I believe in angels..

I believe in angels. I want to believe in them.

I was in the 8th standard, on way to mumbai in a kamat tourist bus. We were a load of cousins and elders traveling to mumbai on a 4 day holiday. I was all eager to see the place. I sat at the aisle beside my brother in law's younger brother, a doctor, window seat crazy and a very sound sleeper. Nothing can wake him up... It was always a sheer torture for the person was appointed to wake him up after his afternoon siesta. One BIL has a peculiar craze; that of a window seat. He loves to take the window seat. Many a times he has cancelled his travel because he could not reserve a window seat.

Since the day had been pretty hectic for the holidayers, thanks to all the packing and last minute shopping, everybody settled down to night of a deep slumber. Except me, all were seasoned night travelers. No matter how much I have tried, night journeys have always kept me awake till early morning.. So it was me a very light sleeper vis a vis the rest.

Very early in the night, I observed a man sitting at the aisle opposite to me. Everything did not seem right to me. Sometime in the night, I do know the time I was awakened. A light sleeper that I am, even a rolling of the bus tyre over a pebble can wake me up. But this time it was not very normal. I could sense something amiss, a strange came over me. I cannot call it scary, but weird. I looked around, first at my folks behind me. I do not know what prompted me to scan the exterior first. My people were slumbering out cold. I turned my head at the seat beside me. Some strangers totally vegged out. Looked like they were drugged out. I did observe them for sometime. I do not know for how long I kept staring at them and was lost in my own thoughts. Though my eyes were transfixed towards my gorked neighbors, I was not particularly observing them. Two eyes, fixed in a round ball were staring at me. I jerked my head in that direction. It was the man sitting on a seat across to me on an aisle. Today I cannot recall how long we eyed each other. But to a school going girl, it seemed like a lifetime. Before I knew what was happening, the figure leaned forward and brushed my ankle. I was not taken aback, cos I could not fathom what was happening. Frankly I had no clue. Before I could react, it happened again. At first I thought that I could be imagining. He did it again. Actually, when I think of it today, I do not know what I thought of at that past moment. Then I was scared.

I looked at my brother in law who was loxed out beside me. I wanted to wake him up immediately. Waking him up had been my task when at home. But I would manage to wake up every sleeping member except him. I did not want to repeat the same now. I decided against it. I just closed my eyes tight berating myself for having agreed for this trip. My only hope was my BIL beside me, which was a hopeless one.

Then I prayed.. Today I knew what I did. But as a small girl then, I did know not what I was doing. I just prayed(It is not the right word, but I cannot put anything else here) asking for my BIL to wake up. I really wished hard that I was sitting near the window. I had not completed my last word, when my BIL stirred and sat up wide awake. I did not know that he was awakened, until he shook me hard and asked me if something was wrong. Why had I shut my eyes so tight? He looked like he was up after an entire night's sleep. I had never seen him so resplendent before. I just smiled at him. He asked me to swap seats. It was unbelievable. My window seat crazy BIL has just asked me to move to his favorite seat. I silently switched my seat. The journey went on... Who woke my brother in law? What made him switch his favorite seat with me? I do not know.

What had happened that night? I had read John Milton's poem which has a reference to angels. My teacher had explained that God cannot be at all places. So he has angels who do his bidding and they are posted over land and the seas. Today, I can explain it all...

My favorite lyrics have been that of a song by ABBA: the song featuring all its members and the angels too..

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail -
I believe in angels - Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels- When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dreamI have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels
Something good in everything - I see I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me - Ill cross the stream
I have a dream - Ill cross the stream - I have a dream