BROWNIE: An Angel's Visit

by Linda Stanley Dalton

  “That must have made Tony feel good. Hey, I wonder if we’ll see any stars over our house.” It didn’t really matter whether there were stars above their home or not because Kenni knew an angel had been active in both of their lives. Jeb hadn’t said anything more to her about the teddy bear, but Kenni knew it had been Brownie.

  A few minutes later, as they turned down their street, Kenni and Jeb both looked up at the sky. To their amazement, a handful of crystal-like stars twinkled from the sky as they hovered directly above their home.

  “Hooray!” Kenni smiled as she clicked the remote to open the garage door before she pulled into the driveway. “Well, for whatever its worth, you can tell Tony that we have stars over our house too,” she said. When the door opened all the way she drove into the garage. As she was putting the gearshift into park she realized that Jeb was eyeing her with an almost accusatory smile on his lips. “What?”

  “You knew, didn’t you?”

  Kenni chuckled, despite her best intentions to play dumb. “Knew what?” she teased, feigning innocence as she clicked the remote and the garage door began to close. She turned off the engine, noting that Jeb still had that funny look on his face, like he had figured out something she apparently knew. “Jeb, what are you talking about?”

  “You didn’t even balk when I asked you about the teddy bear I saw in the car,” he said softly. “If I’d have asked anyone else that question, they would have asked me how many drinks I’d had, not what color it was.” He watched as she lightly bit her bottom lip at his comment. “You knew all along about Brownie, didn’t you?”

  With a sigh, Kenni confessed, “I hated keeping it from you, but Brownie asked me to keep his presence a secret.” She leaned back against the headrest and smiled at him. “You don’t refuse an angel!” She laughed softly. “I had a feeling he would eventually make his presence known to you.”

  “Well, he certainly did,” Jeb said and smiled at his wife. “I thought I was losing my danged mind! Judging his reaction, mine was a common one.” He rubbed at his chin. “I wonder how many of us he’s revealed himself to. He told me there were others, including you.”

  Kenni had wondered the same thing. The only other people she knew of for sure were Angela and Michael. “I never thought I would meet an angel. He appeared to me when I came home after the incident in Parmenter’s office. I remember thinking it was Daisy, the bear I’d bought at Charlie’s the night before.”

  As they exited the vehicle, Jeb’s cell phone rang. They looked at one another with Michael being first thought on both their minds.

  “Hastings.” Jeb followed her inside the house, cell phone poised at his ear as Kenni looked at him questioningly. He mouthed, “Jeff Anderson,” a staff physician Jeb worked with regularly.

  Kenni took off her coat and placed it on the rack. She yawned, stretched, and was glad to be home. She hadn’t slept well or much the night before, and was ready to go to bed right away.

  Jeb finished his phone call and hung up his coat. He joined Kenni who stood browsing the contents of the open refrigerator. She pulled out a gallon of fat-free milk and placed it on the counter. “What did Doctor Anderson want?” she asked as she reached into the cupboard. “Would you like a glass of milk?” Jeb nodded and she grabbed two glasses.

  “Just to let me know that there hasn’t been any change in Michael’s condition,” he told her and frowned. “That’s not the news I was hoping for.”

  “I was afraid of that,” Kenni murmured as she poured them each a glass, replaced the bottle cap and put the milk back in the fridge. Turning back to Jeb, she asked, “Is there anything more you can do at this point?”

  Jeb shrugged. “I don’t know, Kenni.” He was frustrated over Michael’s lack of improvement. “I’m going to go in early tomorrow. Hopefully, he’ll turn the corner soon and start to improve.” He picked up a glass of milk and planted a kiss on Kenni’s forehead. “I’ll be in soon; I promise I won’t be too long.”

  Kenni nodded knowingly. When Jeb needed to spend time alone, or with God, he always told her the same thing before he headed off to his office down the hall from their bedroom. “I’ll be praying for him too,” she said softly.

  Jeb winked at her, and with milk in hand started for his office.

  ***

  Charlie felt as if a restless spirit was riding along with him as he drove home from Kroger’s Supermarket. He had picked up some much needed groceries after church, and Lauren continued to weigh heavily on his mind. She had not been to church, which was unusual for her; he imagined she was still at the hospital. The prayers continued for Michael, but Charlie noticed that enthusiasm seemed to have diminished. There were new prayer needs, others were sick or facing new crises, so it was only normal, he supposed, for newer problems to top the prayer list. Still, it bothered Charlie that there weren’t as many prayers being offered for Michael, especially at a time when he needed them the most. He knew that despite Lauren’s acceptance that her son’s fate rested with God, she was still anxious and concerned about his condition. Philippians chapter four, verse six came to mind: Do not be anxious for anything. Charlie sighed. “It’s not easy, Lord.”

  Charlie arrived home and immediately put the groceries away. He could not get Lauren off of his mind, or his heart. They had spent time together earlier in the day and he felt a warmth between them, a chemistry or attraction as some might call it. For Charlie, it was more than that—he was falling in love with her, falling hard—and it scared him.

  “How was church? I’m in the mood for tea,” Brownie announced as he padded into the kitchen on teddy bear feet. “Would you like some?”

  “No thanks.” Charlie reached into the cupboard and took down the fresh box of Earl Gray tea and handed it to the angel bear he had become fond of. He stood leaning against the counter, his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

  “She’s fine.” Brownie knew Lauren was on his mind. “She wasn’t at church tonight because she’s tired. She needed some time alone and to rest.” He smiled. “And if it will make you feel better, Lauren enjoyed spending time with you today too.”

  Charlie shook his head. “I’d ask you how you know all of this but it would be a dumb question, huh?”

  Brownie chuckled. “You know that I have a keen sense of what is going on with you, and it’s not exactly hidden that Lauren is special to you. You aren’t your normal self this evening; I wanted to cheer you up.”

  “Thank you,” Charlie said humbly. He looked into the now familiar green eyes of his guest. “What about Michael?”

  Brownie shook his head. “Charlie, you know I can’t tell you anything.”

  “He’s not going to make it, is he?” Charlie persisted

  Brownie wagged his head. “You know, all of you talk about trusting God, about all this faith you claim to have, but it seems to me that humans trust Him only when they already know what the answer is going to be. That’s not a demonstration of faith; it’s a mind game! Why would you want to play mind games with God? Who do you think will win?”

  Charlie’s sigh was loud and came from deep inside, as if some of his spirit had escaped, hidden in his breath. “I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time with this, Brownie. Things look bad right now for Michael, and I know that despite her faith, Lauren is hurting. She puts up a good front and I know she has faith, but I also know she’s scared. He’s her son, all she has left in this world; I wish that I could change things for her. She deserves to be happy; she deserves her son.”

  “Then you know what you need to do.” Brownie stood on tiptoe at the sink as he filled the tea kettle with water.

  “That’s just it; I don’t know what I need to do!” Charlie released another, even louder sigh of frustration.

  “Let me put it this way—what would you want, Charlie, if you were in Lauren’s position?” he asked as he looked at him. “Humans are alike in their needs during difficult times. Once you figure out what it is you would need from others, my advice would
be to give that to Lauren.”

  ***

  At the Waffle House in Piqua, Bernie couldn’t take his eyes off his granddaughter as she sat in a high chair. She was finished with the eating part of her meal, and despite Sondra’s protests, Isabella thoroughly enjoyed squishing the pieces of a syrupy waffle in her hands. Bernie laughed as her mood changed; she made a face of definite displeasure, her features scrunched up, and held her sticky hands out to her mother for cleaning.

  “You look good, Poppa,” Seth said as he observed him from across the table. He felt deeply convicted after having stayed away from his father, even after he had learned that his mother was dead. He picked up his cup and took a sip of coffee.

  Bernie smiled at his son. “So do you. I’m sure your mother is very proud of you.” He longed to tell him about his trip to Heaven; maybe one day he would tell him about it if he could figure out where to begin the tale. He knew Isabel had been watching them tonight, and he was quite sure she had rejoiced when she saw them get together at the end of the service.

  “I’ve missed both of you,” Seth said softly. He longed to tell him about the strange visit from Teerah the angel but doubted his father would believe him even if he felt free to share it. He hadn’t even told Sondra about the petite pink teddy bear angel, so small and cute who had disappeared in a whirl of sparkly vapors.

  Sondra cleaned the baby’s sticky hands with a disposable wipe, removed the remainder of the squashed waffle from the tray, and looked at her father-in-law. She had prayed long and hard that her husband and his father would find each other again. Like her own father, Bernie wasn’t getting any younger and she yearned for them to be a close family.

  “You’ll have to visit soon and stay with us in Florida,” Sondra invited, her eyes sparkling. “Just think of it, Poppa! No snow to shovel! Lovely, soothing, warm temperatures!”

  “That would be nice,” Bernie mused. “So where is Spring Hill? I’ve never heard of it.”

  “It’s in Hernando County, on the Gulf coast about forty miles northwest of Tampa,” Seth explained. “We have a comfortable home with a pool and spa, and we have friendly neighbors. We have more than enough room, Poppa, and I want the opportunity to spend time with you, to reconnect. We have a lot to talk about.”

  Sondra nodded. “Please say you’ll at least think about it, Poppa,” she encouraged. “I rarely see my family, as most of them are still in Israel. One of my brothers has taken a job in New York City, but he’s always too busy with work. My little sister graduates from university in London soon and she may join us in Florida, but that remains to be seen. No one takes the time out of their busy lives to stay in touch and it breaks my heart.”

  “What about your parents?” Bernie asked.

  “That would be a very difficult feat.” Sondra shrugged. “They’ve lived their entire lives in Israel and have no plans to leave it…ever. They are coming to visit in February, so I’m praying that perhaps they’ll consider at least more frequent visits. I would love to have all of you close by.” She rested her hand atop of Seth’s on the table. “I want with all my heart for my daughter to know her grandparents well on both sides. I want for you all to be a part of her life.”

  “Please, Poppa; think about it,” Seth said sincerely. While he couldn’t recall his father ever complaining about the snow and cold unless there was a blizzard, he hoped within his heart that Bernie would at least visit them. Perhaps once he got there, he’d like it enough to stay.

  “How long will you be here?” Bernie asked, dreading the answer.

  “We’ll be here through the Sunday service, and fly home Monday morning,” Seth answered. “We’re staying with Pastor Maropolis and his family.”

  “Would I be out of line by asking you to stay with me while you’re here?” Bernie asked. “It would give us more time to talk, to get to know each other.” He smiled lovingly at Isabella, shared a glance with Sondra, and then looked once more at his son. “Do you think that’s something you’d like to do?”

  “We both would love to." Seth’s response was immediate. He smiled. “Besides, there’s someone I think it’s time you met.”

  Bernie raised an eyebrow. “And just whom might that be?” He noticed Sondra wore a sheepish grin she seemed unable to hide.

  “Yeshua,” Seth said. “Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, a-k-a Jesus, Poppa. I want to introduce you to Jesus.”

  Sondra’s eyes danced as her gaze met Bernie’s, sparkling green beneath a fringe of dark lashes. He liked her and doubted he could have found a better wife for Seth had he picked her himself.

  Chapter 20

  Jeb had slept soundly, but awoke unusually early. As he lay in bed, his thoughts turned as they often did to his young patient Michael Donahue. He gazed over at his wife who lay on her side with her luscious auburn hair delightfully askew and cascading invitingly across her pillow. He was tempted to slide his hand across the smooth silkiness of her tresses, but he knew his beloved needed her rest. He smiled as he thought, she’s sleeping for two. Careful not to wake her, he leaned over and gently kissed the top of her head before he eased himself out of bed. During those moments when the rest of the world slept and he was surrounded by quiet, Jeb thanked God for all he had been blessed with. His feelings washed over him like a warm caress and took away some of the wintry chill once he was out from under the warmth of their bedcovers.

  As Jeb slid his feet into fleece lined leather slippers, he wondered why the boy’s condition had not improved. He reached for the flannel robe he had left draped across a chair near his side of the bed. He hurriedly slipped it on, yawning, and made his way from the bedroom. He passed a wall gallery of family photos in the hallway Kenni had arranged, a display of treasured pictures of family and friends framed in gold. As he walked down the hallway toward the kitchen, the house was still except for the muffled footfalls of his slippers against the carpet. It was a few minutes past five o’clock, he supposed he’d had his sleep for the night. He turned on the kitchen light, flipped on the switch to the coffee maker, and sat down at the table with a yawn.

  It was almost Christmas. They were planning to spend Christmas Eve enjoying a quiet dinner in front of the fireplace and exchanging gifts. Illness, unfortunately, did not recognize holidays—not even Christmas—and they were both on duty to cover the morning shift at the hospital. As was their usual tradition, after work they would make the rounds and to visit their respective families.

  It occurred to Jeb that there had been zero deaths at Brannan’s Point Pediatric in the last week, not one. There had been half a dozen miracles, a handful of unexpected improvements in some very ill children, but none had died. It was unusual and Jeb wondered if Brownie’s presence was somehow connected to this unusual turn of events. Immersed in his thoughts, Jeb did not notice his wife as she came into the kitchen until he heard the sound of her voice.

  “Sweetheart, why are you up this early? Couldn’t you sleep?”

  Jeb turned toward the familiar voice. He smiled at the sleepy, just out of bed look on her face as she held her pink chenille robe tightly against her body and lovingly massaged the promising swell of her belly.

  “I didn’t want to disturb you. There’s no sense in both of us losing sleep, and you need all you can get.”

  “I’m okay.” Kenni leaned down and kissed him sweetly. “I know that Michael is on your mind.” She understood his restlessness and concern for his patient, an occupational hazard of their professions. “He’s on mine too.”

  The coffee was ready and Kenni took two mugs from the tree on the counter. Jeb watched as she added just the right amounts of sugar and milk, poured in coffee, gave them each a stir before she handed him a mug. She sat down beside him and looked up at him, her eyes filled with questions she knew he could not answer.

  “Thanks, Baby.” He took a cautious sip of the hot brew, set the mug down on the table and stared across at his wife. “We should have seen some improvement by now, Kenni. Jeff was apprehensive when he called last
night. Lauren told him earlier that it’s okay if Michael dies because she knows he will go to Heaven. She said she felt in her heart that she must release him.” He sighed heavily, frowning. “She’s letting him go; maybe that’s what you do when you arrive at this point.”

  “That breaks my heart,” Kenni whispered, barely able to speak as tears formed in her eyes and a lump choked her throat. She could not imagine what Lauren was going through—perhaps on the verge of losing her only child and living relative. Lauren, who had been so brave throughout it all, so strong and dignified despite Michael’s deteriorating condition. She blinked back tears, clearing her throat in an attempt to dissipate the lump there as she looked at her husband. “I don’t know if I could be that selfless, even though I’d like to think so. Michael is all Lauren has in this world, and I know if he dies that God has a plan in all of this. It’s just hard to see what good could come out of the death of a widow’s only child.”

  Jeb was no stranger to losing his young patients, something he had never gotten used to. He had never been able to harden himself to the heartache and misery death caused for those left behind.

  “I’m so glad to have met Brownie. I never doubted God and have never regretted my decision to accept Christ, but I admit that it was reassuring to meet a real angel.” He smiled at his wife. “Does that make any sense?”

  Kenni nodded. “We take things on faith—or we’re supposed to—but what a blessing it was to meet Brownie and know who he is! I’ll never forget him.”

  “I wonder if Lauren knows Brownie,” Jeb pondered. “I know he’s spent a lot of time with Michael. Maybe she’s had the same experience as we have, and of course if she has, I doubt she’ll share it.”