.

THE NEW LEADER

It was Tuesday morning - or was it Wednesday?  I know it was morning because I had just got up and was drinking my first cup of coffee.  You know what its like, you are still half asleep until that first slurp hit’s the spot.  Anyway, be it Tuesday or Wednesday suddenly a voice came over the loudspeaker informing us that all guardian angels must attend a meeting in the main hall immediately.  I know that when they say immediately they mean now, not in an hours time after I have done my hair, make up etc.  So off I went, my halo was still wonky, my wings needed fluffing out and my eyes were still full of sleepy dust but orders are orders.

When I arrived you could tell most of the angels had been up ages just by the way they looked.  Their halos and wings were just at the right angle and their gowns were in pristine condition.  Chief angel Martha looked at me, I just smiled and sat myself down at the back.  Gabby Gabriel (really it is just Gabriel but he does talk a lot) stood on the stage and greeted us all.  In unison we bowed our heads and returned the greeting.  Gabriel then said “Guardian Angels, those of you who have been here ten years or more are aware that every ten years we elect a new leader to work alongside me.  This angel is picked by a panel of senior angels who will look at your work, your attitude and demeanor.  Of course we have been looking at you all during the past year and we do have a short list, which will remain secret.” I was so excited, I could feel my wings quivering, I did my best to stop them as I did not want anyone to know that I wanted to be picked as leader  and  just hoped that I was on that short list.   You could hear a small murmur of voices as angels discussed this information.  Gabriel put up his hands to silence us, then, when all was quiet, dismissed us. 

As we walked out Martha called out “Bella, come over here please“ that’s me!  I thought she might confide in me that I was on the short list but no, all she wanted to say was I was a disgrace to the rest of the angels the way I looked and I must improve!  I floated back to my allotted station and thought of how I could be picked as leader.  I knew I would have to get up at least half an hour earlier to ensure I was always looking pristine, wings, halo and gown just so.  It would be hard but the rewards would be worth it.  But what I really needed was a good ‘save’.  All guardian angels are given a group of people to look after.  After all you can’t have angels flying here, there and everywhere rushing to the aid of the same people.  My group consisted of children up to three and adults from age 30 to 75 covering a radius of 10 miles.  I can tell you this can be hard work, you can imagine the toddlers, into everything so I needed to be alert and some of the adults never looked where they are going.  Every day I would sweep some child away from a pond or out of reach of a kettle of hot water; or quickly move an object off the floor that an old person was going to fall over.  But everyone did these jobs day in day out without a second thought.  No I needed a big one, but one where I saved all.  I know we are guardian angels but we cannot save everyone but I can tell you we always do our very best.

I started my regime immediately, I tidied myself and my station up and went off to work making sure I smiled and had a pleasant word for all the angels I met, including the ones that I had never liked, after all you never knew who was watching   My days were filled with the usual work , which with me getting up earlier than normal I was finding very, very tiring but I kept working, smiling and generally being useful but still no sign of a big one.  After about two weeks I have got to say I was beginning to get a bit fed up of all this niceness, but all the time the thought of being leader was in my mind spurring me on.

According to the notice board there was one week to go before the new leader would be announced when I got the call!!  A group of children, about 25 in all, from a local nursery were going out to the park and were preparing to cross a very busy road at a zebra crossing and a lorry was careering out of control, its brakes failing.  I was off!  I was so fast my wings were flapping like mad but I had my duty to perform.  Just in time, I managed to use all my strength and stop the lorry. I managed to first guide it into a small hedge on the side of the road before it came to a halt.  Of course the children had no idea of the danger they were in but the look of relief on the driver’s face was a sight to behold.

I had made my big one before the announcement of the new leader, the only trouble is you never know who, if anybody saw you.  Just to make sure I told a few people, well more than a few, if we were in recreation I mentioned it, on the way to our daily meetings I mentioned it, I had to be sure those who needed to know knew.

The big day arrived, I made sure I was clean, neat and tidy and on time.  I sat in the hall full of excitement just hoping against hope it would be me.  Gabriel droned on about duty, loyalty, care etc (I did say we called him Gabby didn’t I?)  Then he announced the name, Dora was to be the next leader.  Dora, Dora, not me.  Well you can imagine I was devastated.  As we left the hall Martha again called me over.  I thought maybe she was going to tell me I had been a close second but no, she said “Bella, we are very disappointed in the way you have behaved lately, you have not shown humility, you have shown off telling everyone of the save you carried out.  For this lack of discretion you will be sent to the office of learning for two weeks where perhaps you will learn to be a proper guardian angel thinking of others not just yourself”.   Anyway that’s what I’m in here for, what have you done wrong?