Guardian Angel Academy (4 page)

Chapter Five

Our next class was taught by Professor Anthony who taught us the characteristics of an evil spirit versus a good one, the good one being full of love and kindness for others, whereas the evil one being selfish and destructive. Choir was taught by the directors of the Academy and amazed me at the beautiful sound we angels produced.  Floating involved learning how to rise and hover and Invisibility was taught by Professor Occult, who began class by startling all of us as he began speaking while invisible. 

The first day of guardian angel training was complete.  I hurried out the door of the classroom and toward our dorm.  “We'll meet you in the cafeteria after we put our books away,” Journey said to Kevin and Felix.

“I can't wait to start practicing some of these things,” I said to Journey as we walked along the path to our dorm.

“I can't wait either,” she smiled back, chuckling at my excitement.  I set my books in my closet next to my bed and looked in the mirror.  What used to be a thirty-two year old woman was now a teenager.  Everyone here seemed to be young, healthy, and fit looking.  I once again rubbed my arm, feeling the airy texture, not at all like the body I once had.  Feeling as airy as I did, I wondered why I wasn't floating around like a balloon.

When we finished freshening up, we closed the door to our room and headed over to the cafeteria to meet Kevin and Felix.

The boys met us in front of the eatery and we went inside to go through the line.  The serving angels were student volunteers wearing different colored robes and gowns, depending on what level they were.  They floated back and forth from the kitchen bringing in refills of variouos dishes.  I watched for a moment, once again amused.  The only thing on earth that I'd seen that came anywhere close to this was the roller skating servers at drive-in hamburger joints.  I followed Journey and the boys, choosing what I wanted to eat and we sat down at a table.

“I feel like a sponge,” I said.  “There's so much to soak in for one day.”

“One day you are on earth and the next you are up here,” said Felix.  “It happens so fast.”

“How old were you guys when you died?” I asked them all.

“I was 83, how about you?”  Journey answered first.

“I was only 32.”

“Ouch!”
“I know, it hurts, but my children and husband are being watched over by my grandparents, and then when I finish training, I'll watch over them.”

“My situation is a little different,” said Felix.  “I died in a car crash as a teenager.”

“That's got to be tough.”  I said.  “Your parents must be devastated.”

“Yes, I suppose they are.  When I passed away, I was met by my grandparents on my father's side, but most of my family are still alive.”

“They say you will still have the chance to marry, have children, and everything you would have done on earth up here, after you serve as a guardian angel,” Kevin said.

“I miss my husband, John,” said Journey.  “But I know we will be united again.”

“So, let me get this straight,” I said.  Journey has a husband on earth that she's waiting for to be together with again.  Felix has never been married.  I have a husband on earth, and Kevin, how about you?”

Kevin straightened up.  “I suppose I'm the exception.  I haven't been to earth yet.  You know, they let some angels into guardian angel school who haven't lived yet.”

“Wow.  When will you go down to earth?” asked Felix.

“I don't know.  They told me that when it's my time, all of a sudden I'll be taken away and sent to earth to be born.  Not only that, I'll forget everything about up here.”

“I hope that doesn't happen any time soon,” said Felix.  “Although I suppose you are anxious for it to happen.”

“I definitely want to go to earth, but I'm looking forward to being a guardian angel, too.”

Journey set her spoon down and looked at Felix.   Then she looked at me.  “I wonder why you two had to die so young.  Weren't your guardian angels doing their jobs?”

“I don't know,” Felix paused thoughtfully.  “I've been wondering that very thing.  That may be the case, or maybe it was my time to go.”  Felix paused as he watched some of the server angels floating around filling the water glasses.  “Sometimes bad things just are allowed to happen as we know many bad things happen on earth.  Why did you die so young?”  Felix's blue eyes pierced in my direction as he asked the question.

“I don't know,” I said.  “I personally believe that, although God does send his guardian angels to protect us many times, even God has to allow bad things to happen on earth.  Earth is a trial period for the eternities.”

“I think that's true,” said Journey.  “But thankfully we have guardian angels to protect us or many of us wouldn't live full lives.”

We ate our food in silence a few moments, then Felix spoke up.  “One thing I'd like to know.  If we are all spirits, why do we need to eat?”

“This is spirit food.  It is not the same as the food we used to eat when we were human,” I said.  “At least that's what I heard.”

“It tastes pretty good to me,” said Felix stuffing his mouth full of cherry cheesecake.  “That's all I care about.”

Kevin took a gulp of his soda.  “I think it's delicious.  I can't wait to try human food.  Is it any different than this?”

“It tastes pretty much the same,” said Journey.  “I think some of the ingredients are different, but they make it taste familiar to us so we'll feel at home while we are here.”

I said, “Well, we better go and study and practice our skills.  Let's meet back at 9:00 for Flotation Ball.”

Chapter Six

It was day two of Guardian Angel training school.  As the students gathered for the morning choir practice, Bertrand bragged that he now had the words to the Hallelujah Chorus memorized.  As others picked up the copies of their music, he passed by smiling, saying, “No thank you.”  It seemed his humble demeanor changed over night.

Angel Persephone floated to the front to conduct.  She raised her baton and the music began.

When the song was over, Persephone smiled broadly.  “That was great.  You sound like angels.  Tomorrow we will sing, “Oh Divine Redeemer” so you may, for homework, try to learn the words to the song.”  We took our seats, the upper class men float-sat.

Angel Angelique came forward.  “You have all completed your first day of training.  You will learn a lot in one week's time.  Our schedule today will be the same as yesterday.  However, before you are excused to classes, we will watch a short film.  This was taken from an actual guardian angel experience that will take place in one of your futures. I would like you to watch this carefully and we will discuss it afterward.”

The room darkened and the movie began.  Unlike most movies humans watch on a flat screen, this was more a vision than a movie.  It was like watching a play with real actors, but also with real live scenery right in front of your very eyes, not on a stage but at the actual location.

Six seventeen-year-old young men cheerfully trotted out of a red brick home, the last one shutting the door and locking it behind him.  They each carried a duffel bag and appeared happy to be heading towards their destination.  Shivering in their black leather jackets, they tightened the scarves around their necks, their warm breaths spewing from their mouths.  The snow was falling on the already heavily coated ground.

“Someone needs to shovel this walk,” John yelled as he slid out toward an old Plymouth.

“It's Blake's turn,” Sunny said, his breath spewing cloudy wisps into the air.

“I'll do it when we get back,” Blake retorted, positioning his mittens over his cold fingers.

The boys piled into the car and Budd started the engine.

As Budd put the car in reverse and backed out the driveway, John spoke up.  “So, Budd, what are your plans for the weekend?”

“I'm taking Faelela and her mother out for a picnic if Louise and Kay can spare me from the farm for a few hours and then on Saturday night Faelela and I are going to the dance at the armory.”

“You'd think you were dating Faelela's mother, too,” John laughed.

“Well, I'm going to ask out Hannah again,” Blake said.

“I wish I had someone to ask to the dance,” said Sunny.

“What happened to you and Christina?” David asked.

“She's going out with Bill Peterson now.  Sunny shook his head, “When the cat's away the mice will play.  Sunny paused, “Anyway, I'm over her now.”

“No one will ever take my Fae away,” said Budd.  “I wouldn't let them.”

“That's easy to say until it happens to you,” said David.

“I'm not fussing with any girls,” said Sunny.  “You know what's gunna happen to us when we turn eighteen anyway, don't ya?”

The car was silent for a moment.

“Okay, we're all going to be drafted, “said Marvin.  “So, what?  We better have fun and enjoy life all the more now.”

The vehicle reached the mountain pass as the sky darkened.   The last rays of sunlight were descending behind the hill.  Budd maneuvered the vehicle around the sharp curves carefully.  The trees slowly began to lose the glistening light of the sparkling snowflakes as darkness engulfed them.  In the back seat the young men were sleeping.  Budd and Blake, in the front of the vehicle, chatted.  The windshield wipers squeaked back and forth as Budd squinted to see through the mounting blanket of white.

Just as Budd maneuvered a turn, a large deer sprinted into the street and stood stalk still in front of him.  Budd gasped and swerved to miss the deer, his vehicle skidding out in front of an oncoming car.

It was at this moment that the lights came on.

Angel Angelique floated to the front of the classroom as the vision faded away.

The muffled whispers that filled the room were quieted as Angelique posed her question.  “We have six seventeen-year-old young men, destined for great things in their lives.  None of them are meant to die at this time.  The boss gives you the signal to go down and save this vehicle.  What would you do?”

A student in blue spoke up, “I would push his car back into his lane with a gust of air and help his car stop before hitting the deer.”

“Okay, that's sounds good, but a lot to do at once. Any other suggestions?”

A student in red spoke up, “I would make the other car swerve into his lane, with a little gust of air, and let his car swerve into the other car's lane, thus each car missing the other and have the deer run off back into the woods.”

“That sounds good, but once again I don't know how you will do all of those things at once.” Angel Angelique said. “Any other suggestions?”

Felix raised his hand.

“Yes, Felix?”

“I would expect that some of the other boys' guardian angels may be present as well, and we would quickly divide up the work.  One would swerve the other car into Budd's lane, one would keep Budd's car in the other car's lane and on the road, and the other angel would move the deer back up the mountain.”

“That's a great thought,” said Angelique.  “Let's watch again and see how it was done.”

The room darkened.  This time Budd's car swerved into the other lane, the car from that lane swerved into his lane and the deer ran up the hill, all missing each other.

The lights turned on.  “Now you see what happened.  But how it happened is still the question.  We will turn the movie on again, only this time the invisible guardian angels will show up so that we can see what really happened.”

The room darkened again.  This time a guardian angel with sparkly jewels on her gown came floating down.  I looked at her closely and realized it was me.  Future me!  I quickly summoned two others, Joseph and Rachel, my grandparents who were also guardian angels.  Joseph helped the oncoming car to swerve, Rachel helped Budd's car stay on the road, and I patted the deer so he trotted up into the backwoods.  It all happened so quickly but everyone was safe.

The lights turned on and excited whispers filled the air.

Angel Angelique smiled approvingly at Felix.  “Felix was right.  The other guardian angels came and helped.  All of the humans involved were saved.”

I raised my hand.  “Who was I saving?”

“That is your child, Budd and his friends.”

“How did the guardian angels communicate with each other?  I didn't see them talking.” I asked.

“Good question.  Once you become a Guardian Angel, you use your power to communicate telepathically with other Guardian Angels.  You don't need to speak.  We have a course on Telepathy here at the Academy.”

“I see,” I said.  “I always wished I could read minds.”

“Our kind of  telepathy is not reading minds.  It is inputting and receiving.  You put something into their minds and you receive what they are saying to your mind.  You will learn more about that later.  But their innermost thoughts are still private.”

Chapter Seven

After the choir sang, “Oh, Divine Redeemer,” Angel Crystal floated to the front of the room.  “Thank you for singing.  That was very beautiful.  Now you will be excused to your classes.  You are assigned to the same schedule as yesterday.  However, Josie please stay and speak with me for a moment.”

I wondered why I was summoned.  I waved for the others to go ahead and a made my way to the front of the room to speak with Crystal.

“Would you like to see what your children and husband have been up to?”

“Oh, can I?” I asked anxiously.  Maybe the directors knew that is what I thought about so often.

“Yes, this will just take a few minutes, then you can join the others.”

I sat down to watch the vision of my children and husband.

Budd and Louise sat in silence listening for any sound of me.  When they heard a thud, they scooted out of their chairs and ran to the bathroom.  Budd's eyes widened and his mouth dropped when he saw me lying upon the cold surface. He fell to the floor and patted my pale face.

“Wake up, Mommy. Wake up!”

“Oh, no,” Louise cried, staring at me.  “We’ve got to run and find Daddy, quick!”

The kids dashed outside hoping to find their father.  To their relief, he was riding in on his horse.

“Daddy, daddy!” Budd ran so fast, he tripped over his feet and started crying.  Louise pulled him up and nestled him near her while she screamed to her father, “Something’s happened to Mama.”

Nick jumped off his horse and ran toward them.  He lifted his crying son in his arms and took Louise's hand and together they raced inside to find me on the floor of the bathroom, lifeless. Grandma Patty had awakened from her nap and greeted them with a worried look.  Nick's hands trembled as he lifted my wrist and checked my pulse.  He placed his hand above my mouth to check for breathing.  Feeling nothing, tears began to well up in his eyes.  He buried his head in my chest and said an earnest yet hurried prayer, then ran to the telephone on the wall and dialed the operator.  “Get me the emergency personnel quick.  I think my wife is dead…”

The day of the funeral Budd dressed in his white button-up shirt, a bow tie and fancy suspenders attached to a dressy pair of shorts.  Louise wore a black dress with long stockings and black shoes with shiny buckles.  They entered the chapel and sat on the front pew designated for the family.  The organ music played as men carried the coffin to the front of the chapel.  Budd frowned as he eyed the large box that held my body, the box that would be taken and buried under a pile of dirt.

The ranch belonged to my family and now that I was dead, Nick believed it was time to leave. Nick seemed to be grieving, but refused to show it.  He was going to move in with his parents.  Their lives on the ranch would be over, except for summer visitations. Budd lay in bed and dreamed about me.  I could see right into his mind and see his dreams.  Each night he dreamed that I came alive again and wrapped my arms around him. He was filled with peace and love and joy, until every morning-- he woke up.

I wiped my eyes.  Tears were flowing down my cheeks without my realizing it. 

I got to first hour just after role call for Thought Instillation class.  “Today we will go to the practice rooms and apply thought instillation.”  Angel Walter led the way.  He floated along ahead of us but as slowly as he could so we could keep up.  When we were inside the building, Angel Walter spoke to the class.

“First I want two volunteers, one to be the human and one the guardian angel.”  He looked at each of our faces.

Journey raised her hand.  “I'd like to be the human.”

“Can I be the guardian angel? I asked.

“All right,” said Angel Walter.  “Journey, please go inside the room and close the door.  Josie, stand outside of the room and we will tell you what thought we would like you to instill into Journey's head.”

After Journey shut the door,  Angel Walter turned to me. “I want you to give Journey the idea to duck.  Somehow we'll imagine that by ducking, her life will be saved.”

“Okay, I'll try.” I tried to calm the butterflies swarming inside me.

Concentrating hard and closing my eyes, I swung my baton, but nothing happened.

“Think harder, and only think about saving Journey.” Angel Walter floated effortlessly a few feet above the ground and he pointed to his brain as he emphasized the word “think”.  “Don't think about yourself.  It is not about you.  It is all about her.”

I concentrated harder.  Finally the class could see through the glass windows of the practice room, Journey suddenly ducked her head.

“Well done,” said Angel Walter.  “Who's next?

Second hour was Controlling the Elements.  Angel Addison floated at the front of the room.  “Today we are going to go to the practice rooms for simulations in controlling the elements.”

We excitedly exited the room and headed toward the practice rooms.  “This should be fun,” Kevin whispered to Felix.

“Who would like to be the victim?  Or should I say the benefactor?” the teacher teased.

“Me, me,” Felix jumped up and down.

“All right, Felix, you may go inside first.”  The rest of the class stayed outside the room, looking in to see Felix sitting in the chair facing them and the glass windows.  It was one of those observation rooms where the people looking in could see inside, but the people inside could not see out.

“What shall we do to Felix,” Angel Addison asked.

A freshman raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“We should make him and his chair scoot forward.”

“All right, who would like to try to make his chair scoot forward?”

“I will,” said Kevin.

“Okay, give it a go when you are ready.”

Kevin concentrated hard, but nothing happened.  He closed his eyes tight and concentrated harder.  Still nothing happened.  Finally he spoke up, “I can't make it work because I can't see how scooting his chair will help him.”

“Very well,” said Angel Addison. “Picture a killer scorpion about to bite his heel if he doesn't scoot out of the way.”

Kevin pictured this and focused on his friend.  Suddenly the chair scooted forward.

The classmates clapped as Felix came out of the room.  “So, you wanted to scoot me forward?”

“Yep, that was it,” said Kevin.

“Who's next?” asked Angel Addison.

Third hour class was Glowing.  Angel Jeremiah floated to the front of the room after all were seated.

  “We will practice our glowing skills.  I will call upon each of you to come to the front of the room and glow.”

I had practiced last night.  I felt like a glow-stick.  Back on Earth we made glow-sticks dance while we laid in our beds at night.  Now, it was my very self that was glowing and it was turned on with the powers of my mind.  It simply amazed me.  In turn each freshman  went to the front of the room and tried glowing.  Most of them were able to at least glow a little this time.  I was able to glow for about as long as anyone.

“Very well,” said Angel Jeremiah. “We'll practice some more tomorrow.

In fourth hour, Angel Agnes began her lesson.  “As you have read in your assignment, we are not to intercede or prevent every suicide that takes place.  People are supposed to have their freedom to make their own choices.  However, under some circumstances, the boss will ask you to intervene. In such circumstances, It may not be the person's time to go or the person may not be fully responsible for their actions.”

In some cases, for example, drug overdose, you can use powers of healing to heal or rather, reverse what has been done.  I prefer to reverse the damage.  Some angels just do the minimum that is required to keep the person from being successful.  The choice is yours.  We will practice different techniques in our next session.  But for the rest of today, I would like you to read the next two chapters in your book and answer the questions following each chapter.”

We walked toward the Eatery.  “So, Journey, what did it feel like when I instilled the thought to duck into your head,” I asked her.

“It's like all of a sudden I got this idea, this strong urge to duck.  I quickly obeyed.”

“Yeah,” said Felix, “You obeyed.  But I wonder how many humans do.  You know, some of them may not listen to the promptings in their heads.”

“I know what you mean,” I said.  “I probably didn't always listen to my guardian angel's warnings.  I suppose if they don't listen, then you use some other technique, like controlling the elements.”

Kevin said, “You guys are at somewhat of an advantage over me.  You know what it was like to be a human on Earth.  I have no idea.”

“I'm not sure if that is such an advantage,” said Journey.

“Yeah, it might help or it might hinder,” said Felix.  “Anyway, I was only a human until I was a teenager.  I wouldn't know what it was like to grow old or to have children.”

“That's true,” said Kevin.

I bit into my veggie sandwich then decided to change the subject.  “Do you think we will actually start learning to float in floating class today?”

“I hope so,” said Felix.  “I'm kind of envious of the upper classmen, how they get to float everywhere while we walk.”

“Yeah,” I said.  “But we'll be floating everywhere soon.”

“I hope we get to practice floating everywhere.” said Journey.

“Yes, they said that floating doesn't have to be practiced in the practice rooms.  We can do that anywhere.” Kevin said in between bites of his apple.

“I'm going to go back for some dessert,” I said, “before the bell for our next class rings.”

After lunch, we went to our fifth hour class, evil spirit confrontation. 

Angel Anthony shook each of our hands as we entered the room.  He then went to the front of the room.

He began by posing the question, “How can you tell if a spirit is good or evil?”

A freshman raised his hand,.

“Yes?” asked Angel Anthony.

“A good spirit does good and unselfish things and an evil spirit does evil or selfish and awful things?”

Angel Anthony nodded, “For the most part that is true, but that is not how you can tell.  Sometimes an evil spirit will try to deceive you by doing something good for the moment or he may be doing something good for the wrong reasons.”

Kevin raised his hand.

“Yes?” asked Angel Anthony.

“Do they look the same as good spirits?”

“Oh, now you are asking the questions.  I like that. Yes, they generally appear the same,” answered Angel Anthony, “Although they cannot glow.”

I raised my hand.

“Yes, Josie.”

“Do they feel the same as us?”

“Interesting question, which leads us to the answer.  “No.  The evil spirits, you cannot feel.  If you touch them or ask to shake their hand, you will not feel it.  It's like your hand will go right through them. ”

“What if they refuse to shake hands with you?” a freshman  asked.

“A good spirit would not refuse.  That should give you your answer.”

Angel Anthony looked at the class, “For the remainder of the hour, please read chapter three in your textbooks and you will learn more about it.”

During 6th hour, all the students met in the great hall.  We were positioned as usual  for a choir number.  I took my place by the other Sopranos and Journey.  I got out my music for the song we were to sing today, “The Lord's Prayer.”

We began singing this beautiful hymn, “Our Father which art in heaven.  Hallowed be thee name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.   Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.”

Upon the completion of the music, Angel Crystal got up to speak. 

“Today we will be watching another true reenactment of a guardian angel saving someone's life.”

The room was darkened and the vision began.

Budd and his crew were dismissed from the lecture hall to go for one of their many simulations. As Budd walked toward the plane, feeling only darkness around him and an eeriness accentuated by the sliver of moon peeking out through a dark portentous cloud. 

“I can't believe they are having us do this tonight,” Budd whispered to Blake.  “The storm is heading right toward us.”

“I know what you mean,” Blake answered.  I think I even hear lightning in the far distance.”

Pep spoke up as they continued walking,  “When we are really in combat, we can't be sissies.  It won't  matter what the weather's like, we'll just have to keep going.”

“I guess you're right,” said Budd.  “Only I'd like to stay alive to see a mission  Do you realize that a large number of servicemen actually die in training?”

Blake laughed nervously.  “That's crazy.“

The crew climbed aboard the plane and strapped on their seat belts.  They stored near them their emergency backpacks containing parachutes that had been carefully packed for them.  Budd squeezed himself into the small compartment at the tail of the plane.