Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Angel's Sigh

My bicycle coasts down Tybrisa Street to the ocean in the early morning time of delivery trucks, sunrise watchers, and people sitting on benches smoking cigarettes as they vacantly stare ... somewhere else. Old men sit in doorways reading newspapers, drinking coffee or staring at the birth of a new day. The restaurants are beginning to fill with breakfast lovers, the bars are closed and City workers are blowing yesterday's leftovers away. The sun's brilliance is throwing golden rays down the streets, not yet high enough to drive all of the nights demons away. Darting in and out of luminosity and shadows, I breeze by these things, riding high. All is quiet ... aside from the seagulls, the occasional slamming of a delivery truck door and the sometimes murmuring of "Good Morning" by someone who may or may not mean it. It feels like prayer. I'm thinking about yesterday on this new day. Sarah lost her last grandparent and I still remember when I lost mine. I was in St. Martin when my grandmother died. Mom called with a broken voice to tell me. Immediately, I did all of the rearranging of plans to get home as soon as I could. In some ways her funeral was built around me.I ended up speaking at it, representing her grandchildren and it was a sad day when ... the Angels sighed. We booked Sarah's flights and she talked to her folks as the news of what was happening when became clearer. She'd preoccupied herself throughout most of the day by painting rooms as an old house is made new. There wasn't much for to do except be respectful, help when I could while staying out of the way, and sigh with the Angels. It breaks your heart when someone leaves and ... you don't know why. I believe in Angels. I don't know why but I do. When they're not helping God with Her camouflage, I think they sigh a lot. I know they did yesterday. But ... I believe in second chances too ... which is the commodity of angels. Second chances come often in life and mostly the playing cards of believers. People who don't believe give one shot and you're out. Of course if you believe, then just because life runs out doesn't mean you don't get a second chance there too. Turning my bicycle around, I coast to the top of the cross walk into the bright sunshine of this new day. He is risen! Sprinkling diamonds on the ocean, the air smells of salt and dolphins dance. I take a moment and complete my prayer. Then I make my way home again.