sunny. “He would. And he did. You better be careful what you pray for.” He bumped shoulders with her.

  Sunny shook her head. “I also prayed my mother and grandfather wouldn’t die. That didn’t happen. So, I don’t think there’s anything special about my prayers.”

  “People aren’t immortal, Sunny. You can’t stop people from dying by praying for it. But it doesn’t mean God wouldn’t send you comfort when you’re sad or hurt. Or,” his eyes lit up. “In trouble with the law. In the book of Hebrews, it’s said that angels are ministering spirits that are sent to serve.”

  “And because I saw a dead body, and said a little prayer to get me home safely, you think that warranted me a guardian angel?”

  “‘For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully.’” Divit quoted the verse and raised his eyebrows. “Angels are always around.”

  “Yeah, but they don’t wear blue jeans, and a Navy pea coat,” Sunny said. Divit opened his mouth to speak about what the intruder had on. “Or, Armani suits.” Sunny cut him off.

  “Burberry,” Divit corrected.

  “Whatever,” Sunny said.

  “However they look, they come to bring God’s messages, provide guidance.” Divit stood up and started pacing the floor. “They are here for us to strengthen and encourage us, protect us, and to punish the sins of the unsaved. And, Sunny, angels are used to answer prayer.”

  “Did I just hear your first sermon?”

  “That was pretty good, huh?” Divit said a proud grin on his face. “I need to remember it so I can write it down.” He came back and sat next to her on the bed. “You need all those things right now. Guidance. Protection. Strength. You can’t tell me you don’t believe that you have an angel.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  Divit hopped back up. “What about the light?” He started pacing the floor again and starting enumerating the events using his fingers. “He came in an abundance of light. Second, that guy just disappeared out of the studio. Who can do that?” Divit said. “Third.” He tugged on his middle finger. “There was that unexplainable smell when he was there. Right? And fifth-”

  “Fourth,” Sunny corrected. “You can’t even keep up and you’re using your fingers.” She nodded toward his hand. “That makes me know you and your ideas are a bit daffy.”

  “I just got excited.” He looked down at his hand and tugged at his pinkie finger. “Fourth . . . Wait what was fourth?” He looked at Sunny. “You made me lose my train of thought.” Sunny just stared at him, a look of amusement on her face. “Oh, I know. Fourth, we saw the one man wearing two different outfits at the same time.” He paused and looked at her. “Well?” He tilted his head, held out his arms and waited for a response. “I could go on. You want me to go on?”

  “No. I don’t,” Sunny said.

  “So you believe it?”

  “No. I don’t,” Sunny said.

  “Oh c’mon.” Divit let his arms drop to his side. “Really? All that stuff has to make you think something is going on.”

  “It doesn’t mean there was an angel, Divit.” She had to hold back a chuckle. “I’m sure there is a perfectly good explanation for all of it. Everything, including the feather I saw that came out of nowhere, the voice telling me to ‘Fear not,’ or that man telling me to be ‘mindful’ of my tongue, which,” Sunny took in a breath, “I should have listened to. None of it means that there is an angel afoot.”

  “Oh Holy Mother! You found a feather? You didn’t tell me that!”

  “Good thing I didn’t,” Sunny said. “Look what you came up with by me just telling you I saw a light.”

  “You’re the one that came up with it, Sunny. I just went and looked up information on it. It was you.”

  “Well, I don’t know what I was thinking. And I’m sorry I mentioned it.”

  “I can’t believe you aren’t seeing this, Sunny. Why can’t you see that you’ve been sent an angel to guard over you?”

  “If there is an angel,” Sunny said. “I wish he’d show himself and stop with the little games. I am in a heap of trouble.” She looked down at her watch. “And getting ready to be in more of it if I don’t get a move on. I could use all the help I could get.”

  Divit hung his head, and looked up at her like he was a hurt puppy.

  “Don’t give me that look, Divit. You are supposed to believe in those things with unwavering faith. It’s what you’ve been training for. Us regular folks need to see it with our own eyes. And I haven’t seen anything that would make be believe that an angel has taken out time from the troubles of this huge world to come and see about little ole me.”

  Sunny may have thought she was having a rough day, and there was no relief in sight, but between her prayers and wishes, she was soon going to find out that when it came to her getting the help she needed, she had all the powers of heaven and earth on her side.

  Chapter Ten

  “Are you going with me or not?” Sunny asked Divit. He had followed her down the stairs into the darkroom. She needed to collect the pictures to give to Detective Dunley, but first she had to enlarge and print them.

  “I supposed I should. Although I should be getting ready for my graduation tomorrow. It’s not every day that my parents will see their son get the education they’d hoped for, even though it’s not in a field they’d want.” Divit leaned up against the door frame and folded his arms. He hadn’t been able to convince Sunny that an angel had come to her rescue, so until then, he have to take the responsibility of watching over her himself. “So that would be a definite yes. I’m going with you.”

  “Good,” Sunny said and smiled. “I’ll be ready in a minute.” She went to sink and rinsed off her hands. “See how eas
y that was? You go with me, and I’ll have my guardian angel.”

  “Nothing is easy with you, Leah Leibowitz,” Divit said and shook his head. “You don’t listen to me, and you don’t even call me and let me know everything is okay with you after you been through something. This morning is a prime example. At least if I’m with you I won’t worry about you.”

  “I did call you this morning after I left . . . The uhm . . . Crime scene.”

  “And then you hung up on me. And if I hadn’t just come over here, I wouldn’t have known you were okay. I wouldn’t have known about your arrest, or seen the pictures.”

  “I wasn’t arrested.”

  “Okay. Questioned.”

  “Well.” Sunny lowered her eyes and looking coyly at Divit. “You don’t really have to worry about me because I do have a guardian angel watching over me.” She could barely hold back her chuckle.

  “Play about it if you want,” he said. “But this is serious.”

  “I know it’s serious,” she said. “That’s why I’m not going along with your angel theory. Just like when I talked to you this morning, I needed concrete help. Something tangible. Like these pictures.” She pointed to strip still hanging on the clip.

  “I know. I know.” He waved his hands. “Seeing is believing.”

  “Right. Like that dead body I saw today. I saw murder up close and it made it real personal to me. I feel for that woman, and I hope they find out who did it, but I want them to do it without involving me. I don’t want to be involved with any of it.”

  “God rest her soul,” Divit said and crossed himself. “Did you find out her name? I want to say a prayer for her.”

  “Yeah,” Sunny said and lowered her head. “I found out her name.”

  “What is it?”

  “Fleming. Fleming Bennett.”

  “Wow, what a cool name.”

  “Yeah and all for nothing. She looked to be around my age and now she’s gone. Dead. And for what? I mean, I don’t know what happened between those two before they got there, but from what I did see – a little argument – she didn’t deserve to be gunned down like that.”

  “No one deserves that, and I feel bad that it happened to her. But you have to worry about yourself. You might be pegged by the murderer and be next, or you may be going up the river. So if I were you, I’d reconsider having the protection of a guardian angel.”