A FEW YEARS AGO MY GRANDDAUGHTER TATIANA WAS IN A HOSPITAL
IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. SHE WAS VERY ILL. SHE COULDN'T TALK
OR CLOSE HER MOUTH BECAUSE HER TONSILS WERE SO BIG THEY COVERED
UP MOST OF HER THROAT. SHE HAD A SEVERE BACTERIAL INFECTION.. SHE
WAS ON A FEEDING TUBE AND WAS IN SUCH EXTREME PAIN THEY HAD TO
KEEP HER ON MORPHINE, TYLENOL AND STEROIDS.
I WAS GOING CRAZY AND SCARED TO DEATH THAT SHE COULD DIE., SO
I DECIDED TO TAKE A BUS TO BOSTON EVEN THOUGH I WAS HAVING
PROBLEMS WITH MY KNEES AND KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR
ME TO BE TRAVELING ALONE.
WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE BUSES 3
OR 4 TIMES. I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY. I LIVE IN PHILADELPHIA. THE
FIRST BUS LEFT ME IN NEW YORK. THERE I HAD TO WAIT IN LINE OVER AN
HOUR. TO GET ON THE NEXT BUS. I WAS SO TIRED AND MY LEGS FELT LIKE
THEY WERE ON FIRE. ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS TO BURST OUT CRYING
RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF EVERYONE., BUT I KEPT TRYING TO GET
CONTROL OF MYSELF BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO EMBARRASSING.
WHEN I FINALLY GOT IN THE BUS, IT WAS SUCH A RELIEF!, BUT THE DRIVER
TOLD US HE WAS LEAVING US IN ANOTHER TOWN AND WE WOULD HAVE TO
CONTINUE ON ANOTHER BUS.
I WAS TIRED. I WAS IN PAIN AND I WAS SCARED.. I KEPT PRAYING, "PLEASE
GOD, PLEASE SEND ME AN ANGEL TO TAKE CARE OF ME. PLEASE, I AM SO
SCARED. I CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. THE WHOLE TRIP I JUST KEPT PRAYING
AND PRAYING. FINALLY WE GOT TO THE NEXT STOP AND HAD TO BOARD
ANOTHER BUS. AS I DID ON THE FIRST BUS I KEPT PRAYING AND ASKING
GOD TO SEND ME AN ANGEL.
I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE OUR LAST STOP, BUT THEY TOOK US TO
ANOTHER BUS STATION AND TOLD US WE HAD TO TAKE ANOTHER BUS
TO THE NEXT TOWN WHICH I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME BECAUSE IT
WAS SO MANY YEARS AGO.. AS IN THE LAST 2 BUSES I KEPT PRAYING
TO GOD TO PLEASE SEND ME AN ANGEL. WE GOT TO ANOTHER BUS
STATION AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHEN THE DRIVER TOLD ME I HAD
TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER BUS TO TAKE ME TO MY FINAL DESTINATION.
I THINK THAT WAS IN WORCESTER, BUT I COULD BE WRONG BECAUSE
LIKE I SAID THAT WAS A VERY LONG TIME AGO AND NO MATTER HOW
HARD I TRY I CANNOT REMEMBER..
I GOT OUT OF THE BUS AND WALKED TO THE ENTRANCE. I THOUGHT
I WOULD JUST GO IN AND SIT DOWN TO WAIT FOR THE BUS, BUT
SURPRISE!, SURPRISE! THE DOOR WAS LOCKED. I COULD NOT BELIEVE
THE DOOR WAS LOCKED AND THERE WAS NOT A SOUL OUT THERE.
THERE WAS A BENCH. I WENT AND SAT DOWN. I WAS FEELING
MISERABLE NOW. SO MISERABLE THAT THIS TIME I COULDN'T HOLD
BACK MY TEARS. I SAW THE CARS PASSING BY AND I WAS SCARED
THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT STOP, GET OUT OF THE CAR AND ATTACK ME
OR SOMETHING. WHY NOT? I WAS EASY PREY.
I HAD NEVER FELT SO MISERABLE IN MY WHOLE LIFE. I WAS SCARED;
I WAS IN PAIN AND I WAS COLD. I ONLY HAD A LIGHT JACKET ON AND
I WAS SO COLD I WAS TREMBLING. I WOULD HAVE GIVEN ANYTHING
FOR A CUP OF HOT COFFEE TO WARM ME UP.
I KEPT PRAYING. "PLEASE GOD, DON'T ABANDON ME. I AM SO SCARED
HERE BY MYSELF AND I AM SO COLD." THEN I LOOKED UP AND SAW
THIS GUY WITH A SUITCASE IN HIS HAND. WE SAID HI AND STARTED
TALKING. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR A FRIEND TO PICK
HIM UP. HE TOLD ME HE WAS FROM INDIA.. I TOLD HIM WHY I WAS
THERE. WE TALKED ABOUT OUR FAMILIES AND MY WORRY ABOUT
MY GRANDDAUGHTER. AND THEN I SAID, "OH, MY GOD, I AM SO COLD.
I WISH I HAD A CUP OF REALLY HOT COFFEE RIGHT NOW TO WARM ME
UP." HE TOLD ME THERE WAS A HOSPITAL NEARBY AND THAT HE
WOULD GO AND GET ME SOME COFFEE. I WAS SO HAPPY I TOOK OUT
A FIVE DOLLAR BILL AND GAVE IT TO HIM AND TOLD HIM TO GET SOME
FOR BOTH OF US. HE LEFT HIS SUITCASE WITH ME, BUT AFTER A LITTLE
WHILE I STARTED GETTING WORRIED BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE WAS
TAKING TOO LONG AND I WAS AFRAID MY BUS WOULD ARRIVE AND
I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO AND LEAVE HIS SUITCASE, BUT THEN I
LOOKED AND SAW HIM WALKING TOWARD ME WITH THE TWO BIGGEST
CUPS OF COFFEE I HAD EVER SEEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE. HE TOLD ME HE
HAD TAKEN LONG BECAUSE THE HOSPITAL CAFETERIA WAS CLOSED
SO HE HAD TO GO SOMEPLACE ELSE.
USUALLY, WHEN I BUY COFFEE, I GET THE SMALL SIZE, BUT I DRANK
THAT BIG CUP OF COFFEE TO THE LAST DROP AND MY BODY FELT SO
WARM. I FELT SOO MUCH BETTER.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER MY BUS SHOWED UP AND WE SAID GOODBYE.
I THANKED HIM FOR GETTING THE COFFEE AND FOR KEEPING ME
COMPANY. HE SMILED, WISHED ME WELL AND AS I GOT READY TO
BOARD THE BUS I LOOKED BACK AND HE WAVED.. AS SOON AS I SAT
DOWN I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW HIM WALKING AWAY
AND I THOUGHT "WASN'T HE WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO PICK HIM
UP? THEN I LOOKED UP TO HEAVEN AND THANKED GOD FOR SENDING
ME AN ANGEL TO WATCH OVER ME UNTIL I WAS SAFELY IN THE BUS
AND ON MY WAY TO MY DESTINATION
I HAVE FORGOTTEN A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THAT DAY, BUT I WILL
NEVER FORGET MY ANGEL.
AT MY LAST STOP, MY SON-IN LAW WAS WAITING FOR ME AND DROVE
ME STRAIGHT TO THE HOSPITAL IT BROKE MY HEART WHEN I SAW MY
GRANDDAUGHTER, BUT THANK GOD SHE STARTED GETTING BETTER
UNTIL SHE FINALLY LEFT THE HOSPITAL NINE DAYS AFTER SHE HAD
ARRIVED.
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