Guarding us all the way

It was well after midnight when we started on our journey. We had just finished dinner when we received the phone call about Karla's Aunt Tess. She had passed away in her sleep.

She had been more than just her aunt, she had been her care giver for most of Karla's life. She was the one who generously provided the funds for Karla to get her nursing degree. She was the mother that Karla lost when she was eight years old.

We had only been married two years, I never had the chance to meet this wonderful lady. She had never got to see our first born, Theresa. Aunt Tess's last three years had been spent in a nursing home two thousand miles across country. She didn't recognize or remember Karla when she last went to see her, so we got caught up in our own lives, hoping to visit her on our next vacation.

Karla would now be seeing her for the very last time, as we were on our way back east for her funeral services. The weather was threatening when we left to drive to the airport. I don't ever remember the winds howling with such ferocity. Theresa was asleep in the car seat in the back. My neck and shoulders were stiff and tight, trying to keep the car on the road through winds that were only getting stronger. Afraid that we were going to get stuck at the airport until the wind dwindled or died down, we thought we should stop at a convience store for an extra package of disposable diapers.

As soon as we drove into the parking lot the wind picked up to a frightening pitch, bringing a torrentially dangerous rain with it. As I exited my car, pulling my coat collar up aroung my neck, I heard a small frail voice call from the other end of the parking lot. "Sir, please I'm all alone, my car won't start." I looked for the sound of the voice, and saw a small thin lovely looking woman beckoning with her finger. "Please Sir." I got back into the car, thinking she probably just needs a battery charge, and backed the car out to move it next to where her old car was parked.

The crash was deafening. Sparks flashed and spewed all over the parking spot I had just moved from. The huge overhead sign had broken loose and layed, smashed and twisted where only moments before I had parked my precious family. Neither the old car or the old woman were anywhere in sight.

We were only held up at the airport for two hours, just long enough for the storm front to pass. Arriving at our destination we headed straight for the Funeral Parlour. Walking up to the casket gave me the jolt of my life. The lovely little woman who asked for help in the parking lot at home, layed there dressed in blue and white. A blue shawl covered her thin shoulders.

Karla only smiled when I told her that it was her Aunt Tess, who guarded and protected us the night before, in that terrible storm. She is indeed our Guardian Angel.

Submitted by: Scott Holloran