I’m on the train coming back from therapy.
The car is snailing back uptown with very little chatter. It’s Christmas Eve, so the solemnity seems apt, like everybody’s waiting for a savior to be born.
That damned Catholicism of mine kicks up like the Santa Ana winds, so I too feel something is coming.
A little girl gets on at Fulton, with angel wings pinned to her jacket. Her hair is braided with silver ribbons, while a halo of Aluminum foil graces her head.
There are plenty of seats, but she and her mom prefer to stand looking out as the train turtles along.
She whispers something to her mother before taking out a Tupperware container from her Hello Kitty backpack, she expertly flips open, proceeding to offer cookies to everyone on the car.
People are saying no thanks thinking they’re for sale. However, when she gets to me I take one, after seeing that they’re angels with pink wings, just like hers.
“Did you bake these?” I ask her.
“Yes, me and my mommy did,” she says, looking over her shoulder at her, with a 5 year-old’s undiluted love and affection.
As I take the cookie I hold in a napkin the mom hands me, the little girl says, “Don’t you know me?”
Taken slightly aback, I say, “Have we met before?” Pretty sure we hadn’t.
“Look at me again.”
She is now in the center of the car staring at me, waiting for a response.
Then she starts to cry.
I panic at the sudden outburst.
“Please don’t cry. Did you change your hair maybe, since the last time we met?”
“NO,” she mewls. I keep looking over at the mother who’s calmly watching.
Now she’s got everyone’s attention since she’s wailing like a wounded calf.
“I’m the Christmas angel. Don’t you remember me?”
So we now know we have a special little girl who needs something more than a cookie.
There’s an older black woman seated to my right who catches my eye. She smiles and says, “Yes, I thought that’s who you were. I wasn’t sure.”
“Oh of course,” I say, getting with the program.
This little kid blooms as the whole car chimes in.
“Yeah, I know you,” one guy said. “Me too,” said another.
She beams with what I can’t help calling, an angelic smile, as the train pulls into Union Square.
As the doors fly open, and she and her mother get off, she suddenly spins in a perfect pirouette before hollering…
“I’m the Christmas Angel…see ya next year.” 
New Yorkers, at their crazy, Christmas best.
SB
The O’Jays classic “Love Train” was running through my head once everybody started chiming in agreement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A nice play on words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful story, SB
LikeLiked by 1 person
Susannah, that’s grabbing my heart and wrapping it in joy! Sweet is hardly enough…that little angel is precious. Okay, I’m getting syrupy here but so be it. I spent Christmas evening w/my youngest son and his family which included 4 yr old Ryder…curly black hair, huge brown eyes and clever deluxe. I walked in the door and he met me…announcing to all ‘Vasca’s here, Vasca’s here’…and gave me a huge knee hug…he’s still short. Showed me a present he had for me…asked to sit by me at dinner…of course. Must’ve declared his love for me a jillion times. Christmas angels come in all shapes and sizes…always so deliciously angelic, always sending us on love trips. Such a wonderful Christmas experience and thanks for telling it…God is so gracious…always! Hugs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh for heaven’s sake… I have tears welling reading this!
What a wonderful story!
I’m sure you’ll never forget next time, eh?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish you were there with your camera 📸
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How precious!
LikeLike
She was high on Christmas alright. 🌲
LikeLiked by 1 person
Once again, you caused me to smile multiple times. Hope you had a good Christmas Day.
LikeLike
I did. It was quiet but I spent it with Mike Nichols. Such a great book. It’s called…Life Isn’t Everything. All quotes and remembrances from 150 of his closet friends. I give it an 85 and you can dance to it. 👍
LikeLike
I never met the Christmas angel up close and personal and I didn’t know she handed out cookies. Maybe she headquarters in NYC.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She should think about incorporating. Spreading her wings, so to speak. 😇
LikeLike
I think it’s nice that, even in New York City, people work together to help cheer a little girl. I listened to a comic tell me that he witnessed a man dressed just in a Sponge Bob top fight with a man he didn’t know on the subway in New York City once So, yeah, I kinda happy about the little girl.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The city has many colors, that’s for sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes, nice way to put that one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed. You have reminded us that we have the ability to “listen to our better angels.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you hear that? I think it was Mr. Lincoln. 😇
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not sure, but he left a stove pipe hat behind.🎩
LikeLike
A DEAD giveaway. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
😎
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is so beautiful, Susannah. I love that everyone bonded and showed their true caring spirits. That little angel brought out the best in your car. And I bet the warm feeling continued for quite a while.
Who says NYC is cold? You’ve proved over and over that people have heart and soul wherever they live. Yeah there’s always a few bad apples, but that’s true all over.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know when anyone with even the least amount of humanity encounters a kid, all bets are off. Your best self just pushes its way to the front. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person