ANGELS

“This boy looks so quiet that you can hear the sound of air around him” People say as he passes by every time. A complete nerd! From his scrubby hair to thick glasses down to his big shoes supporting his pulled up shorts. However no one knows the emotional anguish lurking in him.. The tears he sheds every night because he saw a big world from a small box.
Close friends kept pushing him back because he was unpretentious. Family was in shackles bound by misery. Everything was in a mess! An admitted mother at the hospital. A distraught daddy. Growing little brothers who couldn’t get a grasp of what was happening. Who should he turn to? He keeps fighting mentally because he believes in hope.
He sets for school in a hurry the next day, however anticipates the caning he would receive – at least 10 lashes to his back, because Daddy doesn’t have a car and there’s no mummy to prepare breakfast for the family. Walking to school from home would take at least 45 minutes along a weedy path.
He sets for his journey with his big backpack as usual, walking with the speed of light. In the middle of his journey. He encounters an old lady heavily laden with tied clothes on her head and a quavering walking stick in her right hand.
As a gesture of politeness, it is expected of him to help this old lady. He looks at his watch and at the old woman. Good will over knowledge?
He helps this old woman carry out half of her journey. This old lady tells him “my son, you are going through a lot! Your life is tough! You don’t understand a lot of things happening in your life, and you won’t understand anytime soon. But you do believe in God right? At the back of his mind, he knows the gray haired woman is telling the absolute truth. A soothsayer? A magician? Or an angel? He quietly continues the journey with the old woman as they get to her house.
She blesses him and tells him not to worry, God has got every situation under control. He holds back the tear at the corner of his eye and hurries off to school.
Surprisingly, the headmaster was not around. Neither were his teachers. They are in a staff meeting which would last 3 hours. His coming is saluted by a very boisterous class. Everyone in the class wonders why he’s so late however he all he thinks of is his indisposed mother.
He doesn’t pay attention in class and scores 3 out of 10 in a test conducted. Surprised, the teacher beats him and encourages him to sit up oblivious of what is happening in his life. But this young boy has learned to live in silence.
He hurries back home after school because he has to fetch his siblings from school. However receives the ashtonishment of his life when he sees his grandmother at home. “What has happened?” ‘This cannot be good news” As he gets close. His grandmother hugs him and whispers in his ears. “Mum is back!” He throws away his backpack and rushes to see his smiling mother in the hallway. He hugs his mother and wonders what miracle would have brought her back home in a jiffy.
His siblings are already home and his Dad has prepared lunch. He’s so happy he has totally forgotten about the old lady. He’s so cheerful as he encircles the house..His prayers have been answered.
As he takes lunch, he jogs his memory and makes out the old lady smiling at him. He also smiles in complete silence and continues with his meal continually trust in God and believing in angels.