Untitled

Chapter Forty One

The phone rang just as Lisa and Christine were finishing a complimentary breakfast in their room at the Waldon Hotel. Lisa took the call. "It was Fire Chief Morgan. He'll be here in a little bit to bring us our car," she told Christine after hanging up.
"What service, I must say," laughed Christine. "I hope he has a report on that family."
"Yeah, me too."
They didn't have to wait long. There was a knock at the door. The Fire Chief was a giant of a man, dwarfing Lisa in the doorway. 'He looks different out of uniform,' she thought.
"Please come in."
"No thank you, I can't stay too long. I'm on my way to Albuquerque."
"Well, how are the kids doing?" Lisa asked anxiously.
"Thanks to you two, they're gonna be fine. I read the police report and went back to the scene early this morning. I can't express in words how grateful I am that you two happened by when you did.
"The fellow you pulled up that bank is my brother-in-law and the two kids my niece and nephew. If I hadn't seen the evidence with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed you did it. It should have taken two men my size to perform that feat. He weighs over two hundred and fifty pounds; more than you two put together.
"Again, thanks to you it looks like he's gonna live. He lost a lot of blood and would have died if you hadn't put that tourniquet on. He had to be air-lifted to Albuquerque where he's being operated on right now."
"What about the others," asked Christine in a concerned voice.
"The other two were my sister and little nephew. They didn't make it."
Christine's heart dropped and her stomach churned. And her face was a picture of distress. Up to this point, the Chief had been able to restrain his emotion, but now his right eye started to drain a tear. He quickly wiped it away with his shirt sleeve and took a couple of deep breaths to compose himself. Then he turned to the task of comforting Christine, in whose eyes he read guilt and self condemnation.
"They died instantly on impact. There was nothing you could have done. I don't know if it would have made any difference but before they were thrown clear they were in the front seat and the little one was most likely in her lap. And they weren't belted. I've told her about that a million times." His eye teared again. "I better go now." The big man reached out with a huge hand to shake theirs.
"Please let us know how things turn out." Christine's voice was raspy from intense emotion.
"I will. And thank you again." Lisa simply nodded, having no words to convey her sympathy. But her eyes spoke for her.
The big man slowly lumbered down the hall toward the elevator.

Downstairs, their car was waiting in the hotel entrance drive, washed and detailed. Christine's cherished belt, which had been left behind by her father when he left home, was laying on the front seat.
"Now I ask you," said Lisa, attempting to lighten the mood. "Do you think that we can make it to California without another incident?" With a blank stare, Christine nodded, preoccupied with her own thoughts.
They drove in silence toward the Arizona border. Lisa could feel the tension radiating from her young friend. "You OK, kiddo?" asked Lisa in a temperate tone of voice.
"Where were their guardian angels?" Christine demanded angrily in an uncharacteristically loud voice.
Lisa could feel Christine's mounting frustration as she desperately searched for the right thing to say. She could think of nothing to say that would comfort Christine in her present angry state, so she spoke the honest truth.
"I don't know, honey."
"Why did that mother and baby have to die? And now the other two kids don't have a mother."
"Mothers are pretty important, aren't they," replied Lisa with the idea of evading the direct question and refocusing on Christine's mother.
"Yeah, I guess so, but that's not the point." Despite herself, Christine sounded a bit subdued. Lisa had made a direct hit.
"Yes it is the point. You and your mother were once very important to each other. Now you are at odds and you have run away. And you're both miserable. For the time being, you have lost a mother and she has lost a daughter. And I will do anything I can to help guide you in the right direction while trying not to judge who's right or wrong. I can only trust that eventually you both will be reunited and better from the experience.
"Similarly, even though we don't understand it, and as sad as it is, who are we to judge that losing their mother is not right for those children in the long run. We can only see the immediate pain. We cannot see the future. But we have to trust that the suffering will serve a greater good.
"That mother and child have crossed over to the other side, or gone to heaven, or are in God's hands. It all means the same thing. They did not die though, only their bodies did. Their souls are very much alive and happy and at peace and will continue to grow. Chances are they are close to their loved ones, in spirit, right now and trying to communicate their love and assurance that they're alright.
"Why people have to die at a certain time, I don't know. What I do know is that, in spirit, they can remain close to us. I have often felt the presence of my father. And my father often visited my mother in her dreams. Dreams so vivid that she swore they were not your ordinary dream. And my mother appeared to her grandson the night of her death and gave him a reassuring message to give to the rest of us. Why she picked him remains as part of the big mystery.
"And what about you? You have seen a face and heard a voice. Like your mother said, maybe she is your great-grandmother whose role is now to guide and protect you.
"And in case you don't know, even Jesus appeared to his disciples in spirit form after his crucifixion. If he can do it, so can we. He even said that. I, personally, feel encouraged and uplifted when these things unfold before me in my life. Do you believe me so far?"
"Yes," Christine's eyes were sad, but her voice and face were calmer.
"Then, isn't it reasonable to assume that the children, the husband, and even the chief, will come to be better, stronger, and deeper in their faith than they were before, from that experience?"
"Yeah, I guess so when you put it like that."
"We endure the pain and go on and sooner or later things get better."
"I do have to say that being with you sure has been better for me."
"It's been better for me too, Christine."
"And it'll be great when I find my father," Christine said in a confident voice.
"OK then, let's get that frown off your face. We can only do the best we can and have a little faith that our loving creator knows what He's doing."
Though still confused, Christine obviously felt better. Lisa could see her mature with each new experience, as was she.

The majestic, yet beautiful and peaceful hills and cliffs of the Painted Desert they were passing through had a soothing effect.
"Pretty soon we'll be coming to an Indian reservation," announced Lisa.
"I've never been to one. Do you think we could stop?"
"Don't see why not." They drove into a small town. The street was narrow and lined with shops and stores on both sides, most of which catered to souvenir hunters.
Lisa pulled to the side of the street and parked. They wandered down the street looking into windows as they strolled. Christine picked a shop at random and they went inside. She was first attracted to the counter display case. She surveyed the jewelry displayed on a black velvet covered shelf.
"Lisa, come here and look at this one." She pointed at a raw octagon crystal. It was mounted on a silver pyramid-shaped structure. It had a silver chain with seven decorative Indian beads strung on each side next to the mounting. Lisa thought it was ugly because it wasn't concentric or perfectly dimensioned. Christine seemed enchanted by it, though.
"How much is it?" Lisa whispered, pretending as if she liked it. Christine strained her eyes to read the little tag. "Forty dollars," she replied disappointedly.
They both looked up from the case at the same time. Looking directly at them was a dark complexioned old lady whose face was deeply wrinkled. She had been standing there a couple of minutes, allowing them the courtesy of finishing their study without interruption. She was colorfully dressed in what Lisa guessed to be traditional Indian attire. She had unusual, piercing blue eyes that were intently focused on Christine.
"Do you like that one, child?" She spoke in a soft, sweet voice.
"Yes, I'm very attracted to it."
The old Indian lady removed it from the case and walked around to the other side of the counter to behind Christine. She had to reach high to lower the necklace over Christine's head. She carefully lifted the girl's long, silky black hair so the chain could rest against her neck. Then she gently turned Christine by the shoulders so she could see how the necklace looked. Christine glanced down to admire it.
"I love it," she said enthusiastically. Lisa started reaching into her purse.
The old Indian lady again stared intently into Christine's eyes. "Then it is yours," she said.
"Ohhh no... I can't take it."
"Please child, accept it as a gift from an old lady who loves to see a happy face." Christine instinctively hugged her as if she had known her for years. "I am told," said the Indian lady, "that you are one of us and that the ancestors are watching over you."
"Told, told by who?" Christine asked curiously with a tone of skepticism in her voice. The woman's only response was a mystical smile.
"You and your friend go in peace now, you have a long way yet to travel." Christine started to leave but stopped in the doorway when the Indian woman spoke again. "Christine!" she called out. "I am to tell you that they were there. They were all there." She emphasized the word "all". Christine managed a grateful but puzzled smile, and wiggled her fingers in an affectionate goodbye.
Lisa overheard all this and understood, but felt she should keep it to herself for the time being.
She decided to let Christine drive since the majority of the way would be through the Arizona desert, and the task might keep her young friend from asking too many questions before allowing her mind to flow freely.
The plan worked for about an hour. But even the magic of driving a convertible through the desert was overcome by Christine's curiosity over what happened back on the reservation.
"Lisa, she called me Christine. How did she know my name? And what do you think she meant when she said, 'they were all there?' "
"What do you think?"
"I haven't the foggiest," replied Christine in bewilderment.
"If you ask me then, I'd say that our lovely old Indian lady was psychic. And obviously she felt there was some kind of connection between you and her."
"I thought that all psychics were phonies."
"Not so," Lisa stated emphatically. "I used to think that way too, until I met Doc Summers. He also has psychic abilities. Sometimes he would know when one of his patients needed him. These people usually lived in rural areas several miles from his clinic or home, and a lot of them didn't have phones. He said he would get an intuitive feeling about the person. He was almost always right. He said he would know from feelings that he would pick up telepathically. And sometimes he thought he was receiving subtle messages from guides or guardian angels. I know it's true, because I saw it with my own eyes. He says guides can be deceased persons who have chosen to remain in spirit, in the earth plane to help and guide others. They also often stay behind to watch over loved ones-like your grandmother, perhaps.
"Angels come from a higher order of beings. As an extension of God, they are actually messengers and can intercede into the lives of either living people or disembodied spirits in order to assist in times of need.
"And it seems that incidents of miracles and angelic intervention are on the rise. These spiritual entities have been around since the beginning of mankind. Proof of their existence in one form or another has been documented in all cultures and religions. For example, there are numerous mention of angels in the Bible. And you know, that despite all of the evidence proving it, a lot of people still don't believe. They sure change their mind fast though, when they have a first-hand encounter. Then they're willing to go on TV talk shows and such to tell their story. Some even write books about it. And a lot of times it changes their lives."
Christine nodded earnestly in agreement. Excited at the prospect now, she asked; "Lisa, the old Indian lady said, 'they were all there.' Do you think she could have meant that the angels were there at that accident scene for you and me and the other people too?"
"Indeed I do. I definitely do. Without a doubt. We had to have gotten the strength from some source outside of ourselves to drag that big man up that muddy ravine. And I also believe they were there to reassure and guide those two souls who were killed in the accident. There is no doubt in my mind about that. My friend Doc Summers told me of his experiences and the experiences of others he knew regarding the intervention of angels in time of crisis.
"I think you and I were given the gift of participating, with spirit, in the rescue of that family. And I say outloud, thank you God!' "
Christine was bubbling inside with awe and a new-felt inspiration. "You've made me feel a lot better about it. Thank you."
"I'm sorry, but I can't take the credit. Remember, you were the one who asked, 'Where were their angels?"
"Yeah, `but I didn't expect to get an answer like that. In fact, when I think about what's been happening the last couple of days, it's like it was all planned out ahead of time."
'Join the club,' thought Lisa.
"But that can't be, because it was we who decided to stay at Helen and Jack's, and it was we who decided to take the southern route, and it was I who decided to go into that little store where the Indian lady was." Christine's confusion was deepening.
"I know that, but remember what Helen said-'everything happens for a reason.' In other words, God has a way of revealing to us and allowing us to create the experiences we need when we are ready. It's all done through universal synchronicity within which is the flexibility to simultaneously adapt to any given situation. Situations we place ourselves in as a result of our choices. Doc Summers says it's all set up so we can learn and grow." Christine looked even more confused.
Lisa stopped talking and gazed out over the wide open, seemingly endless desert, amazed at the thoughts and ideas that were coming through her. 'Frankly,' she thought, 'I forgot that I knew some of the stuff I just told her. Or maybe I didn't know it at all. Wherever, or from whom the guidance is coming, thank you.'

Sometimes," continued Lisa, "I think we are shown just enough to warm our hearts and stimulate our interest so that we may more earnestly pursue the spiritual side. Like I said, reported incidents of angel interventions are on the rise. So much so that you can find recently written books that serve to document people's experiences in this day and age on the shelves of most book stores.
"And now we have a story of our own. It's up to each individual to decide what to do with it."
"What are we supposed to do with it?" Christine inquired.
"You have to answer that one for yourself, hon."
Christine, her mind worn to temporary indifference, shrugged her shoulders and took a deep breath. "I can hardly wait to see California," she said.
"Well, you better let me take over. We've got about five hours to go." Lisa motioned her to pull over.

Christine lay back in her seat and gazed in wonderment at the wide open star-filled sky. She was soon asleep.