heading for their respective destinations, birds flitting around, making
their nests or finding food, the buzz of the traffic slowly getting quieter
as she descended on the subway escalator.
She was on her way home from a busy day at the office and patiently waited
for her train. A crowd of people laughing passed her by, but one of them
tripped over, knocking Adia, causing her to also lose her balance just as
the train light could be spotted coming through the tunnel. She thought she
was going to fall, until someone pulled her back. In shock, she stood there
for a moment and a voice asked her if she was okay. She turned to be greeted
by her saviour, a young man. “You……you saved me. Thank you…….Oh, I’m just in
shock, in answer to your question.” She studied the male figure standing
before her. He was tall, nearly 6 foot, she thought, short, dark hair and a
pair of stunning blue eyes peeking out from under long, curling lashes.
“Um…..is there anything I can do to thank you?” He shook his head, and with
a smile and wave, he turned and walked off. “Wait!” Adia shouted, but he had
already gone. As she entered the train doors and proceeded on her journey
home, she couldn’t help but detect the odd looks some people were giving
her. She sat down and tried to clear her head to shake her on-coming
headache, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get the picture of the
stranger who had saved her, out of her mind. There was no way she could
forget a face like that! She longed to see him again and thought to herself
she may very well do, as he was at the subway station she uses every day,
morning and afternoon. That thought made her happier and calmed her down,
making her able to go through what was left of the evening before heading to
bed early.A few days later, Adia was wandering down the footpath during her
lunchtime,
taking in her surroundings as usual. Her eyes roamed and they fixed on one
spot as she noticed something she’d never seen before, up until a few days
ago. The young man who’d saved her from falling, was in the crowd across the
street. She’d never seen him around the area before, and now, here he was,
for the second time in one week. Amazed, she kept staring without realising.
He obviously saw her and he started walking away, hurriedly. She yelled out
to him but he didn’t hear her. That, or he was ignoring her. She let him go,
thinking he might turn up at the station again. He didn’t.
By the end of the week, she was tired from not having quality sleep. It was
starting to affect her work and she’d already had a few slip-ups. Anything
else going wrong just wasn’t on Adia’s agenda, but as she was about to
discover, she doesn’t always have control over things like that. As she set
foot outside her work building, she inhaled the fresh air deeply. Not a
minute later though, she heard someone yell at her. “Adia, look out! Duck!”
She immediately fulfilled the request, and as she did so, heard a shattering
of glass behind her. A stone had flown at full speed through her work door,
right at head level. It had bounced sideways off a car windscreen. As she
stared through the broken glass door, a thought came into her head. That
voice, it sounded incredibly familiar. She looked across the street just in
time to see a dark-haired figure dressed all in white, disappear around the
corner. He seemed to wave at her without looking back before he was out of
sight. It was him again.
Adia finally met him face to face once again, about 3 weeks after the last
event. It was at the subway station again, and he was in the corner reading
a newspaper. It was extra busy that day and he hadn’t noticed her coming
this time, so he couldn’t leave in time, not that he had any room to go
anywhere anyway. “Hello,” she greeted as she approached him. He smiled and
replied with the same. “Can I ask you a question?” The young man nodded in
response. “What’s your name and who are you?” She hoped she wasn’t being too
forward, but shook that thought out of her mind. Of course it wasn’t forward
to ask someone their name! “Mark. My name is Mark, and I’m in the
hospitality business. Well, I suppose that’s what it could be classed as. I
like to do what I can to help people.” A smile came across his face. “How
about you? What do you do?” “I’m a graphic designer,” Adia replied. She
liked this man already. There was something different about him. She
suddenly remembered the incident a few days ago with the stone. “The other
day you called out my name. How did you know it?” she questioned. This came
as a surprise to him, but he had an answer. “You told me the first time we
met.” “No I didn’t.” “Well, you were in shock. Maybe you just don’t
remember.” “Hmm….I suppose so,” she answered, unconvinced. She was so sure
she hadn’t. Wanting to change the subject, she asked Mark if he’d like to go
and have a coffee with her. There was a later train she could catch anyway.
He accepted Adia’s invitation gratefully, and they headed for a café just
around the corner from the station. Wisely, during their conversation, she
didn’t ask him too many questions, as he seemed a bit defensive or closed at
times. She had trouble reading him because of this, but it was as if he’d
known her for a long time. It was puzzling, but she dismissed it. They sat
indulging each others company for about half an hour, until it came time for
Adia to depart. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Adia found herself thinking of Mark a great deal after that afternoon. He
often appeared in her dreams which pressed her to discover she had strong
feelings for him. They met for coffee at the same time and place, week in
and week out after that first time. It became their routine, one which they
both looked forward to immensely. They grew to like each other more with
every meeting and it was becoming obvious to them both, what the other was
feeling for them.
In the passing months, Adia spotted Mark in the crowd several times, and
waved. Instead of hurrying away like he did the first time, he acknowledged
her gesture and returned the wave. It was as if he was watching her though,
she thought. But one day she saw something strange. Observing the people of
the town, she saw Mark, but someone was walking backwards, not watching
where he was going as he sent his regards to his friend who was heading in
the opposite direction. She sensed it before it happened, but before she
could yell out, the man collided with Mark. Only, he didn’t stumble, and
Mark didn’t flinch, but their paths clearly crossed. She couldn’t believe
what she just saw. Her jaw dropped a mile, her thoughts racing through her
mind. As they did at 100 miles an hour, it suddenly became clear. Mark
always being in the right place at the right time when something happened to
her, him knowing her name without her actually saying it, the strange looks
from the people at the station, and finally, the scene she had just
witnessed. She had to confront Mark the next time she saw him, that would be
tomorrow after work.
“Mark, we have to talk. I….I know who you are. You’re……..” Mark interrupted
her at that stage. He nodded, “God’s gift. To you.” “My guardian angel.”
“Yes.” He smiled and took hold of her hand across the table. “God noticed
how you observe everything around you, and he admires that in a person. Not
many people try to find time for the simple things in life and appreciate
everything they’ve been given. He wanted to protect you, because you’re the
sort of person who is very rare these days.” With that statement, Adia
blushed. At that moment, a single tear made it’s way down her cheek as she
realised her hopes and dreams would never come true. Her love would never be
fulfilled.
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