When Angels Fail...

The family member show and tell ended without any more embarrasing revelations. Spike thanked the kids for being good and they in turn thanked him for coming. He had a word with Sue and then with Winnie who handed back his badge. Trying his best to sound unaffected, he asked the young teacher what time he should collect Elena after school, she replied, "3pm."

With four hours to kill, Spike spend his free time at the library browsing and reading. What could be more relaxing than lounging on a comfortable chair, legs outstretched and speed reading an epic medieval story. But such was life that half an hour before he was due to leave the library to pick up Elena, an elderly woman had a cardiac episode. Initially, he didn't take any notice of a minor commotion near the librarian's desk until he overheard someone say, "Jess, call 911."

911, that was enough to get his attention. He hurriedly arose from his seat and headed to where a bunch of people have now huddled over the unconscious woman. Taking control of the situation, he asked for the gathered crowd to make room and proceeded to perform a life-saving first aid on her until the paramedics arrived.

He waited until she was safely on board the ambulance before heading to his car. As he pulled out of the car park, he saw a kindy-age girl similar to Elena crossing the street with her mother. "Geez," he said to himself. He glanced at the dashboard clock, five past three. He called the school to let them know he was picking up Elena Scarlatti and that he, unfortunately, would be 15 minutes late. The school registrar wasn't too pleased but nevertheless said, "I'll get someone to check on her. Please call back in five minutes."

He called back in five and was told, "The teacher will be keeping Elena with her. Do you know which classroom?" Spike let out a sigh of relief and said, "Yeah, I do. Thanks."

The traffic was heavier than he expected. It seemed all the parents in the entire City had converged on the same place at the same time. He just managed to keep his cool til he found a parking spot two blocks away. Jogging all the way to the Kindy, he was sweating buckets even though it was now the start of winter. He knocked on the classroom door before entering, apologising profusedly, "Sorry, I was caught up in an emergency," he said.

Winnie smiled, "It's ok, I don't normally leave until half an hour after class anyway. And she's a pleasure to be with." Elena brightened up at the compliment.

He sorted of didn't know exactly what to do but he was sure of one thing, It's now or never. Mustering the courage he didn't know he possessed, he said rather clumsily, in a contracted sentence that didn't make sense, "Um, ah, I was wondering... I was thinking... sorry, rewind."

He gulped before starting again, "Rewind. Ah, would you like to go out to dinner with me sometime?" His brown eyes didn't leave her face in hopeful expectation.

She replied without melodrama or embellishment, "Sure, why not?"

He smiled, nodded and said, "That's fantastic. I'll call you sometime." He saw Elena watching them in wonderment, he reached out his hand to her and said, "Let's go." Winnie looked a little stunned. At this stage, Angel Galileo frantically screamed at Spike, "Get her number!"

He looked at Angel Thaddeus and said, "Aren't you gonna do something?"

Thaddeus shrugged and said, "Do what? He can't see us; can't hear us. Let's face it, some people are more intuitive than others. He's more brainy than he is intuitive." Galileo's shoulders sagged.

But, alas, when Angels fail, a child succeeds.

As they rounded the corner, Elena stopped, crossed her arms and said, "You forget something?"

Spike looked at her for a moment and said, "I don't think so."

She rolled her eyes, opened out her arms, palms up, as if to say 'du'h' "You didn't get her phone number, how are you gonna call her?" Spike groaned. The precocious one motioned with her hands, adult-like, shooing him, "Go back, I'll wait here."

Spike looked at her gratefully and said, "Ok, be right back." She slumped on the floor crossed legged, placed her chin on her fists as she watched her Uncle race back to the classroom and murmured, "Adults!"

Winnie was a little disappointed, she gathered up her things and headed to the staff room where she caught up with Sue, "So he asked if you want to go out to dinner with him?"

"Yeah," the young teacher said, "But I think he was just being kind, he didn't asked for my number."

The Constable went to the classroom to find it empty, Bugger. Then he had the idea that she might be in the staff room, he asked a student where he might find it and was given the direction. He raced to it just in time...

"Winnie," he said softly, hardly daring to speak her name loudly.

She turned around, "Yes?"

"Phone number?" he asked beaming. She wrote it down on a yellow stick it note and he gave her a business card. A small gesture of an exchange...

Wonderfully, thankfully, once they found each other, everything fell into place. Spike found out fairly quickly that with Winnie he didn't have to be anyone but himself. And Winnie found out that with Spike she could become anyone she hoped to be.

Up on the ledge of Spike's building one night, Angel Galileo recited to Thaddeus, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Angel Thaddeus recited the rest of the scriptures, "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

They touched wings and said, "Amen."

A year later

Five year old Elena was resplendent in her flower girl's white gown, complete with wings and a basket of jasmine. But all eyes were on the bride who was beautifully dressed in white; in the arm of her father as they walked down the aisle; to marry the man who knew the moment he laid eyes on her that she was the one.

The End -

May you be the Angel in disguise who brings joy, love, peace and grace to someone in need. And likewise, may you be visited in your hours of need.