Rick Mofina - If Angels Fall

Then he saw the huge tail and his heart nearly burst from fear.

A whale! Right under them! Cracked the hull!

The children screamed. Water came through his shoes, ice cold.Alisha screaming. Water rushing in! Josh crying.

“Pierce! Alisha! Life jackets! Get them on! Hurry!”

Water crashing over the side now. Cold. The boat yawing. The waterrising fast over his ankles. Alisha screaming. The jackets. Can’t get them on!Kill the motor. Standing to help Josh. A wave smashing over the gunwale.Something hard hitting his face. Airborne. He was flying. Wet. Freezing. Black.Nothing. Silence.

He was in the water.

Spitting out water. The boat was on its side. The children were inthe water. Pierce. Hanging on to the hull. Josh’s head bobbing near the stern.Alisha was near the boat.

The life jackets were rolling away. It was so dark.

“Pierce! Get Josh, he’s near you!”

Alisha treading water. Joan enrolled them in swimming classes.Didn’t she? Think! He didn’t know if his own children could swim.

They have everything but a father .

Alisha’s hand breaking the surface. Grabbing her hair as she wentunder. Alisha coughing. Crying. “Pierce!” Pierce had Josh. “Good boy, son!” Allof them were together. Okay. Think. Keller gasping. Holding Josh to his chest.Alisha and Pierce next to him. Their breath tight, their teeth chattering. Histoo.

Hypothermia. Shock. Josh silent, nearly out cold. He shook him.Alisha moaned. Stomachache. The burgers and shakes!

The boat gurgling. It’s going down. Stay with the boat. But it’ssinking! What if there’s an undertow? Spotting a light. Thank God. It’ssomething. A buoy? He could make it. He hadn’t eaten. He could make it. He hadto.

“Listen! We’re going to that light! It’s not far! Do what Daddysays. We’ll be okay! Kick your shoes off! Joshua!” His eyes were closed. Lipsblue. “Joshua! Wake up, goddamn it!” Keller shook him again. He woke. Turninghis back to Joshua. “Put your arms around Daddy’s neck! Now, Joshua!” Cold,tiny arms slipping limply around his neck. “Tighter, Josh, tighter!” Joshua’shold tightened slightly. “Alisha, take my shoulder and hang on!” Tremblinghands clutching his shoulder. Alisha whimpering.

“Pierce, grab hold! Hurry!” Pushing off. “Hang on to Daddy. LetDaddy be the boat. Kick your feet slowly. Easy. Talk to me. We’re going to makeit. Nice easy strokes.” The water rolling terribly. Breaststrokes. Adrenalinepumping. Doing fine. Confident. Going to make it.

“That’s it. Kick your feet. Keep warm. Think warm. Kick slowly.Easy. Help Daddy.

Alisha! Her grip loosening, she was drifting away. Carefullygrabbing her arm. “Alisha! Stay awake! Hang on to Daddy. Easy strokes. Alishacrying softer.

Suddenly his neck is cold. Joshua slipping down his back and under.Turning, reaching deep, nothing. Alisha. Joshua shaken off. “Joshua!” Divingdeep, arms flailing, seeing nothing, lungs aching, waves rolling. “Pierce!Alisha!” Nothing. “Joshua!” shouting. “Someone help me! Oh God, please helpme.” Waves tossing him, screaming. “Why don’t they hear me? My children aredrowning.” The darkness. Oh God, please. The thunder, the waves, white crest,black water now…

…jade against the churning wake of Reimer’s boat. Silence afterReimer killed the engine. “We’re here.”

Keller nodded but didn’t move.

The wake lapping against the boat. The gulls were crying. Reimer letKeller be, draped a hand over the wheel and looked off at the horizon. Herubbed his neck, scratched his stubble, glanced at his watch, started hittinghis thumbnail. Maybe he’d get a sandwich.

The boat swayed gently as Keller stood. Carefully, he unwrapped thepackage, dropping the paper into the boat. He studied the wreath. Entwined withwhite roses, it was beautiful. He held it before him for a moment, then liftedhis head to hear the boat’s wake reach a cove along the rocky shoreline. Tranquilhere today, like a church after a funeral. Keller placed the wreath tenderly onthe surface. It drifted away.

Reimer saw a great seabird startled by the boat’s wake spread itswings and lift off from the cove to fly low directly above them.

Keller heard a flutter of wings. Angel wings.

He saw something reflected in the water, passing over the wreath.

Here is where his life ended and where he would resurrect it. Hisheart now knew. It had been revealed to him.

Your children are waiting, Edward .

“Here you go, Logan and Good.” Willie Hampton turned to Keller,stopping alongside the curb. “That’s twelve-fifty.”

Keller gave him a twenty and collected the sleeping child.

“Hope your daughter feels better.” Willie fished for changed.

“My what?”

“Your daughter. Hope she feels better.” Willie held out the change.

“Yes. Keep it.”

Keller hoisted the child on his shoulder and walked off.

Willie Hampton pulled the door shut, then left Logan for DoneversStreet, went four or five blocks before he realized it was a dead end. Damn. Hecut over another block west near Wintergreen Heights, the large project. As hedoubled back, he spotted his fare with the child just as they entered asorry-lookin’ little house. Don’t know your story, friend, but it must be a sadone. Willie Hampton shook his head and returned to humming his favorite tunefrom South Pacific . In a few hours he would be on a jet to Hawaii.

Tiny ponies in heartsgallope d across Danny’s cotton pajamas, smelling of shampoo. Maggie touchedthem to her cheek and wept.

Night had come. If she didn’t get Danny into bed and read him astory now, he would become cranky. Maggie tried to rise, but couldn’t move.

She must be dreaming. She had to be dreaming.

Sitting in her darkened studio, looking at the park, the swans inthe pond, the water shimmering in the light of the turn-of-the-century streetlamps. The distant din of the strangers downstairs. Maggie’s painting wasnearly finished. She’d been working on it that morning when Nathan called, hisvoice small, breaking. She’d never heard him like this before. Was he drunk?

“Maggie? Maggie. Something bad has happened.”

“Nathan, what is it?”

“The police, the FBI, are going to be there soon.”

“Police? FBI? Nathan! What’s happened? Is Danny hurt?”

She heard a muffled, coughing sound.

“Nathan!”

“He’s gone, Maggie…”

“Nathan, where is Danny!” Her hand shook. Danny was dead.

“A man took him-“

“No! Nathan, no!”

“I chased him. I stopped the train and ran. But I couldn’t catchhim. The police are looking everywhere-I swear I’ll bring him back. I’ll bringhim…I’ll be right there, Maggie. I’ll be right there.”

She sank to the floor, cradling the receiver to her breast. Anyonebehind her would have thought she was holding a baby.

This is how Maggie’s dream started.

Then the doorbell rang.

It was Gene Carr, the doctor from down the street. Nathan golfedwith him at Harding Park. Gene was with men in suits. Police. Saying theirnames, showing identification. Please sit down, Mrs. Becker.

What is it?

Gene holding her hand.

This is a dream. She knows what they are going to tell her.

Danny is dead.

Do you understand, Mrs. Becker?

No.

Your child was abducted by a stranger.

Shaking her head, wiping her eyes.

No.

They were mistaken. This didn’t happen to nice families.

No.

Nathan would never allow it. Danny was a special child.

Everyone exchanging glances. Solemn faces. It was no mistake.

It was a mistake. It was.

Punching someone, shoving the words back down his throat. How dareyou tell me this? Get out of my house. Get out now.