The Angel
By: Linda Norland 4laugh
I am running. The wind blows at me, clawing my lungs and penetrating my eyelids. It wants to blow me away like a leaf and tear me apart. But this is not my will, and this the wind knows. In the summer we, the wind and I, are friends. Now, though, we are enemies.
The light from the Public Library shines across the grass. Still the wind blows, now screaming in my ears. “STOP,” it yells, “DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER, OR I SHALL MAKE YOU TURN AROUND!!!” But I do not heed. My foot turns numb and my leg slows. Eventually I trip and land on my foot. It seemed to awaken full of a million bees. I cringe, but only momentarily, because finally the library is looming over me. I open the doors and shove myself inside. The light and warmth wash over me. Suddenly, like a cold pot in which hot liquid is poured, I shattered. The sudden change in temperature was so severe that a shock of pain slashed me apart, and suddenly the ground was alarmingly close to my head. The wind was right, I thought, The wind was right.
When I awaken a lady is over me. “Oh, god you're alright. That was a right good state you were in.” she said. “Ain't I dead?” I asked her. I sure hurt, but not as much as before. “Oh, no darling. Do you feel alright or do you think that I should take you to the hospital?” she replied. I shook my head. Dealing with pain was no big deal for me. I lived on the streets. I was tough. It was than that I realized she had covered me with a coat and propped me up against the lobby wall. I attempted to stand, but failed and fell back over. “No, no sweet. I think you need take you to the hospital.” she said and got up. I decided not to complain, because I didn't like pain. “Let me look at your legs.” she cooed. Slowly she rolled up my pants, but looked away very quickly. A tear soared down her cheek. I could tell then it was bad.Than she gave me a most pitiful look and said, “Oh, dear I am going to call an ambulance.” She took out a small cell phone and dialed the hospital. “Yes, I have a hurt girl...what is your name sweet?” she said. It took me few seconds to realize she was speaking to me. “Um...” I hardly used my name to the point where I couldn't remember it right away. “ Amelia Tushkov." I replied. The lady nodded and started talking on the phone again. She looked about 40 or so and very beautiful. But it was covering up a great sadness. I tried to imagine what her name would be. I thought while she talked on the phone and came up with one name. She got off and came over to me. “An ambulance is coming.” My eyes widened. I didn't want an ambulance. Those were for dieing people. An awful thought came into my head, and before I could restrain myself, I blurted “I'm dieing, aren't I?”. “No, no dear. It's not that bad.” she told me with a small sympathetic smile. “It'll be all right.” But I learned long ago not to trust that phrase. It meant that I wasn't going to improve. It meant I was only going to get worse.
* * *
The ambulance arrived not long after, and several men in white robes came out and took me in on a stretcher. I cringed in pain as they did so, but not physically. A painful memory was surfacing in my mind. I pushed it away before I could give into replaying it in my mind. Than the ambulance took off at top speed, with the siren on and everything. Gosh, I am worser off than I thought. The kind lady stood over me and I knew I was safe, so I fell asleep right there.
When I awoke, I was in a white room on a bed. The pain was still there, but it had shifted and focused to my knees. A lady in white was in a corner with a computer. “Ma'am, where am I?” I asked her. She jumped and swiveled her chair to face me. Than she gave me another one of those pitiful smiles, though it wasn't as beautiful as the young librarian's. “You're at the Medicare Hospital.” she replied. “How are you feeling?” “In pain.” I answered. “That's to be expected after you get half your legs are amputated.” she replied. “Amputated?” I questioned. “You're legs were so badly
frost burned that we—removed them.” the lady explained. “You mean, my feet are gone?” I asked her. Rather reluctantly, she nodded. I sat up, ignoring her commands to lay back down. I flipped the blankets back, and a sickening sight met my eyes. There was nothing below my knees. Shocked, I screamed “But I can still feel them! How could they possibly be gone when I can still feel them?!” She tried to soothe me, but I kept crying anyways. I had lost my parents, my sisters, and now my legs? It wasn't fair!!!!! My life had already been torn from me; my
family, my house, my friends. Why! And I screamed this, loud enough for everyone to hear. I wanted my scream to reach God. I wanted out of this. It couldn't possibly be as bad to die!!!!
When I finished my fit, hoarse and tired, I immediately fell into a troublesome sleep.
The beautiful lady came in the day after my fit. She sat down next to me and said, “You're alright, see?” I nodded. Than I asked a question right out of the blue at her. “Why are you sad?” She looked at me and let her brave face falter for a moment. “I once
had a daughter. But she—passed on.” Than the lady got up and left the room.
Eventually I recovered enough to leave the hospital. But I had no home or anywhere at all in that matter to go to. But at the moment when we, the doctors and I were discussing this, the beautiful librarian spoke up ,“I should be happy to take care of her until she is old enough to sustain herself.” My heart leaped. I might actually have a home. God had heard me and sent an angel down to help me! She took me to her home after that in her red Subaru. On the way home I said to her “Is your name Angela?” “Why?” she replied with a laugh so sweet I could almost taste it. “Because you are an angel, and because that was my mother's name.” I told her. “And you are just like her.” And even though I couldn't see her face, I could tell that she was crying, and her tears were of joy.
question question question question question
By: Linda Norland 4laugh
I am running. The wind blows at me, clawing my lungs and penetrating my eyelids. It wants to blow me away like a leaf and tear me apart. But this is not my will, and this the wind knows. In the summer we, the wind and I, are friends. Now, though, we are enemies.
The light from the Public Library shines across the grass. Still the wind blows, now screaming in my ears. “STOP,” it yells, “DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER, OR I SHALL MAKE YOU TURN AROUND!!!” But I do not heed. My foot turns numb and my leg slows. Eventually I trip and land on my foot. It seemed to awaken full of a million bees. I cringe, but only momentarily, because finally the library is looming over me. I open the doors and shove myself inside. The light and warmth wash over me. Suddenly, like a cold pot in which hot liquid is poured, I shattered. The sudden change in temperature was so severe that a shock of pain slashed me apart, and suddenly the ground was alarmingly close to my head. The wind was right, I thought, The wind was right.
When I awaken a lady is over me. “Oh, god you're alright. That was a right good state you were in.” she said. “Ain't I dead?” I asked her. I sure hurt, but not as much as before. “Oh, no darling. Do you feel alright or do you think that I should take you to the hospital?” she replied. I shook my head. Dealing with pain was no big deal for me. I lived on the streets. I was tough. It was than that I realized she had covered me with a coat and propped me up against the lobby wall. I attempted to stand, but failed and fell back over. “No, no sweet. I think you need take you to the hospital.” she said and got up. I decided not to complain, because I didn't like pain. “Let me look at your legs.” she cooed. Slowly she rolled up my pants, but looked away very quickly. A tear soared down her cheek. I could tell then it was bad.Than she gave me a most pitiful look and said, “Oh, dear I am going to call an ambulance.” She took out a small cell phone and dialed the hospital. “Yes, I have a hurt girl...what is your name sweet?” she said. It took me few seconds to realize she was speaking to me. “Um...” I hardly used my name to the point where I couldn't remember it right away. “ Amelia Tushkov." I replied. The lady nodded and started talking on the phone again. She looked about 40 or so and very beautiful. But it was covering up a great sadness. I tried to imagine what her name would be. I thought while she talked on the phone and came up with one name. She got off and came over to me. “An ambulance is coming.” My eyes widened. I didn't want an ambulance. Those were for dieing people. An awful thought came into my head, and before I could restrain myself, I blurted “I'm dieing, aren't I?”. “No, no dear. It's not that bad.” she told me with a small sympathetic smile. “It'll be all right.” But I learned long ago not to trust that phrase. It meant that I wasn't going to improve. It meant I was only going to get worse.
* * *
The ambulance arrived not long after, and several men in white robes came out and took me in on a stretcher. I cringed in pain as they did so, but not physically. A painful memory was surfacing in my mind. I pushed it away before I could give into replaying it in my mind. Than the ambulance took off at top speed, with the siren on and everything. Gosh, I am worser off than I thought. The kind lady stood over me and I knew I was safe, so I fell asleep right there.
When I awoke, I was in a white room on a bed. The pain was still there, but it had shifted and focused to my knees. A lady in white was in a corner with a computer. “Ma'am, where am I?” I asked her. She jumped and swiveled her chair to face me. Than she gave me another one of those pitiful smiles, though it wasn't as beautiful as the young librarian's. “You're at the Medicare Hospital.” she replied. “How are you feeling?” “In pain.” I answered. “That's to be expected after you get half your legs are amputated.” she replied. “Amputated?” I questioned. “You're legs were so badly
frost burned that we—removed them.” the lady explained. “You mean, my feet are gone?” I asked her. Rather reluctantly, she nodded. I sat up, ignoring her commands to lay back down. I flipped the blankets back, and a sickening sight met my eyes. There was nothing below my knees. Shocked, I screamed “But I can still feel them! How could they possibly be gone when I can still feel them?!” She tried to soothe me, but I kept crying anyways. I had lost my parents, my sisters, and now my legs? It wasn't fair!!!!! My life had already been torn from me; my
family, my house, my friends. Why! And I screamed this, loud enough for everyone to hear. I wanted my scream to reach God. I wanted out of this. It couldn't possibly be as bad to die!!!!
When I finished my fit, hoarse and tired, I immediately fell into a troublesome sleep.
The beautiful lady came in the day after my fit. She sat down next to me and said, “You're alright, see?” I nodded. Than I asked a question right out of the blue at her. “Why are you sad?” She looked at me and let her brave face falter for a moment. “I once
had a daughter. But she—passed on.” Than the lady got up and left the room.
Eventually I recovered enough to leave the hospital. But I had no home or anywhere at all in that matter to go to. But at the moment when we, the doctors and I were discussing this, the beautiful librarian spoke up ,“I should be happy to take care of her until she is old enough to sustain herself.” My heart leaped. I might actually have a home. God had heard me and sent an angel down to help me! She took me to her home after that in her red Subaru. On the way home I said to her “Is your name Angela?” “Why?” she replied with a laugh so sweet I could almost taste it. “Because you are an angel, and because that was my mother's name.” I told her. “And you are just like her.” And even though I couldn't see her face, I could tell that she was crying, and her tears were of joy.
question question question question question
