The Littlest Angel

The littlest angel perched on the edge of a cloud to watch the great descent.

She tucked the cloud in around her like a cool, moist blanket so it covered her dappled grey wings which were mostly the colour of twilight. Any angel who looked this way would see her, but feeling hidden felt better.

The first of the departing angels dived from a higher up cloud, wings tightly held in to gain speed.

How she wished she could plummet toward earth like a falling star, too.

But she had not been called yet.

She sighed and watched another angel dive.

All her lessons were over. The friends she used to play tag with were all earthside now.

Maybe she had not been chosen due to being so little.

As a pair of angels jumped together, she remembered watching her best friend take the plunge and slide down a rainbow. What a special moment that was.

Earlier today, she watched her favourite teacher welcoming a new batch of angels. She knew that in other parts of heaven, other batches were progressing too, always more angels being needed.

If only she could have gone along and joined this group, pretended that she, too, newly arrived in heaven, brought into being by a thought of God, was ready and eager to learn all about becoming a guardian.

The fiery colours of sunset flared on the creamy wings of the last angel to descend as if their wings were on fire with the speed of their plunge toward earth.

The littlest angel shrugged off the wisps of cloud and hovered like a hummingbird though she did not need to move her wings at all.

Though her heart felt heavy, intention was enough to keep her floating. Some will power might be needed in stormy weather, but the air was calm for now.

The first star glimmered as twilight deepened into night.

Below, the spinning globe began to reveal clusters of sparkling lights. People in villages, towns and cities pushed back the darkness with electricity.

Science was not her strongest subject, but she learned enough to pass muster. Angels, of course, had to know about everything to become a guardian for a newborn baby.

Her breath caught as she noticed a Greater Angel rising. The angelic wingspan blotted out part of the lightscape below.

To her surprise, the enormous angel flew toward her.

The powerful angel paused with the great face just the right level for their eyes to meet. “Bless your wings,” the angel said with a smile, “are you still up here, little one?”

The littlest angel could only nod. Her throat felt too tight for words.

“Your time will come,” the Greater Angel promised, raising a hand in farewell before ascending into the night sky where thousands of stars glowed.

“Bless you,” she replied and lifted her head to watch the shadowy wings moving upward, easy to see because they hid the stars.

She could have danced from cloud to cloud as she liked to do. Sitting on a cloud, she could enjoy the view of the nightside or flown around the planet to where the sun shone. Reviewing what she had learned would have made her miss her classmates and besides, angels were blessed with much better memories than people.

Instead, the littlest angel became smaller. She condensed herself into a tiny sphere of light to drift with the atmospheric currents. Until another angel needed her or called her to be a guardian or she simply wanted to experience life again, she would continue in this form, completely safe from harm.

Her last thought before she yielded to the wind was how her teacher explained to the new batch of angels that souls embodied on earth did not have this divine protection. That was why each one was sent a guardian angel at birth. Of course, whether the soul listened to the whispers of their own special angel was another thing entirely. Each had free will and could choose to do whatever they wanted.

After drifting for days and nights, the littlest angel finally expanded into her everyday form. She enjoyed the bright sunlight and warmth on her wings as she gazed down at the landscape far below. From her study of geography, she recognised Ayer’s Rock in Australia.

On impulse, she swooped down for a closer look, knowing she would be invisible except to other angels. A group of people on the ground gazing at the mountain were listening to another person. Behind them, of course, she saw a cluster of their guardian angels.

Studying their wing colours, she did not recognise anyone she knew but then, no babies were amongst them. She liked how every angelic colour pattern was as unique as fingerprints for people. Many colours were combined, but even the solid colours included a sprinkling of gold or a splash of another colour somewhere.

When very young, she collected discarded feathers to keep in a pouch at her belt. After completing her last lesson, she flew to a great height and released all the feathers to watch the wind scatter them.

Some of the gathered angels murmured silent prayers. A few were sending healing light to the embodied soul they guarded. Others were just waiting and keeping watch. They would do their best and, if their whispers were ignored, maybe next time they would be heard and acted upon.

Patience and persistence were two of the qualities that all her studies helped her develop.

The littlest angel took to the sky and flew over the continent. Below her, she recognised kangaroos and wallabies then passed through a flight of colourful birds. She when she landed near a huge flock of green parakeets spread out feasting, tiny compared to other birds like her to angels.

Since her presence did not worry them, she opened her wings in the first guardian stance. One after another, she practiced the different postures meant to focus her will and sharpen her perception.

Next, she began to whisper, first to one little green bird, then to another, pretending each was her very own chosen one. Words of caution as well as courage and comfort. She felt every well up from her heart. Was there not a little baby somewhere that needed her?

The flock of green budgerigars took flight.

Her own wings twitched, but she kept herself rooted to the ground, merely an observer.

Dark predatory wings streaked through the flurry of green birds.

Outstretched talons missed their prey.

She knew from her lessons that the hawk would not always miss.

Feeling restless from their abrupt flight, she opened her wings and climbed back into the sky and began searching for a cloud that was just her size.

Later that day, the littlest angel was sending light to each of her classmates as she often did when she heard her name called, loud and clear and unmistakable.

As she flew toward the summons, she sent light to the last two, not wanting to neglect anyone. Joy overflowed her heart so that it radiated outward.

Grey clouds ahead and the rumble of distant thunder did not diminish her gratitude.

Her favourite teacher, standing on a cloud, opened arms and wings to enfold the littlest angel in a loving hug. “It is time,” she said formally. “Today is the day. A precious soul is about to be born and needs you to nurture them.”

“I will,” said the littlest angel, standing tall with her wings spread wide.

After hearing her agreement, her teacher whispered, “Three months early.”

The littlest angel felt those words of advice hit her. Early births did not always survive long, but she could only do her best.

“Go forth and bring light,” the teacher declared.

Calling upon all her courage, the littlest angel folded her wings tightly and dove downward, letting gravity take hold.

She squinted as she passed through the cold moist clouds.

When she emerged from the cloud cover, she saw the hospital building.

Her teacher was already standing in the rain, waiting to guide her to the delivery room where the soul was about to be born.