She's Somewhere Out There
Spike opened his eyes and closed them again quickly to protect them from the intense glare of the morning sun. Team One pulled in a double shift yesterday when they had to tag-team with Team Three and Five to protect a visiting dignitary.
He turned his face to the other side before opening his eyes again. It was bare. Like always. In some ways, he's sick of his sterile existence. The bare wall that had nothing but one framed picture of his Mom and Dad. The minimalist furniture. The collection of books and comic books.
But in some ways he had gotten used to his ordinary and uneventful home life. It's relaxing. Peaceful. Quiet. Serene. Wait, don't they all mean the same?
He took a deep breathe and expelled the air forcefully. It helped somewhat. Sometimes he has this sense of melancholy he couldn't explain.
Five minutes later, he got up and realised he didn't get out of his clothes the night before. He undressed right by the laundry basket, dumped the used clothes in it ready to take to his laundromat. Naked, he made a capucchino for himself. Padded to the bathroom and turned on the hot water while he waited for his coffee. It was a strange ritual. But he didn't like waiting for coffee and then waiting for the hot water to run. He returned to the kitchen in time to see his mug fill to the brim, he picked it up and drank it while it was still hot. He knew he should savor his coffee, enjoy it, taste it, smell it but time seemed to be too short these days. If he didn't drink it all quickly, then he might not have one at all!
Just then, he became aware of the music playing,
Somewhere out there,
beneath the pale moonlight,
someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight.
Somewhere out there,
someone's saying a prayer,
that we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there.
And even though I know how very far apart we are,
it helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star.
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby,
it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky.
Somewhere out there,
if love can see us through,
then we'll be together, somewhere out there,
out where dreams come true.
His thoughts went back briefly to his childhood. The first time he saw the movie "An American Tail." As he listened to it, he was no longer thinking of the Russian mouse who was separated from his family, but rather longed for someone to share his life with.
It's not been possible to find a love partner where he been working for the last six years, not when they're all blokey blokes and the only two not blokey were taken. He scratched his head. What else was there to do?
He finished his coffee and headed for the shower.
Sitting on his two-seater sofa was his invisible Guardian Angel, Galileo. He's been exhausted. Very exhausted. Guarding Michaelangelo Scarlatti, he was certain, was a punishment. They told him it was a promotion. If this was a promotion then really he didn't want it. Since being assigned to Mike, Mikey, Spike, whatever, his life has been one hell (opps, sorry God) one hell of a mess. Not a moment of peace.
He supplicated, "Come on, in one day I've had to save him five times. Five times! What the hell! (opps, sorry again God)." He sighed, then added, "Ok, to be fair, he's a nice guy. So I don't really mind."
Galileo had a thought since Spike was in the shower, he could leave him for a little while. Surely he could hardly hurt himself in there. And surely no one would dare to shoot him while simply minding his own business.
The Angel Galileo went to see Guardian Angel Thaddeus, who was supposed to be watching someone named Guinevere "Winnie" Camden somewhere in Mississuaga. He appeared next to Winnie's bedside expecting to find Thaddeus but the G.A. wasn't in the house. "Why not I wonder?"
I'll wait for 15 minutes, he sat on a chair next to Winnie, observing the young woman peacefully sleeping. She's just the girl for my boy, he thought. He smiled knowing he has found the woman of Spike's dream. But where on earth is Angel Thaddeus? He was about to depart when said Angel appeared.
"Where in heaven's name have you been?" he asked the truant Angel.
"Oh hello, Galileo. Where's your manners? Anyway, I've been to the Manchester United game."
"What? You went to watch a football game and left your charge behind?" Galileo said in disbelief.
"Soccer you mean," corrected Thaddeus. "And by the way, my charge never ever comes to any harm. All she does all day is teach cute little toddlers, then come home and sleep. She has not even scraped her knees since the fifth grade."
Galileo groaned and looked up to heaven. "How is this even fair God? I get to watch the hard case and he gets to do the easy beat." Angel Thaddeus just chuckled.
"Anyway what are you doing here?" inquired Thaddeus after he peeked into his sleeping charge and found that indeed she was alright. The only bad thing that happened to her during the night was that she drooled on her pillow.
"I want to discuss something with you," opened up Angel Galileo. "My boy is lonely and wants a girlfriend. Your girl suits my boy. They're suited together. We ought to do something about it."
Angel Thaddeus was momentarily shocked, when he recovered he said, "Heaven forbid! No way! No way! Ah, ah. No, no, no, no."
Then it was Angel Galileo's turn to be outraged, "Why not? What's your problem with my boy? He's respectful, kind, good-looking, clever, amazing, loving and loyal."
Angel Thaddeus then countered with "And he's a cop, and he's a bomb tech and he's a computer whiz. So NO! Big fat no!"
"What's wrong with being a cop and a bomb tech and a computer whiz."
"Look at me" said Angel Thaddeus. "I have a good life. My girl goes to kindy, teaches littlies, comes home tired and goes to sleep. If she hooks up with your boy, his problem will become hers and hers will become mine. So NO!"
Angel Galileo gasped. "How selfish of you? I shall report you to the Council of the Seven Archangels."
At the mention of being reported, Angel Thaddeus became conciliatory. "Ok, let's say I agree to this half-bake idea, how on earth are they ever going to meet? Their worlds are as far apart as North and South poles. Their paths never cross. They don't even know one and the other exist."
"But that's what we're here for, isn't it? To make heavenly things happen? To make miracles possible? To save lives? To help when needed? Not just go off and watch Manchester United play! By the way, who won?"
Angel Thaddeus rolled his eyes and said, "We lost 2-0."
"Sorry I asked. So. Are you gonna help?"
"I'll think about it," said Angel Thaddeus. "By the way, how long have you been here?"
Angel Galileo nearly had a heart attack, he's been away from Spike's side for over an hour! "Oh dear, I better go." And it was a good thing he did when he did because Team One had already been called out to a "hot call" and poor Spike was being held hostage.
Angel Galileo appeared by his side and whispered, "I left you for an hour and you're in trouble already." Then Spike had a sense of peace, he knew internally that everything was gonna be ok.
Ed Lane's Guardian Angel, Vincent winked at Angel Galileo, who nodded back in appreciation. There goes his boy saving my boy's ass again.
In the meantime, Angel Thaddeus still wasn't convinced hooking up his girl to Galileo's boy was a good idea. But he noticed that his girl was kinda lonely, too. Ummm...