Feeling the Vibes (3 page)

I couldn’t believe Obi had been through so much suffering. “So will he get to stay with his parents this time?”

She shook her head. “Maybe it’s kinder this way. This time he won’t have a human family to lose.”

I was totally lost now. “How come?”

“He isn’t going to be born into a baby’s body,” Obi’s teacher explained. “He’ll simply materialise on his arrival on Planet Earth.”

I felt my entire Universe unravelling before my eyes. Who knew non-angels could attend angel nursery school then materialise on Earth aged four?

“Won’t people think that’s, you know, weird?’

“They won’t notice. Obi is going to India. To humans he will just be one more orphan among the millions on India’s streets. The monks will possibly guess the truth, but the arrival of a
bodhisattva
is often attended by miraculous happenings.”

“Monks,” I said blankly. This was the first time Miss Dove had mentioned monks.

“Obi is going to a monastery in the Himalayas,” she explained. “The monks there have been training child
bodhisattvas
for centuries.”

I tried to picture little Obi perched on a golden throne, enduring hours of chanting and the banging and crashing gongs, while his little angel buddies merrily played firemen and fairies.

“WHY?” I burst out. “Why uproot him for NO reason!” I couldn’t imagine Heaven without Obi. I didn’t want to.

Obi’s teacher took a breath. “Think about it, Melanie. Didn’t you always secretly sense that Obi was special, deep down?”

“Well, yeah…”

“The Agency believes he has the ability to bring about world peace in your century.”

“Obi? My Obi? Are you serious?”

Miss Dove had tears sparkling in her eyes. “All his lives have been leading to this. His vibration is wonderfully pure now. Can you imagine what he’ll be like when he’s trained?”

I pictured Obi walking through a teeming city of the future, his security guys anxiously tagging along behind him. This grown-up Obi was totally calm, stopping to talk to everyone: tattooed gangsters, old ladies, shy little kids. Peace radiated from his face like light from a star.

I had no problem picturing Obi as a man of peace - look what he’d done for me! And if he truly had the ability to turn the twenty-first century around, of course the Agency had to send him. But something bothered me.

“So will they like, drop him off at the monastery?”

“Ah,” Miss Dove said. “That isn’t actually possible. The monks know a special child is coming. They’re already watching out for certain cosmic signs to confirm the time and place.”

“Cosmic signs? Seriously?”

“When they’re able to pinpoint the
bodhisattva’s
location, they’ll dispatch a party of monks to look for him. They’ll carry out a series of tests to make sure Obi is a true
bodhisattva
. If he passes, he’ll go back to their monastery, where he’ll live cut off from the outside world until his training is complete, some time in his twenties.”

“Some time in his - that’s sixteen years at least!” I was horrified.

“Melanie, Obi’s destiny is to be a force for good. He poses a threat to the Dark Agencies. He has to be kept safe until he is spiritually mature. The monks won’t be the only ones looking out for a child
bodhisattva
, as you must have realised.”

It hadn’t even occurred to me, but now Miss Dove had put it out there, I felt sick. I pictured Obi walking away into the mountains with a bunch of doddery old monks, a huge predatory bird circling overhead. The PODS can morph into any shape they choose or no shape at all: birds of prey, a lurking shadow, a cute angel girl who wants to be your new best friend…

I suppressed a shiver. “What if the Dark Agencies track him down?”

“The monastery is in a valley so remote it isn’t even on a map. The only way in is via a rope bridge, which will be taken down as soon as the monks get Obi to the other side.”

“PODS don’t exactly need to worry about bridges,” I pointed out.

“Perhaps not, but the intense Light levels emanating from the monastery will definitely deter them.”

She had the answer off so pat, I realised she’d had this exact discussion with the Agency.

He’s got to get there first
, I thought uneasily.
He’s got to GET to the secret valley. Did anyone think of that?

Miss Dove was still talking about Light levels, but her words just washed over me. I didn’t like it. It was too dangerous. Obi needed someone to protect him from the PODS until the monks rocked up.

“Exactly!” Miss Dove said triumphantly, as if I’d spoken out loud. “I keep telling them, finding
bodhisattvas
is not an exact science! It could be weeks,
months
, before the monks find Obi. I know the two of you have a very special bond. I want you to go with him, Melanie. It would put my mind at rest.”

I stared at her, totally stunned. I couldn’t believe Obi’s teacher was trusting me to look after this incredibly special little boy. Which made what I was going to say even more upsetting.

“I can’t,” I said huskily. “You have NO idea how much I want to, but I just can’t.”

Chapter Four

I
knew Obi’s teacher could be firm. You have to be firm with preschoolers. I never knew she could be downright scary though.

I tried to explain why I couldn’t act as Obi’s guardian angel. With my divine guidance system still on the fritz I’d make us both a perfect target for the PODS. Look what happened in Egypt! And it wasn’t just Obi’s safety I’d be risking. The future of Earth was at stake.

But gentle, patient Miss Dove just said tersely, “Then get it fixed!”

“Miss Dove, I’ve tried, I truly—”

“Try again,” she snapped. “I’m relying on you and so is Obi.”

Outside the nursery, I almost burst into tears. I flipped open my mobile, then snapped it shut again. The only being in the Universe who could help was not contactable by phone.

I couldn’t face anyone so I walked down to the seashore, not even knowing what I was doing. The loveliest beach in the Universe on a perfect golden afternoon and it was totally wasted. Deaf and blind to my surroundings, I walked, walked, walked, like a fitness freak on a treadmill.

Of course I wanted to help Obi. It wasn’t fair of Miss Dove, piling on the pressure like that. But if I knew how to bring Helix back, I wouldn’t have spent the past few days hiding under my duvet, would I?

I was fuming now. It drove me CRAZY the way everyone in Heaven expected you to figure out everything for yourself. No one EVER gave you a straight answer.

“It’s not fair!” I yelled. “I want to help, but you won’t let me!”

It dawned on me that I was literally quarrelling with the Universe and Mr Allbright says if you get into a fight with the Universe, the Universe is pretty much guaranteed to win.

I stopped to look back along the gleaming wet sand, genuinely surprised at how far I’d come. While I’d been storming along inside my angry little bubble, the sun had started to set. A lone bird skimmed over my head, lightly brushing my hair with its wings. It was probably in a hurry to get home before dark, but it felt sweetly intimate; like, “Hello, angel girl, feeling better now?”

I was feeling
much
better. Surrounded by so much beauty, I couldn’t exactly remember why I’d been so sorry for myself.

So you found out you had a Dark side
, I told myself.
Get over yourself! How can Helix get through to you in this state?

If you’d been watching at that moment, you’d have seen a lone angel girl on an empty beach punching the air, screaming: “OMIGOSH! THAT’S IT!!!”

Helix didn’t GO anywhere. Where’s she going to go? She’s part of me for ever! She just plain couldn’t get through!!!

I’d been waiting like a big fat lemon for Helix to do something from her end, when it was actually down to
me
to reconnect.

“Hang on, Helix,” I burbled. “Hang on, OK?”

Before I could reactivate my inner angel, though, I needed to boost my vibes, and to boost my vibes I needed to get back in the cosmic flow. I didn’t have my yoga mat, so I laid my jacket on the damp sand, seated myself in the lotus position - and waited.

Ohhhh… You know when you’re really thirsty and someone gives you a wonderfully refreshing drink? It felt like that, like I was literally drinking Light, soaking up all the glowing pinks and golds of the sunset. A feeling of utter peace crept over me. Tears of relief seeped down my cheeks, but I just let them fall.

I stayed on the beach until the sky turned velvety dark with night. Tiny twinkling stars came out, first just in ones and twos, then in absolute millions.

A tiny sound made me turn and I was astonished to see dozens of angel kids silently coming to join me: Lola, Brice, Reuben, Amber, all the kids from my class, kids I didn’t even know. Then my teachers arrived; last of all came Miss Dove.

I stood up, amazed, as they formed a silent circle around me. Their vibes were so gentle I started crying for real. I was crying because I knew now that the Test was really over.

I felt a familiar glowing sensation in my chest as if I’d swallowed a tiny, slightly too hot potato.

So when are we taking Obi to India again
? asked a much-missed voice from inner space.

My inner angel was back online.

Chapter Five

T
his is SUCH bad timing,” Lola moaned. “I can’t believe you’re taking Obi to India without me! It has to be like, the
coolest
mission ever.”

We were sitting at a pavement table outside Guru. We’d had a brief shower and teeny glittery drops of rain sprinkled off our umbrella. I had been officially approved as Obi’s guardian angel and I was being allowed to take two trainees along for back-up.

Naturally my first choice was Lola. We’ve been in so many crazy cosmic situations that I know I can totally depend on her in a crisis. Unfortunately she was just that day setting off on a huge guardian angel assignment of her own.

“Don’t suppose you’ve even had time to ask Brice?” I sighed.

“No, I did! He’d actually signed up to go on some extreme adventure course, but he cancelled.”

I was blown away. “He’s wanted to do that course for
aeons
. He truly gave it up because of Obi?”

“And because it’s you. He thinks he owes you. He always will.”

Lola’s convinced it’s due to running into me (in a World War II air raid) that Brice was finally able to break away from the PODS. I didn’t think he owed me a thing, but I was hugely grateful he was going to be on my team. During his Dark angel phase, Lola’s boyfriend associated with beings who’d turn you to cosmic mush purely because they didn’t like the look on your face or whatever.

To survive Brice developed what we call his Dark Radar. A Dark Agent could cloak its vibes, even assume fabulously convincing identities, but Brice would instantly sniff him out. All angels have this ability to some extent, but not like Brice.

“He says if you need him at the briefing, give him a call,” Lola mumbled through a mouthful of muffin.

“I could always ask Amber,” I sighed with distinct lack of enthusiasm.

“No, it’s sorted,” Lola said casually. “Reuben’s taking my place.”

Panic sirens went off in my head. “Oh, Lollie, that’s not such a—”

She gave me what we call her La Sanchez look. “
Carita
, isn’t it about time you and Sweetpea sorted this thing out?”

“There isn’t a ‘thing’ to sort out,” I fibbed. I could feel my cheeks burning.

“Ooh, there SO is! You and Reubs have been weird with each other since that soul-retrieval mission, you know you have.”

“We totally have not been weird,” I blazed. “I’ve been perfectly professional, thank you very much!”

Lola dabbed up tiny crumbs from her muffin. “OK, since you’re being so professional, you won’t mind admitting that Reuben is perfect for this mission. Plus he and Brice work really well together.”

“They’re a great team,” I admitted. “Plus Obi adores Reubs.”