Philip and the Angel (9781452416144) (6 page)

“
I know. I know,” said Philip. He bent
down and picked up Frisky, still small enough to fit in one hand.
He played with him a while then gave Angel the kitten equal
attention.

Emery arrived and they sat and watched the
kittens play as they discussed the problem of what to do with the
cats.

“
We could put an ad in the paper,” said
Emery.

“
It might break up the family,” said
Angel. “I think they should all stay together.”

“
Who’s going to take in three cats at
once?” Emery asked.

No one had an answer. They stayed longer than
usual with the cats. Finally, they fed them, changed the water, and
left.

The next day, Saturday, Philip came down to
breakfast where his parents were talking.

“
I’d seen her once in a while,” his
father said. “It’s a shame.”

“
Mrs. Beebe told me about her. She’s
unable to go to school. She needs weekly trips to the
hospital.”

Philip’s blood ran cold when he heard his
father say, “Well, let’s hope it turns out all right for her.”

“
Who, Mom? What?”

“
The little girl down the street. The
one you talk to so much.”

“
What happened?”

His father answered. “She got very sick last
night. The ambulance came and took her to the hospital. She has to
have a serious operation.”

“
But she’ll be okay, won’t she? She’ll
come home again.”

“
We certainly hope so, Philip,” said
his father.

“
Hope so! But why, Dad? Why’d she get
so sick? She didn’t do anything. She’s good.”

Philips parents exchanged glances. “Flipper,”
his father tried to explain, “I’m sure she’s a good person, but
being sick is not a punishment and being well is not a reward.
She’s simply having some awfully bad luck.”

“
But she’ll come home again, won’t
she?” Philip repeated. “Won’t she?”

Before either of his parents could answer,
Philip left the room and walked out the front door.

Chapter Eleven

“
Emery, we have to go visit her,” said
Philip excitedly. Philip had gone straight to Emery with the whole
story.

“
Visit her in the hospital?” said Emery
uncertainly.

“
Yes, in the hospital. She’ll probably
be there a while.”

“
But you can catch things in the
hospital.”

“
What!”

“
In the hospital you can catch
things.”

“
You cannot. Doctors and nurses don’t
catch anything.”

“
I’ll prove you can catch things
there.”

“
Go ahead.”

“
Suppose we went to
hospital.”

“
Yeah?”

“
And we got off the
elevator.”

“
So?”

“
And you started running down the
hall.”

“
And?”

“
Well, if I ran faster than you then
I’d catch you.”

Philip stared at Emery. After a moment Emery
gave a shy smile and said, “You looked so worried I thought you
might like to hear a joke.”

“
A joke!
That’s
a joke? You could catch me?”

“
Just a little joke.”

“
A little joke!”

“
I thought you didn’t like it when your
mother repeated things you said. Now you’re repeating everything I
say.”

“
I did not repeat
everything.”

“
You didn’t repeat
everything?”

“
No. Everything I said was
different.”

“
Everything you said was
different?”

“
Emery,” said Philip slowly.
“Now
you’re
repeating
everything.”

“
I’m
repeating
everything?”

“
Emery, stop it!”

“
Okay, okay. Just trying to relax
you.”

“
Relax me?”

“
You’re repeating again.”

Philip took a deep breath. “Emery, I’m
relaxed. Okay? Let’s go check on the cats and then see if we can
visit the hospital.”

The cats were fine. Ling Ling nursed her two
children and meowed softly when the two boys entered. Before they
left, Philip filled the water bowl, and Emery poured some dry food
into Ling Ling’s dish.

“
Dad,” Philip shouted as he and Emery
burst into his house. “Dad!”

“
In the kitchen, Flipper.”

Philip led Emery into the kitchen. “Dad, we
want to go and visit Angel in the hospital.”

Philip’s father held a cup of coffee as he
looked over the morning newspaper. He folded the newspaper and laid
it on the table.

“
Can we, Dad?”

“
Well, I don’t know. I can find out for
you, but it’s not likely Angel will be having any visitors for at
least a couple of days. She’ll probably have to recover from her
operation a little until she feels well enough to see
friends.”

“
Can you find out?” Philip
asked.

“
Yes, yes. I will, but until I do, you
and Emery might as well put your minds to something else. The
moment I hear something, I’ll let you know.”

Philip and Emery left the house, not quite
knowing what to do with their time.

They walked past Angel’s house, not surprised
the family car wasn’t in the driveway. The house looked very, very
empty.

They returned to the shed behind Angel’s
house and played with the kittens until lunch time. After lunch
Philip’s father offered to take them to the movies and the mall for
the rest of the afternoon.

Philip stayed up in his room after dinner
until his father called him downstairs.

“
Angel’s mom is home. I called and we
can go see her, the mom I mean, if you want.”

“
I want.”

As he and his father walked down the
street to Angel’s house, he could feel his heart thumping. What
would Angel’s mother say?
Good news. Let it
be good news,
Philip hoped.

Angel’s mother welcomed them in.

“
Thank you for calling. Angel seems to
be doing fine. Sit, please sit.”

Mr. Felton refused the soda Angel’s mom
offered and said, “Philip and all of us are hopeful your daughter
gets well and comes home soon. Philip told me she was scheduled for
an operation before she went to the hospital last night."

“
She was. The doctor said last night’s
incident simply hurried things along. What they would have done in
a week or so, they did last night. Oh, Mr. Felton.” Angel’s mom
sniffed loudly. “She was such a tiny baby and has had so many
problems, but this should be her final operation. The doctor
promised.” Angel’s mom wiped her eyes and laughed and looked at
Philip. “And all she said in the ambulance and after the operation
was to tell Philip to take care of Angel, Frisky and Ling
Ling.”

“
They’re the cats I told you about,
Dad.”

Philip’s father nodded.

“
I told her we couldn’t have those
cats. I thought even
they
would make her sick. Allergies. I don’t know. All of this
makes me crazy.” She took a deep breath. “Oh, if she only comes
home healthy . . . I’d let her have a hundred cats.”

Philip had looked down after speaking to his
father, but now his head snapped up.

“
What did you say?” he
asked.

“
About what?”

“
About Angel having the
cats.”

“
Oh, if she would only come home and be
well, she can take care of them. They seem to make her happy. I
wondered why she was so perky lately.”

“
Do you mean it? Can I tell her? Do you
really mean it?”

Angel’s mom gave Philip a puzzled look.

“
Let me tell her she can keep the cats.
Please. Can I?”

Angel’s mother smiled. “Yes, of course, if
you’d like.”

“
When can I visit her? Tomorrow? Will
you take me, Dad?”

“
Well, I don’t . . .”

Angel’s mother interrupted. “The doctor said
no visitors until Tuesday. She needs rest. But I can take you
Tuesday after school, Philip, if you’d like. I’m sure your father
will be at work. I can let Angel know you’re coming. She’ll be
happy to see you.”

“
But don’t tell her about the cats.
Promise?”

Angel’s mother smiled. “No, Philip, I won’t
tell her. Not a word. Not a single word. I’ll let you be the bearer
of the good news.”

“
Thanks. Thanks a lot.”

Angel’s mother and Philip’s father chatted a
few more minutes, but Philip didn’t pay attention. He was busy
composing the sentences he would use to tell Angel she could keep
the cats. He wanted to do it right.

Chapter Twelve

Angel’s mother stood next to Philip on
Tuesday when he told Angel she’d become the happy owner of Ling
Ling, Frisky, and Angel. Angel looked at her mother, who nodded and
started to cry. Philip said he had to go and get a drink of
water.

Ten days later when Angel returned home, Ling
Ling, Frisky and little Angel were no longer living in the shed,
but happily camped in Angel’s living room. Philip and Emery were
there, too, to welcome Angel.

Angel went to the sofa where Frisky lay
sprawled and put him in her lap.

“
See all this stuff,” said Philip. “My
dad and I went shopping and we got that cat stand. It’s called the
Cat-Condo.” Philip pointed to a rug-covered contraption almost as
tall as Angel’s mother. It had poles the cats could scratch and
boxes and platforms the cats could climb onto to rest. Ling Ling
lolled on the highest platform, sleeping. “And we got those three
beds.” Three soft, oval beds, one red, one blue, one yellow, were
lined up next to the Cat-Condo. Angel curled up in the yellow
one.

“
Put Frisky down and follow me,” Philip
ordered. He led Angel to the kitchen, Emery tagging along, too.
“See, three little food bowls, one big bowl for dry food and one
big water bowl.” The small bowls each bore a cat’s name.

“
I don’t know why you put on their
names,” said Emery. “They can’t read, you know. They just go and
eat.”

Angel and Philip ignored Emery.

“
We already took them to the vet,”
Philip continued. “They got examined. They got shots. We bought
some food. They’re all ready for you.”

“
Come back and sit down, honey,” said
Angel’s mother.

Angel looked at Philip and rolled her eyes.
“I’m okay, Mom.” They returned to the living room.

“
I know. I know,” Angel’s mother said.
“But the doctor said to take it easy until school
starts.”

“
You’re going to school this year!”
Philip said.

“
I am. What a big thrill.” She
laughed.

“
What grade are you going to be in?”
Emery asked.

“
Fifth.”

“
Same grade as Emery and me,” said
Philip. “Maybe you’ll be in our class. Emery and I have been in the
same class since first grade. We’re in the same class again next
year. Ms. Jamine’s. She’s okay.”

Angel’s mom got a serious look on her face
and said, “Maybe I’ll ask the principal to put her into your class
since you boys are the only children she’ll know in the
school.”

“
Great,” said Philip.

Philip and Emery stayed until Angel’s mother
said it was time for them to leave. Angel invited them back anytime
they wanted to see the cats, and Philip said he and Emery would
visit often.

Walking down the street toward Philip’s
house, Emery said, “Why did you say we’d visit so much? I don’t
want to go visit her all the time.”

“
Make believe you’re visiting the
cats.”

“
I have a dog. I don’t need to visit
any cats. And now she’s going to be in our class at school. We
already have more girls than boys.”

“
Don’t worry. School’s way off. And we
can play at her house sometimes instead of your house or
mine.”

“
Play at a girl’s house?” Emery moaned.
“What? Like play house and dolls and stuff?”

“
Emery, she’s okay.”

“
Yeah, but she’s a girl.”

Philip laughed. For the first time since he’d
seen Emery walking his new dog, he felt happy. He didn’t have a dog
of his own, but he didn’t care. He didn’t have any cats, but he
didn’t care. He probably would never have a pet in his life, but he
didn’t care. He didn’t know why, but he felt happy.

“
I know she’s a girl, Emery, but she’s
not a regular girl. She’s an Angel.”

Emery looked at Philip as if Philip had
flipped his lid.

“
Come on,” said Philip, breaking into a
run. “Let’s get our bikes and go to the park.”

Emery ran, too, but he couldn’t keep up with
Philip. Not on a day like this.

The End

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