There Are Angels

“Oh, look!”  My sister, Diana breathed, touching my arm.

“Huh?”  I whispered, not wanting to look up from the comic book I was reading, laid neatly inside my scriptures.

She tugged gently at my sleeve.  “James,” she said quietly.  “Look at the angels.”

“Huh?”  I repeated, looking up at her this time.  Her face was filled with joy, or something.  She wasn’t looking at me, but straight ahead to the front of the church where the choir was singing.

I looked at the choir.  They were still singing.  I looked all around the front of the church and even up at the ceiling.  I didn’t see any angels.  What do angels look like, anyway? I thought, scratching my head.  I looked back at Diana, but she was transfixed on the choir.

I began looking around at others in the chapel.  The Bradley children were playing with their toys, as usual.  Mr. Bartle had his eyes closed, also as usual.  Miss French was...well, never

mind about Miss French.  Of course, she and her pew full of old ladies would see angels.  I shook my head and looked back down at my comic book, laying open across my lap.

 But, Diana wasn’t about to give up. “James!”  She whispered insistently.  “James, can’t you see the angels?”

“No!”  I whispered fiercely.  But, I looked again at the choir and tried harder.  It was the same old choir.  I only knew about half of the people up there.  I squinted, then rubbed my eyes and squinted again.  It didn’t help.  No, wait!  There was a kind of movement in the air.  “Of course there’s movement in the air!”  I mumbled.  “There’s a ventilation system in the building,

after all.  And there’s all these people.”  I looked suspiciously around at the congregation, then shook my head once again.  Looking down, I closed my book.  I couldn’t read now.

I became aware that some of the people near me were standing up.  They had begun singing with the choir.  Diana was standing, singing with them. I peered up at her.  “What’s the matter with you?”  I asked myself, looking around  guiltily.  Even Mr. Bartle was singing, I noticed in amazement.

Slowly and awkwardly, I stood up.  Diana smiled quickly at me and linked her arm in mine.  I sang, but try as I would, I could not see any angels.  Yet, Diana could and I knew that she could.  I smiled at her beautiful, radiant face and she stretched up on tiptoe to kiss my cheek.  Well, maybe I had seen an angel, after all.  I smiled and sang.