When Angels visits, by Dorisann Anderson.
After giving there last speeding ticket Jon looked over at Ponch "Hey partner lets call it a day, I'm heading back to central to do the last reports and go home".
"Okay, Jon, sure, I'm tired I think I need some peace and quite tonight".
Jon had been worried about Ponch all day.it just wasn't like Ponch not to talk to him, and yet he had been quite all day. " Ponch want to double date tonight? Teresa and I going dancing. You could call Ann and we could all go out tonight.
Ponch was a million miles away. pulling over beside the busy highway Ponch looked over at Jon " I don't think so Jon, I don't feel much like going out.
It has been such a busy day. I bet we gave out fifty or more speeding tickets, and been in at least a dozen traffic jams. I just want to go home, get something to eat, and go to bed".
The two partners rode back to central in silence.
"Hey, Jon, I'll get started on the paper work." Ponch walked in to the report room with papers in one hand and a cold drink in the orther.
Standing at the mailboxes, Jon was half reading his mail and half watching Ponch fill out the paper work.
"Hey, baker, what's this? you standing around, while your partner does the paper work? isn't it suppose to be the orther way around?"
"Hi, Grossie. this is a side of Ponch I have never seen, and I'm not sure I want to see it ever again."
Grossman couldn't help but notice the worried look on Jon's face, or the concern in his voice. "What's wrong with him Jon"?
Turing and putting his mail back in his mailbox, Jon answered "I wish I knew Grossie".He's not talking, not to me, not to any one… but something is wrong with him."
"Well you know Ponch, Jon. He will talk to you when he's ready".
Walking into the report room, Jon sat across the table form Ponch. "Umm you want to tell me what's been on your mind all day now partner"?
Ponch sat looking at his report, trying to find the right words to tell Jon what was wrong with him, but the words would not come. "Jon I --I just Jon, have you ever wonder what would have happened to you had things in your life not happened?"
" No, Ponch, can't say that I have. Now, will you tell me why you're so mellow today?"
Ponch looked up at Jon. "Forget it, Jon, it's ok. I've got all the paper work done, and I'm just going to go home and have a quite night see ya tomorrow".
Jon watched as ponch left. for the first time scents they became friends and partners, Jon didn't know what was going on with his partner.
At home, Ponch picked up the morning paper, reading the article that had disturbed him so much. There, on the front page, was his old gang. Ponch began reading, once again, how they held up a 7-11 store, and shot and killed the clerk and another person in the store at the time.
Looking at the picture of the gang. Ponch said to himself, "would I have been with them if I hadn't met Jon? Would I have been there, killing people?"
Ponch threw the paper down, turned out the lights, and went to bed.
Ponch layed in bed with his hands behind his head. Starring at the ceiling. would I have been there? it was hard for Ponch to think he would have, yet the gang was who he hung out with long ago, before he meet Jon. For Ponch, it was as if his past had came back to hunt him.
Jon sat across the table from Teresa, not really wanting the food on his plate.
He knew something was really wrong with Ponch, and it was al he could think of now.
"Jon… Jon," Teresa yelled. "Maybe we should for get about going dancing after we eat. You seem too tired to be on a date".
Jon played with the food on his plate, deep in thought. "Oh, I'm sorry, Teresa, I'm not good company tonight. I'm just worried about Ponch. he's not himself today. I know something is wrong but don't know what".
Teresa's voice became anger. PONCH! that's who you're thinking of all night? Your partner? I didn't think I would have to compete for you, with your partner! what ever is wrong with him, I'm sure he's old enough to take care of himself."
" You don't understand, Teresa, we lay our lives on the line out there every day.
It's good to know you have a partner who is going to back you up, who you can depend on. Ponch is who backs me up, who I can depend on. we have been partners for five years, and best friends before that. I can't just forget that he has a problem that is eating away at him".
Teresa picked her jacket up looking over at Jon, maybe we should just call it a night, Jon. You need to see what's wrong with Ponch, and I 'm feeling tired. Maybe we can go out again next weekend.
Walking Teresa up to her apartment. Jon took her in his arms. "I'm sorry, Teresa I know I haven't been a good date for you tonight. I'll make it up to you next weekend… I promise."
Teresa felt loved in Jon's strong arms, I understand, Jon, really I do. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" looking up, Teresa gave Jon a good night kiss. "Bye Jon."
As Jon pulled up to his apartment, he thought he saw a person in white just out side of his apartment building. After a careful search, he found no one there.
Lying in bed, he could not sleep. it was ponch's last words that kept him awake.
Sometime in the night, Ponch had fallen to sleep, but he woke up suddenly in a cold sweat. There was a figure standing beside his bed, dressed in white. Sitting up in bed. Ponch yelled," Who are you, and how did you get in here?"
The figure came closer to the bed. "Relax, Ponch, I'm an angel. I came to help you".
You have been wondering if you would have been with the gang at the store this morning, and what your life would be like if you and Jon had never meet."
"I'm here to show you what would have happened". "Come over to the window, Ponch. look out side. Do you remember the day you and Jon first met"?
Ponch walked over to the window. "Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday…"I was dirt bike riding in the valley. Jon was called out to investigate. That was when he was still in a cruiser. then, I was a punk. I thought I would show that cop a few things." Ponch smiled as he remembered jumping over the cruiser and wanting the cop to chase him.
"Jon chase me a long way… then I fell. I thought for sure the tall cop was going to arrest me". But he didn't… instead he talk to me for a long time about the safe places to ride dirt bikes, and about wearing a helmet."
Thinking back, Ponch was remembering all that had happened that day.
Jon reaching down to help the fallen rider up, "My name is Jon Baker.
You know, you're a good rider,And I understand your love to ride, but this is not the place for it. And helmets do safe lives. Mr. Poncherello, get your self-a helmet and meet me here next weekend. I'll show you a great and safe place to ride.
"Sure, Baker, I'll be here. UMM, hey, my friends call me Ponch".
Ponch stood looking out the window, deep in thought remembering the days after he had met Jon "I don't know when it happened, but I stop thinking of Jon as the cop, and started to think of him as my best friend".
The Angel stood beside Ponch. "Think back to that morning, before you made your mind up to go riding."
Suddenly the window became the mirror to the past that might have been.
Ponch woke up to the sound of his alarm clock going off. He rolled over and turned off the alarm. Laying on the bed, he thought to himself, I don't feel like getting up just yet.
I'll just wait and go dirt biking this afternoon.
Ponch got up to the sound of someone banging on the door. Whene he opened the door, Arty and the rest of the gang came in.
"Hey, Ponch, lets go riding around, drink some beer, and see what we can get into, man. After all, you haven't been handing out with us much. We're beginning to feel like you don't like us".
Arty was the leader, and Ponch knew he was being called out. Arty wanted to know where Ponch's, loyalty's were.
" I was thinking of going dirt bike ridding this morning". Looking at Arty with a look of determination on his face, Ponch wanted Arty to know that he was in no way afraid of him. Ponch had a black belt in karate, and he knew he could take on the gang and win, but just wasn't feeling up to it this morning.
James walked over to Ponch, 'hey, man, take it easy. You'll have a better time with the five of us… that's all Arty was trying to say, man'.
'Fine, let's go." just as Ponch had said the words, he had an uneasy feeling… as if he had just made a bad choice.
Setting in the car, Ponch was soon buying all the beer. Hey, Ponch, I'm out of money. how about buying the next six pack, man? Arty asked.
Yelling over the loud music Ponch said, "I just bought the last one man. It's some one else turn this time".
" No, man, that wasn't you that was Mickey that got the last one".
James knew for some reason, Ponch trusted him over the others in the group. Hoping Ponch would believe him, he reached out for some money.
Ponch was soon drunk and out of money. As soon as the others realize this, they took a very drunken Ponch home.
Laying Ponch on the couch, Arty looked at James. "You and Mickey go see if our good friend has any cash stash anywhere".
Mickey and James went into the bedroom to check in the draws. Hey, I found fifty bucks, man, let's go party! James yelled.
They laughed as they walked out. it's sure nice of our good friend to give us some money.
The next morning, Ponch woke with a killer headache. When he checked his wallet to see if he had some money to buy some aspirin, he realized what had happened. He went to his bedroom to get the fifty he had saved back.
Throwing things every where looking for the fifty, Ponch soon realize the guys had took all his money. An angry Ponch stormed out. I'm going dirt bike riding, then I'm going to pay a little visit to the guys.
It was not a safe place to ride, but knew he was a good rider, and believes he could handle any thing that might happen.
With the fresh air and warm sun shining down on him, Ponch soon relaxed, and was having a good time as he came up on his next jump. He stopped thinking back to the last weekend. This is the jump I couldn't make I almost broke my leg on this jump.
"I'll make it this time and then after I do, I'll go find the gang and see about getting my money back," Ponch said to himself.
Backing up and judging the distance of the jump, he smiled as he was sure he could make it. Ponch hit the jump hard, the bike threw him, and he landed squarely on the ground. For Ponch, there was nothing but darkness.
Officer Jon Baker looked at the young man. 'about the same age as me." he spoke to his Sargent.
Sgt. Getrear looked at the accident victim. "Yeah, it's a waste just, a waste. Looks like he tried to jump and his bike threw him. He might have made it if he had been wearing a helmet".
Jon looked away from the body lying on the ground. it was hard for him to see death, and some one as young as himself made him feel uneasy.
Ponch looked over at the Angel.
"Yes, Ponch, you were killed that day. You were riding in an unsafe place with out a helmet, and you were mad at the gang. You hit the jump too hard, broke your neck, and was killed on impact."
" And Jon? what happened to Jon?" Ponch asked.
the Angel put her hands on Ponch's shoulders. Remember the day you and the gang were stopped by Officer Baker?
Yeah, the guys wanted to start a fight with him, but I stopped them from hurting him. by that time, Jon was my best friend. I couldn't let them hurt him".
That's right, Ponch, but this time you were not around. Officer Jon Baker was beaten bad by the gang and died on the way to the hospital.
"You mean if we had never meet neither one of us would be alive today?"
"That's right, Ponch but you listened to the little voice that keep saying to go dirt bike riding instead of hanging out with the guys, keep listing to that little voice, Ponch."
Suddenly, all ponch could see out the window were the lights of LA.
Looking out, Ponch no longer knew what to believe. He felt lost as he stood looking out the window.
Jon woke to the feeling of being shook on the shoulders. Slowly waking up, he first thought he saw someone in white in his room, but when he turned on the light no one was there.
Feeling as if Ponch needed him, he quickly dressed and went to Ponch's
Seeing that the door was open, he walked in. Jon knew Ponch would never leave his door open. "How many times did he fuss at me for not locking my door?" Jon thought.
Jon walked over and set a six pack on the table before he went onto the bedroom,
He watched as Ponch just stood there looking out the window.
"Hey, partner, why didn't you lock your door? you never know who might walk in on you."
Ponch turned to look at Jon. "Hi, partner. Ummm, I did lock my door. It's you who keeps your door unlocked."
"Well then, how did I get in?" Jon looked at Ponch. Hey, I brought some beer with me, and I'm not leaving here till you tell me what's wrong.
Setting on the couch and drinking some beer, Ponch began to tell Jon of the gang, the robbery, and the Angel.
"Ponch, I saw that in the paper, but I didn't think it would make you so upset or I would have said something. Look, you hang out with them, but you were never a part of them. You could have never done what they did! it's not in your heart.
And as far as the Angel, well, I'd say you had a interesting dream. but Ponch, why worry over something that never happened."
Ponch walked into the bedroom, coming back out with a pillow and blanket.
"Hey Baker, want to go bike riding after we get some sleep?"
"Sure Ponch sounds like fun."
Walking back into the bedroom, ponch stopped. He turned around to face Jon "thanks for believing in me".
"No problem partner."
Ponch layed in bed thinking, deep in his heart, he knew the two of them had save each other's lives just by meeting that first time.