ANGEL ANNABELLE

"Who am I" is never an easy question to answer, as an angel it's nearly impossible. As a human I was a disgruntled, cynical closet romantic with a crappy job. After years at the angel academy studying courses in divine intervention and museum, I am a dead disgruntled cynical closet romantic with a crappy job.

Originally I am the product of my mother's one night fling with Harry Leveau, founder of Happy Harry's Hamburger House. It had been my mother's desperate attempt to move up from lowly cashier to shift supervisor. The news of her pregnancy, albeit his fault, did not go over well with Mr. Leveau, in fact Happy Harry became Pink Slip Happy Harry and poor mom was promptly fired.

Thus began my streak of employment woes that eventually brings me to where I am today. My mother never told me who my father really was. She wasn't the smartest woman on the planet and for a while he was an army man, then a policeman, then Mel Gibson from some police movie, then some Scottish man in a kilt and it went on from there. By about age six I was able to get a good idea of the truth about my father and my mother's errr, extra-curricular activities, let's just say I was smart for my age.

I didn't figure out anything beyond who he wasn't and as the dear fates would have it I did cross paths with that man of mystery in polyester apron and smiley hat when I was 16 years old and at my first job interview. I had planned on surprising my mother by getting a job of my very own at the brand new Happy Harry's Hamburger House in town. Upon being told I was hired and finishing my first shift I raced home and sprung the news on her.

I was stuck for nearly two years without a job thanks to the lousy reference from Happy Harry's after quitting on my second day of work at my mother's request. Eventually a job did cross my path that led to my being hired, the local vet. With dreams of cuddley puppies and precious little kittens dancing in my head, I arrived on the job only to be handed a pooper scooper and the position of cage cleaner.

For the next five years I was in an employment rut to put it mildly. When I finally worked my way through the ranks of the vet and was made dog walker I was able to try for something new. I got back into the food industry rather quickly and was elated to get the job of cashier again. Sadly, even fast food restaurants aren't above hazing theses days and I, being the newest hiree, was put on bathroom duty for the next two months. The fates looked a little nicer on me this time though, and it was in the male restroom of Bob's Burger Bar that I fell in love. Yes, weight-of-the-world-on-my-shoulder's A.B. met her true love over a urinal.

We made a great couple Andy and I. He would arrive in his Walmart uniform and the two of us would go for a drive under the stars after work. While Andy lasted forever as far as I was concerned "Bob's Burgers" did not and I got a job over at a convenience store. Albeit it the mode of my demise I didn't mind that job. I would sneak in romance books and when no one was looking (had to keep up that cynical act, right?) I would pour over them in the shadow of the security TV. One night, midway through "Love Everlasting" we were mugged, I was shot, and that was the end.

Today I'm an angel (hard to believe I know, you should have seen the potty mouth I had around the hot grease at Bob's.) As I said earlier my career woes stay unchanged as I have worked part-time at the heavenly "Dream Cafe" as a waitress. On the side I've been a student, and I didn't do too bad. I did get in trouble a lot during the practical exam for divine intervention for trying to visit Andy but I did do one thing right (probably for the first time in my after-life) when we were "staking" out a New Mexico restaurant. To the horror of all the AIT's a man shot one of the waitresses. My superior, an old crab by the name of Merris, was all set to call Harold, the regional angel of death, when I was overcome in the strangest way and made a plea that my life had been cut too short in the same manner and that we should just wait.

A miracle happened that day, in the eyes of twelve AIT's, Merris and a growing impatient Harold, and the girl survived. I've ever since felt an attachment to her, maybe I'm trying to live out lost years in her or something, but now I'm one of her personal AIT's as well of course as the patron angel of lousy employment and proud of it. That's a feeling that's a first too.

Note from Head Angel Dorothy: for her excellent work in Liz Parker's case, Angel Annabelle has been transferred to my department and is currently an AIT for Liz, who gives her new charge handy waitressing tips!