I have always wanted the opportunity to share angel Ephram with people that I knew wouldn't laugh or pass that strange look back and forth between them. Angel Ephram came to me when I was 4 years old.
My Mother and Father were not getting along and while my Father was working out of town, my Mother went off with a boyfriend for the weekend leaving my infant brother and I alone in our apartment.
I could not understand why she did not return; but night would fall and I could not reach the switches to turn on the lights and the nights were almost more than I could bear.
My brother cried and cried. I knew the baby was hungry; but could not open the refrigerator for the bottles of milk. There was a cabinet below the sink that had boxes of crackers and I would climb on the crib as best I could and throw them into the crib; but he just kept crying until he would fall asleep and then wake up and cry again.
A figure started to take shape at its center.
On that last evening, I watched in horror as the shadows began to gather in the rooms.Night was coming and with it terrors that I could not bear to face again. I was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor crying and began to form the simple childhood prayer, "now I lay me down to sleep. . ." when the gloomy room began to lighten. In the deepest, darkest corner a warm, white light began to glow brighter and brighter.
A figure started to take shape at its center. I thought the boogie man was coming to eat me and I was so scared that I wet myself and screamed. From the middle of the light stepped a man with such a kind face and such gentle eyes that I stopped my crying.
He crossed the room, bringing the light with him and knelt down on the floor beside me. He reached for me and I saw that his arms were really wings, white and pure like the wings of swans in my story books.
He wrapped those warm and comforting wings about me and held me close until my trembling stopped and then he spoke to me in a tender voice " Open the cabinet right under the sink. Take out one of the pans and pound on the walls with it as hard as you can. The neighbors will hear it and someone will come to help you". I did as I was told and soon the building superintendent unlocked the door. He came in and asked me what was the noise about.
He reached for me and I saw that his arms were really wings, white and pure like the wings of swans in my story books.
I told him that my Mother was gone and my baby brother was hungry and we needed help. He brought the police and we were taken to a hospital. I did not understand why he did not believe me about the man with the wings or why the people in the hospital could not see him when he was standing right there with me.
Angel Ephram went with me when I went to live with my Grandparents--they could not see him either and when I talked about him they would just sigh and say "poor little thing" He told me his name was angel Ephram. He was a warrior from an ancient people who had been killed in battle long ago.
He was resting on the other side when my pleas for help were heard and was sent to be with me. Throughout my whole life he has never left me--has been there in times of danger--in times of pain and sorrow. He supports and shields me. I don't know how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I only know about the one whose wings are wrapped around me.
