Pewter Angels (31 page)

He made a wish. “Oh, bright star of the east, carry my love in a ray of light to Jenny’s heart. Let her know how very much I miss and love her.”

Henry then returned to his desk and put his pen to the page in front of him.

Dear Jenny,

It’s almost Christmas, and just about four months since you left. I was thinking today that the only gift I would ever want for the rest of my life is to receive a letter from you.

I sent a box to your dad’s company address almost a month ago. It was filled with all the letters I’ve written to you since the day you left. I hope you received them. If you did, could you please tell me why you haven’t written back? Even if you no longer care or have found someone else, just let me know. It is so hard not to hear from you.

I wanted to send you one last letter, along with a little Christmas gift. I’ll always remember how much you love your guardian angel. I went shopping after school today and as I walked past Eaton’s, I saw this shining underneath the star at the top of their Christmas tree. It was exactly what I was looking for—a guardian angel to protect you always and to remind you of my love for you. I hope you like it and will wear it around your neck all the time.

How do you like living in Ottawa and how are you doing at your new school? Have you made a lot of friends? I like grade 9, and maybe you won’t be surprised to hear that of all the subjects I am taking, I like art the best.

Oh, Jenny, I sure miss you. I miss your smile, your sparkling eyes, the way you talk and the way you walk. I especially miss holding your hand and just walking along with you. I often find myself dreaming you are beside me as I walk to school, but it’s just a dream and so empty without you.

I am looking forward to the Christmas break and working full-time in Mr. Engelmann’s store. I just love working there and seem to keep coming up with ideas to increase business. Mr. Engelmann is great to work for and I am learning so much from him.

I made a special wish to the bright star of the east tonight to send out my love to you. I hope and pray you get this letter and my gift. Every night I pray for my guardian angel to talk to yours, so that together they can find a way to bring us together again.

Even though we are far apart, you are forever in my heart. I will love you always. Have a merry Christmas!

All my love,

Henry

After Henry read the letter over, he folded it and tucked it into an envelope. Henry picked up the box with the angel and took the angel out. He pictured it resting near Jenny’s heart. He took one last long look, brought the angel up to his lips and tenderly kissed the metal, warm from his hand.

“Take this kiss, guardian angel, swiftly to my dear, sweet Jenny,” he whispered as he slipped the angel into the envelope. It added a small heft to the envelope but its slim form was nearly undetectable from the outside.

Henry closed his eyes and imagined Jenny receiving this letter. Her eyes would brighten with excitement as the angel flew out of the envelope. Tears of joy would flow down her cheeks. She would kiss the angel over and over, knowing he had kissed it too. Jenny would remove the silver necklace from her neck and thread the pewter angel onto it. She would wear it always.

Tears came to Henry’s eyes. He wished Jenny were beside him. He reached out for her hand but felt only emptiness. Emptiness he could fill only with imagination and dreams.

T
he next day at school
, all Henry could think about was mailing Jenny’s letter. He had left it at home so he wouldn’t lose it during the day. The mere thought sent a spike of fear through him. He could just see the guys in the locker room reading his letter aloud and teasing him unmercifully. His plan was to leave school right at quarter to four, pick up the letter at home and drop it into the mail box near the pharmacy about two blocks from Mr. Engelmann’s store. Then he would go directly to work.

Henry was going over his plan for the umpteenth time when he saw Eddy coming towards him. Bitterness still tugged at Henry whenever he saw Eddy or one of his crew, but he’d learned to turn it over to the Lord, and purposely made an effort to greet him. In a way Henry was glad; it really wasn’t in his nature to hold a grudge forever, and he didn’t think it was in Eddy’s makeup, either. Pride more than anything else was the real barrier. That was what Mr. Engelmann always said and Henry knew he was right.

Henry smiled as he thought about how Mr. Neader had got him to help Eddy and indirectly work out their differences. In many ways, Neader reminded Henry of his mentor at the store, always figuring out a way to make things better.

Anyway, Henry had to admit his coach was right. In no time at all, Eddy had picked up the game of basketball and Mr. Neader had talked him into signing up for the team. Henry actually felt proud that Eddy had learned so quickly. When they’d played Scott Collegiate two weeks ago, Eddy had been amazing. Eddy dribbled the ball and kept control of it like a seasoned player. And his size, as the coach had observed, was definitely an advantage. Many of the tall players couldn’t keep up with Eddy’s speed and agility, and they’d had trouble getting down to his level and fouled often, much to the delight and cheering of the crowd. Henry couldn’t help but feel good inside that Eddy was getting such positive attention—sure beat having Eddy swagger around looking for trouble. Yep, he had to hand it to Coach Neader, who’d seen the potential right from the start. And Henry also had to admit that the coach had been right about another thing; he and Eddy were more comfortable hanging out together; in fact, they’d planned to take in the seniors’ basketball game against Central Collegiate the following Friday night.

“Hey, Eddy. Still on for the game Friday?”

“Wouldn’t miss it, Hank. Should be a good, close game. I’ll meet you at seven at the corner of Winnipeg and Vic.”

“Sounds good. See you tomorrow.”

After school Henry carried out his plan and mailed the letter to Jenny’s dad then headed towards the store. The air was crisp and chilled his cheeks to a Rudolph red. The overcast sky let loose a few snowflakes. An earlier snowfall had left a couple of inches on the ground. Henry knew he’d have to shovel the walk to the store as soon as he got there. Mr. Engelmann always liked the walk cleared, saying it showed they cared for the safety of their customers and that the store was open for business.

When he got there, Mr. Engelmann’s store was filled with customers and Henry could tell he was relieved to see him.

“Ah, here’s my assistant,” he remarked, a big grin splitting his face. “Come. Please help Mrs. Forrest with her order. She has been very patient with me.”

“Right away, Mr. Engelmann.” Henry shed his coat and helped Mrs. Forrest. Other customers kept them busy until almost six. “Whew,” he declared after the last of them had left. “I’ve never seen it so busy.”

“It’s been like this all week, Henry. Only today it continued until the last minute. I think I might need someone else to help us. Anna is too sick to come down.”

“Yeah,” Henry agreed, “We do need someone else. If I didn’t have to go to school, I could help all the time.”

“Yes, yes, of course, but I would never want you to stop your education. It is far too important. I was thinking about Mrs. Schmidt. She’s a very nice lady. Her husband passed away two years ago, and she came in shortly afterwards, asking if I had any work for her.”

“Yeah, I remember her. She comes in a couple of times a month, usually on a Monday.”

“That’s right. She has a part-time job but could maybe work here too, if she’s still willing.”

“Sounds good to me,” Henry said.

“I will give her a call tomorrow then,” Mr. Engelmann said.

Although it was time to go home, Henry noticed how empty the shelves were. And Mr. Engelmann looked worn out. “Mom is probably going to be a little slow with supper tonight, Mr. Engelmann,” Henry lied, “is it okay if I stay a little longer? I could use the extra money for Christmas presents.”

“Yes, yes of course,” Mr. Engelmann agreed. “That would be wonderful.”

Mr. Engelmann went upstairs and Henry phoned his mom to tell her he’d be late. He stocked the shelves, swept the floor, and shovelled the steps and walkway. By seven-thirty, things looked ready for the following day.

His mom had supper waiting for him when he got home. After he explained why he had stayed late, she smiled at him with quiet pride. “That was very nice of you, Henry,” she said.

He told her about all the lights he’d seen downtown and how he wanted to put up some at the grocery store.

His mother’s eyes brightened and she said eagerly, “Oh, that’s easy, Henry. There are two sets of old lights downstairs behind the furnace. They were on sale when Bill and I bought them then we found they were way too long for our house.”

“That’s great!” Henry said, almost spilling his soup. “Should I tell Mr. Engelmann we’ll sell them to him? I know he won’t just accept them—he’s too proud.”

His mom thought it over, then winked, “Tell him I won’t take less than a dollar.”

Henry winked back.

After supper, Henry went downstairs and rummaged behind the furnace. Sure enough, just as his mom had said, there were two dusty bundles of brand new Christmas lights. What a stroke of luck. No, it wasn’t luck. He looked up and acknowledged his guardian angel for giving him such a generous gift.

Henry went back upstairs. His mom was in the kitchen cleaning up and his dad had gone bowling. Henry was glad he was out because his dad had been so moody lately. It was good for him to get out and do something he enjoyed.

After Henry helped with the dishes, he headed up to his room. No sooner had he sat down at his desk than his thoughts went to Jenny. He couldn’t wait for her to get his letter. He wished he could speed up time like they did in the movies.

It was astonishing how quickly his outlook had changed. Only two days earlier, he had given up all hope of reconnecting with Jenny, but writing and sending off one last letter had restored his faith that he would hear from her again. It was amazing how positive thinking changed his whole perspective.

With nothing to do but wait for her reply, he tried to decide how he would decorate the storefront, and how he might reach the second storey to put the lights up. He took a sheet of paper from his desk and sketched the outline of the store. Once he saw it on paper, the solution presented itself. He would string the lights across the front of the first storey, and if there were enough left over, he would keep stringing them down the side of the store. He remembered seeing a hammer and some nails in Mr. Engelmann’s basement. He’d use those to secure the lights to the building. He also hoped the neighbour down the street would let them use that tall ladder of his.

Henry was so excited about decorating the store he had trouble sleeping. Mr. and Mrs. Engelmann were going to be thrilled when he put up the lights. Mr. Engelmann’s words ran over and over in his mind: “
When people try to please others and make them happy, they are serving others. When people do this, they receive unexpected joy beyond their wildest dreams.
”

Henry woke a little later
than usual, trying to make up for getting to bed late the night before. It was the last day of school before the holidays and he was looking forward to helping Mr. Engelmann full-time.

He didn’t even know why they bothered having classes at this time of year. Everyone was so excited about Christmas and the holidays they hardly did any school work. As if to bear this out, the teachers decided to let the students out an hour early.

Henry picked up the lights from home before heading over to the store. Mrs. Schmidt greeted him when he entered. She was a stout, grandmotherly type of woman with a generous smile that never left her round face. She was perfect for the store. She looked as jolly as St. Nick, and when she laughed, as she often did, her tummy jiggled.

“You must be the Henry Mr. Engelmann never stops talking about.”

“That’s me,” he smiled back, taking the compliment in stride. “This is your first day, right? How do you like it so far?”

“Very much. Mr. Engelmann phoned me early this morning and I rushed to get here by tenthirty. The store has been very busy and Mr. Engelmann stayed with me as long as he could, but I think I can serve customers by myself and ring in the sales.”

“That’s great. It doesn’t take long. Another day and you’ll be so busy it’ll look like Mr. Engelmann and I are standing still.”

She laughed.

“Where is Mr. Engelmann?”

“Oh, he’s upstairs with Anna. She is not feeling well again today.”

“What a strain all this must be for the both of them.”

“Yes, Mr. Engelmann looked pretty tired himself.”

“Why can’t the doctors do something for Mrs. Engelmann?”

Mrs. Schmidt didn’t respond. She just frowned, glanced at the floor and shrugged.

“Well, I brought some Christmas decorations from home. My parents don’t need them anymore so I’m going to go outside and start stringing them up. I’ll try to surprise Mr. Engelmann.”

Henry knew he was taking a chance putting up the lights before getting Mr. Engelmann’s approval but he was so excited to give the store a bit of the glitz of downtown, he just had to do it.

He worked for over an hour putting the lights on the front and side of the store. There were about twenty feet left over but even with that, he’d still needed extension cords to plug the lights in. Luckily there were electrical outlets at both the front and rear of the building. When he went in, Mrs. Schmidt had the solution.

“Oh, my son’s an electrician and we have lots of extension cords at home. I’ll bring you three or four tomorrow.”

“That’s great!” Henry exclaimed, seeing his plan come together.

“And, you know what? When Mr. Schmidt was alive, he made a wooden tree that he outlined with lights. And at the top of the house, he put up a big Santa Claus made of plastic with lights inside. The whole neighbourhood could hardly wait for him to decorate at Christmastime.” After a long pause she continued, “But now that he’s gone, I can’t do it, and my Ronny is too busy to decorate. It’s a shame that it all just sits there in the garage collecting dust. Come over after school or even after work tonight, and pick it up if you want.”

“If I want?” Henry said excitedly, “You bet I want! That’s just great, Mrs. Schmidt.” He visualized the Santa Claus ensconced right above the Coca-Cola sign.

It was past five-thirty, and since Mr. Engelmann had yet to come downstairs, Henry told Mrs. Schmidt that he’d check on him before heading home for the day. He went to the back of the storage room, and called up the stairs as softly as he could. There was no answer. He climbed to the top of the stairwell, and whispered in a low voice, “Mr. Engelmann? Mr. Engelmann?”

An unnamed fear choked him. What if something dreadful had happened?
Mrs. Engelmann has been so sick lately and Mr. Engelmann so weary and stressed out, maybe they are both too sick to move or maybe
— Henry didn’t want to finish the thought.

He had gone upstairs many times before, but never beyond the bathroom area. He tiptoed to a room from which a dim glow emanated, holding his breath as he approached the door and peered inside. What he saw immediately touched his heart.

There lying in bed was Anna, her hair spread across the pillow. Mr. Engelmann knelt by her side, holding her hand, his head bowed and lips moving, deep in prayer.

Henry recognized the emotion.
That’s the kind of love I have for Jenny
, he thought. He was relieved to see the blanket gently rise and fall.

Henry decided not to disturb them. He tiptoed back down the stairs. Mrs. Schmidt was just getting her coat on.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, they’re fine. I think I’ll just lock up and turn off the lights. I’ve done it lots of times.” Henry asked Mrs. Schmidt where she lived. It was only two blocks away from his house and he offered to walk her home and perhaps pick up the tree and Santa Claus.

“Well, you can walk me home, but the tree and the Santa are too big for you to carry. I’ll have Ronny drop them off at the store tomorrow. He has a big van. It should all be here when you come to work.”

As they walked, Mrs. Schmidt told Henry how happy she’d been to get Mr. Engelmann’s job offer. Ever since Mr. Schmidt had passed on, she’d had trouble filling the long lonely days. Henry could sympathize, though he didn’t say anything about Jenny.

“Anna is such a good woman,” Mrs. Schmidt went on, changing the subject. “She helped me so much when my Joseph died. She always had a kind thing to say to me and often called to see how I was doing before she became so sick. My heart just goes out to them. My Joseph was ill for a long time, too, before God took him home. It is very difficult watching someone you love be sick and in pain day after day. I’m sure David feels the same way.”