His Angel

There was nothing left that could be done. They said that they were surprised he had stayed for so long. His mother shed her tears and his father stood in perpetual silence. The visitors remained in the lobby, never willing to leave.

He looked around the room, and wished he did not have to be there. Such cold and empty walls. No yellow and blues like in his funny little nursery.

At that moment, he wished he had a little brother, or a big sister. He wished there was someone else, to keep his parents company and make them happy.

He was told God was waiting for him in heaven, and that angels would come for him when he was ready. God and angels...where they pretty?

He was told that he would be leaving, for a world made of marshmallow clouds, sugar sweet lakes, and violin lullabies that would sing him to bed every night.

He smiled at his mother as she tried to paint the lovely image, but when her eyes could not pretend anymore, she lowered her head on his tiny little chest and cried rivers of heavy tears unto his sterilized white sheets.

He did not like it when his mother cried. He took his little hand and brushed her lovely curls. "Do not worry, Mommy" he said with compassion for her sorrow, "We will see each other again in paradise."

But such comforting words only helped to further tear at her heart, and now there was nothing to hold her back. She wailed out loud the cries she had stifled since the day he had collapsed, and the doctors had told them it was almost near the end.

His father pried her off and helped her out the room, leaving him all alone with the pain of his mother's heart still shattering his own.

'Why should she be sad?' he thought, 'if I will be going to such a beautiful place?'

And then it dawned on him, how frightened he should be. He would leave his mother and his father, and his little cat, Tootles. Who would play in his room? Who would sleep in his bed? Who would make his mother laugh again?

Tears welded up in his eyes, as his thoughts rang with pleads that he would be allowed to stay, and then when everything seemed so hopeless, a velvet gust of wind pried his window open. He turned his eyes to the right, to gaze up at the darkened skies, and through the dancing drapes he saw the silhouette of a flying boy.

"Who are you?" he asked, the heaviness slowly dissipating from his chest.

"I am Peter Pan", said the golden boy as he settled onto the floor. "And I want to help you cross your way."

"I don't want to go" he said, "I want to stay with my mommy and daddy."

"But you will love it, I can assure you." Peter insisted. "It is everything you ever wanted. It was made just for you."

"Truly? Was it?"

"Yes" he said and extended his hand to him. "You planned it in your dreams and you built it in your plays."

Sammy looked at the odd looking boy, draped in deepest green skeleton leaves with tussled hair and sparkling eyes. A lift at the corner of his lip seemed to whisper soothing words that were not truly voiced, but somehow brushed a smile on little Sammy's mouth.

"I can't stand up." He said. "So many ropes tying me down." He pulled his arms up to show Peter the I.V.'s that had been pierced into his skin.

"They won't hold you down. Nothing can do so now. Just stand up and take my hand."

Sammy looked at Peter and then his arms. He looked up towards the narrow window at his door and sighed before he did as he was told. He slowly lifted his head and followed with his shoulders. Feeling no pull from the ropes, he sat up on his bottom.

"You were right!" he said and pushed completely out of bed.

Peter smiled his happiest smile and pushed his hand closer to Sammy.

The little boy stood with his bare feet on the floor, but did not feel the coldness of the tiles against his soles. He looked up at Peter, noting he was but at his waist's height, and placed his tiny chubby hand in his.

"Not frightened?" Peter asked.

"I was...but not anymore." He said and Peter lifted him off the ground.

A light shown through the window and Peter turned to see it. Such a lovely warm light.

"This is your way. I will help you get there."

Sammy nodded and smiled calmly. An angel had come for him, just like mommy promised.

They made their way to the golden light, when suddenly the door flew open and in rushed his doctor and his nurses, followed by his wailing mother and gasping father. They huddled around his bed and fondled over the tiny little figure lying still and pale.

He stopped in mid air to hear what his father was saying, but he could not hear. No sound escaped anyone's lips. Sammy looked at his parents for a lingering minute before he sighed, smiled gently and blew them a tender kiss. "You promised me an angel mommy, and you came through, so I will keep my promise to you. Some day soon."

And so, Peter Pan pulled him gently towards the light which embraced him in its gold and both disappeared into seeming dark, but actually, toward his lovely Neverland home.

So we are not afraid. We are not sad. We know you are well, in the land of your ever glad. If ever in my dreams, I come across the eternal youth, I will simply smile, wave and thank him for helping you cross over into

your heaven,

your paradise,

your Never Ever Land.

Fictional Story Dedicated to the Memory of Samuel.

Who truly did promise to meet his parents in paradise.

God Bless You, Sweet Angel.