"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."
(2 Corinthians 13:7-8)
"Mommy, tev me another story!" Alicia demanded, pulling her blanket up to her chin, and fixing her mother with her large, expressive eyes.
"But I've told you so many already!" her mother exclaimed, tucking back a strand of hair from Alicia's face.
"Pwease?" Alicia begged, with all the innocence of a three year old.
"Oh, okay then," her mother relented, and opened a book to read another story.
"Mommy, don't wead 'em, tev me one just vike that, from your 'magination." Alicia said, frowning at the book her mother held.
Her mother sighed, and then thought for a minute. She smiled as she recalled a story from her childhood, one that her own mother had told her. Recalling the sound of her own mother's voice, she started.
"This is an old legend," she said, "one that my mother told me."
Alicia listened quietly as her mother began.
"When God made the world, he made all kinds of things. Most of all, he made people. He liked making people. He made good, honest people and helped them lead a good honest life." She looked at Alicia. "Do you understand?"
Alicia nodded and asked her mother to go on.
"Well, when he made these people, they became families and for a long time, the world was a happy place. Then one day, God saw a young lady crying in the church. He listened as she poured her heart out.
She said, 'No one loves me anymore; what can I do?' She was crying very badly, because she felt lonely."
"Wouldn't you feel bad if no one loved you?" mother asked looking at Alicia, only to see a sad little face staring up at her from the pillow, nodding her head.
"I wouvd fev bad mommy." Alicia said softly, feeling sorry for the woman in the story.
"Yes, this young woman felt bad too. So, to make her happy, God called one of his angels. He said, 'That woman is unhappy. She has not met her soul mate yet. Could you help her find him?' the young angel, with wings of pure gold, said yes. Then, the angel flew down from heaven and helped the sad young woman find love."
"Was she happy then mommy?" Alicia asked.
"Yes honey, she lived happily ever after.
When the little angel went back to heaven, he found that one of his gold feathers was missing and in its place was a pure white one. He was worried and went to God, to ask him why his feather had fallen off. God told him 'When an angel helps someone find love, that angel loses a golden feather and in its place grows a white feather. That feather shows that the angel has done a good deed.'
The angel, after listening to God, went away determined to have a lot more white feathers."
"Where did the gold feather go then mommy?" Alicia asked her eyes wide.
"Well, they say that the person who has found true love finds the feather, and keeps It.", her mother said softly, tucking her daughter in.
"Wiv an angev hevp me too mommy?" Alicia asked, curious.
Her mother kissed her forehead and whispered, "Yes honey. An angel will help you too."
* * * * * * * *
"Gimme another shot." Alicia told the bartender, after draining her seventh glass of vodka for the evening. She never drank, but today was a special occasion. Yes siree today was decidedly special. Today was the day she came home to find her husband in bed with his secretary.
She had walked in that afternoon, intending to surprise Julian by coming home early to prepare dinner, but when she went in she heard the sounds coming from the bedroom.
Her first thought was the Julian had arrived home from work sick and was throwing up, but she was confronted with the real reason when she opened the door. There he was, kissing and pawing his naked secretary.
They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn't even notice she had come into the room until she walked over to them, yanked the bitch from her husband's arms and gave him a hard slap on his face.
Distraught, she had walked away, tears streaming down her face, turning a deaf ear to Julian's explanations and apologies. She strode out of the front door and slammed it in his face when he tried to follow her. She then raced down the steps and made her way to a small bar near their house.
Now here she was doing something she had sworn never to do. She was drowning her sorrows in glass after glass of alcohol. When the bartender placed yet another shot in front of her, she drained it quickly and asked for another.
By this time, the bartender, who had plenty of experience with such matters, served her shots with more water in it than vodka. She drank on, visions of their life together passing in front of her eyes like a film reel: the time they were in college; the day they got married; their honeymoon; the day they moved into their house; the day they got their St. Bernard pup...and now the day when he cheated on her with his secretary.
Suddenly, she broke into loud sobs, startling everyone in the bar. The bartender slowly and gently managed to move her to a corner table which was secluded, so she could cry in peace.
She lost count of time, and just sat there, wondering why he would do such a thing, why he would want another woman in his life when he already had her. Perhaps she wasn't good enough? Perhaps she wasn't a good wife?
All these agonizing thoughts kept swirling around in her mind until she suddenly exploded in anger. All her anger was directed at Julian, at how he could possibly cheat on her. Didn't he say he loved her? And didn't people who love each other always stay faithful? She had always remained faithful, even though there was temptation everywhere.
She was startled out of her reverie when she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, her eyes met the face of a strikingly beautiful woman. She had wild, black hair, a slender frame and gleaming brown eyes which were now filled with understanding and pity
She sat down next to Alicia and ordered a beer. Turning to her, she said, "I know I'm a total stranger, but I am a good listener. Mind telling me what's bothering you?"
Alicia was never one to open up readily with strangers, but today she was ready to spill it all out.
"I went home this afternoon," she said between sobs. "I found my husband, Julian, in bed with his secretary. Guess I'm not good enough for him anymore. Why did he have to do this...why?" And she broke down again, crying so hard that her whole body shook.
The woman sitting drew her close, comforting her.
Gradually Alicia's sobs subsided sufficiently for her to ask the woman's name.
"My name is Agnes." she said.
"Well, Agnes, I'm really sorry for dumping this on you but..."
