Raising Angels: A Novel Filled with Love and the Wisdom of Angels
160
Raising Angels: A Novel Filled with Love and the Wisdom of Angels
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781925017076 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Rockpool Publishing |
| Publication date: | 01/03/2014 |
| Sold by: | SIMON & SCHUSTER |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 160 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Raising Angels
A Novel Filled with Love and the Wisdom of Angels
By Paul Morris Segal
Rockpool Publishing
Copyright © 2013 Paul Morris SegalAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-925017-07-6
CHAPTER 1
PART ONE
Getting to Know You
Every successful journey begins with a silent wish,
progresses with a silent hope and ends
with a silent prayer.
ANGELS: MESSENGERS OF LOVE, PEACE AND WISDOM
The real truth is beyond words. But it is so easy to
forget and get caught up with all the noise.
Be still. Be still and know that I am with you.
Know the truth, beyond words.
ANGELS: MESSENGERS OF LOVE, PEACE AND WISDOM
The Angel was falling down, down and hit the Earth with a heavy thud. Nobody seemed to see it, or if they did, they ignored it and kept moving, umbrellas up to drive off the rain.
Usually the Angel was perfect and white and very light. It would fly around and inspire people to live according to their highest purpose. But on this day the Angel lay motionless in the rain by the side of the road.
The Angel was unable to inspire others in its still and silent condition, so people just walked past without giving it much thought. They drove past in their cars and rode by on their bikes; old people, young people, men, women and children. People of all religions and all nationalities and all classes. It wasn't that they didn't care. They just didn't want to know about the Angel. Too many people had lost faith in miracles. They didn't believe anymore.
All, that is, except one.
Raphael, with his short dark hair and big brown eyes, saw the fallen Angel and was amazed. He did believe in miracles and he did believe in angels and, having a big heart, Raphael wanted to do something to help the Angel. 'I'm going to take you home,' he told the Angel, cradling it gently in his arms. It felt light to him and he was able to hold it easily. Decision made, he picked up the Angel and despite the heavy rain making it difficult, slowly walked home.
Raphael was able to get to his bedroom without anyone seeing him. He placed the Angel gently on his bed, making sure that its arms were tucked in nicely and it was warm. Raphael had never seen anybody or anything so beautiful. He was fascinated that an Angel was not only laying on his bed, but that angels were real, just as he'd always believed, and not just characters in fairytales as other people had tried to make him believe.
Raphael was so still as he watched the Angel that he could feel his own heartbeat. Unaware that he was totally drenched and shivering, the moment he was sharing with the Angel was so precious, he just wanted to treasure it forever and let it go on and on. As he sat there quietly, his mind slowed right down and he felt a sense of peace and calm, which was quite unusual. What was going on?
Raphael's dark hair hung forward stopping just short of covering his large expressive eyes, as he leaned over to look at the Angel. Like most young boys his room was messy and seemingly chaotic, but as he sat calmly by the Angel, it was a haven of peace.
Raphael suddenly felt a shiver and thought about how the weatherman had been right about it raining. He could still hear it pounding down and became aware, almost in surprise, that he was rather wet. He wiped his damp forehead on the sleeve of his bright- yellow T-shirt. He wasn't wearing a jumper, even though it was cold. He had never liked them. Mum worried though, especially when he was outside without one but he was warm-blooded as well as warm-hearted. He loved to exclaim with a shrug of his shoulders, 'I don't feel the cold!'
Right now, Raphael didn't care about how cold he was, or what Mum would think. He forgot about playing computer games and that he had promised to play football in the park with his friends. The only thing he cared about was the Angel laying motionless on his bed. Even though he thought angels could never die, it didn't change the fact that the Angel looked as though it was dead. It was very still. Suddenly, he had a thought. Could I bring it back to life? Can I wake it? His room may have been small and messy but his generous heart was big.
Doubt quickly came rushing in but something in Raphael's soul spoke to him loudly. You must help this Angel. That was good enough for him. His mum often told him to listen to his heart. After all, he thought, everything must happen for a reason, especially something as unusual as this.
What can I do? Raphael looked at the fallen Angel's wings. Was it OK to touch them? Would the Angel wake up and tell him not to touch? Putting his fear aside, Raphael reached over and ran his fingers over the Angel's muddied wing feathers. They felt so silky and soft, and slightly warm against his fingers. That warmth spread though his whole body, causing him to smile for no reason.
How could someone so beautiful ever die?
'It's time for dinner!' called Mum.
* * *
At the dinner table Raphael chewed his vegetables slowly. His mind kept darting back to the Angel. Would it ever breathe again? Did it sing or play a harp? Why did it fall?
'Mum, do you believe in angels?' asked Raphael as he played with his dinner, moving his vegetables, tofu and pumpkin pasta from side to side. Though he liked his food, he was not really a big eater. Like most kids though, he would secretly buy chocolate bars or chips up the street when he went to run errands for his parents.
The question took Mum by surprise. As she searched for a reply, Raphael impatiently asked, 'Mum, do you believe in angels or not?' Dad coughed uncomfortably. Questions were part of his work as a journalist but some didn't have easy answers. 'Of course Mum believes in angels,' Dad cut in with a smile. 'We have two ourselves.'
Mum laughed. 'I always thought Angelina was more like a cute fairy.'
Raphael rolled his eyes at his sister who giggled at his expression. She had light brown hair, olive skin and a very pretty face. In fact, people often commented that she looked like an angel in a Renaissance painting. You could easily tell Raphael and Angelina were related as they shared the same large brown eyes and big dimples.
Angelina put her face right next to her food and took a deep, appreciative breath. She liked to smell Mum's food before eating it. She never had any trouble finishing her meal. As Raphael pushed his food around, he felt edgy, like he had to make a decision about the Angel quickly. He wanted to share his secret with somebody, but was not sure if he could trust his parents as he was all too often getting yelled at for some silly prank. The Angel was no joke and he wanted to be taken seriously.
He wished he could tell Mum because she was a healer. Raphael had often seen her conduct healing sessions and sometimes miracles occurred. But he had never heard of Mum dealing with a situation that involved angels or bringing somebody back from the dead.
Mum had always done healing work since he was a baby but all Raphael really thought about it was that if you waved your hands near somebody, it seemed to work a miracle and they would get better. He guessed Mum did much more than that, but doubted she would be able to help in this situation. The Angel was dead.
Should I tell Mum? Raphael was not sure why, but he felt the answer was no. There was only one person he could trust completely to keep a secret, only one person he could be sure would understand even though she often annoyed the living daylights out of him.
'Mum, can I have a new bike?' Angelina asked, her plate wiped clean. 'Or an iPod? Actually, I really need my own phone.'
'I'll put your request in The Manifestation Box,' replied Mum with a smile. Angelina wondered exactly what that meant. Mum had some strange ideas about creating things like money. Angelina was not in the mood for a long explanation or philosophical discussion on the topic of manifestation though. 'It's my birthday soon,' she reminded Mum. She had her own methods of getting what she wanted.
Raphael, still distracted by thoughts of his Angel, finished half his food and asked if he could leave the table.
'Did anything interesting happen at school today?' Mum asked as Dad cleared away the dishes.
'No,' Raphael and Angelina replied together as they jumped up from the table.
Raphael grabbed Angelina by the hand. 'Come with me,' he whispered. 'There's something I want to show you.'
'I'm busy,' she replied with a toss of her hair. 'I need to finish my homework. I also need Dad to sign a letter for my excursion to the zoo.'
Raphael ignored his sister and pulled Angelina into his room anyway. 'Be quiet and trust me, you're going to want to see this.'
Angelina was shocked. It had only taken her a moment to realise that she was looking at something very unusual indeed. She had seen pictures of angels in books of course, but in all her ten years, two months and fourteen days, she had never really thought about what a real Angel would actually look like.
The Angel in front of her looked like a normal child of about fourteen years old, apart from the large white wings on its back. It had shoulder-length light hair and porcelain skin, large almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, and lips that were turned up slightly at the sides.
'Where did you find it, Raphael?' Angelina's plaits swung as she spoke. Raphael, who often enjoyed pulling his sister's plaits, noticed them swinging and couldn't help but grin. He found it funny but also weird to be asking his little sister for help, especially with something as important as a dead angel.
'By the side of the road, near the park. It was wet and muddy and stuck in the rain. I didn't want to leave it.'
Angelina's heart soared. She felt proud of her brother. 'What can we do?'
Raphael sighed with relief. The word we helped. His parents often called him an explorer due to his adventurous spirit and willingness to try new things, but it was nice to have company rather than always trying to work things out on his own. He looked Angelina straight in the eye. 'We can bring the Angel back to life. I just don't know how,' he explained. 'But I believe it's possible.'
'How do you know?'
'I don't. I just want to give it my best try.' Tears came to his eyes, but he determinedly brushed them aside. I can do this.
Angelina was used to her brother playing tricks and not taking her seriously. But this felt different.
'Don't tell anyone,' Raphael said quickly. 'Especially Mum and Dad.'
'OK.' Angelina was proud to be included in her brother's world even if it did contain a dead angel. She secretly looked up to him and wanted to help.
'Promise!' Raphael placed his hand on Angelina's shoulder and squeezed it gently. She smiled. 'I promise.' She knew she didn't have much choice. The last time she dobbed on Raphael, she had paid the price by getting pinched every time he walked past for two weeks straight. But not this time. This was really important. Besides, now they were working on the Angel Project, this was their chance to get along.
Raphael noticed that Angelina's eyes were moist and knew she was telling the truth. They both wanted to get started right away.
'Well I think we have to get the book about angels from Mum and Dad's shelf first,' Angelina whispered as she looked at the Angel. 'Maybe it will tell us how to get the Angel breathing again.'
'Is that the one called Angels: Messengers of Love, Peace & Wisdom?' asked Raphael as they crept very quietly down the hall.
'Yes, dummy,' she teased. 'You've seen it a hundred times!'
Raphael took a deep breath to maintain patience with her. 'Which shelf is it on? I'll climb on the chair and get it when they're not looking.'
It was a daunting task. The walls of their parents' study were made up of many bookshelves and it seemed they contained every New Age book ever written, often lined two or three deep, competing for space.
'Raphael, you have to be very quiet. You know Mum can feel it when you're up to something,' Angelina advised.
'Yes, and it doesn't help when you tell her either,' he taunted. Raphael's mischievous grin usually got him out of trouble but maybe not this time. 'I'll be quiet,' he promised.
Raphael and Angelina tiptoed into their parents' study, past the door which featured Raphael's favourite sign in the house: CREATIVITY ROOM.
'Why the sudden interest in angels?' came a quiet voice. Mum peered into the study, surprising her children.
Mum was slim with the same dark eyes as her children. Although she was very hard-working, she loved spending time with her kids and had always encouraged them to be creative.
Angelina turned, her heart pounding. 'Mum!' she exclaimed.
Raphael lost his footing and slipped off the chair, screaming in fright as he fell. 'What are you talking about?' Raphael asked while trying to recover. He had grazed his elbow badly and it stung.
Mum looked at Raphael on the floor. 'First you ask me if I believe in angels. Now you're getting down my angel book. What do you want to know? Maybe I can help.'
Angelina believed Mum could help but didn't want to get Raphael into trouble, especially now that they were working as a team. She kept her mouth shut.
'I just want to know what they look like in case I meet one.' Raphael picked himself up off the floor, still feeling some pain.
Angelina let a giggle escape, before quickly covering her mouth. She was determined not to let the secret slip and she bit her lip to make sure.
'What do you think an angel looks like?' Mum asked gently.
'They are probably —' Raphael began, before Angelina broke in, breaking her silence.
'They are quite tall and have beautiful soft wings that are made of feathers. They have a peaceful look on their face, even when they are —' She stopped herself just in time. Being too specific would give the secret away for sure.
'I would say you're right,' smiled Mum. 'It sounds like you're describing something you've seen.' Mum liked to tease her children a bit, pushing them in order to observe how they would justify their answers.
Raphael nodded. 'There was a picture in a magazine at school. Some guy took photos of lots of angels around the city.' He thought about the Angel laying on his bed. Will it ever breathe again? Do angels normally breathe?
'The angels in those pictures were just people with wings stuck on them,' explained Mum. 'If you ever meet a real angel, be sure to let me know.'
'We will.' Raphael picked up his mother's book and grabbed Angelina's hand, pulling her into his room for the second time that night. It was often safer to make a quick getaway than hang around for more questioning.
Both children looked at the Angel on Raphael's bed. Raphael closed his eyes and opened the book randomly, just as he had often seen Mum do. 'Read it to me,' he passed the book to Angelina. Angelina paused to take a deep breath before she began to read. She was determined to read well. This was life or death.
'There is nothing that angels cannot do,
there is nothing too small to ask.
There is nothing that is too large a request,
nothing is too great a task.
For the angels are more than willing
to assist you in reaching your goal,
so long as it is of the highest benefit
for all concerned.'
'Great,' Raphael sighed in disbelief, looking directly at the Angel. 'We need to help the Angel and this book is telling us to ask the Angel for help. I don't think that's going to happen.' Raphael sat on the end of his bed, just near the Angel's feet. 'What about reading another page?'
Angelina copied Mum's favourite phrase. 'Always trust your first intuition. You opened the book to that page so you should stick to the advice you have been given.'
'I don't care. I'm going to open it again.' Raphael grabbed the book out of her hands, slammed it closed, and then opened it again.
'There is nothing that angels cannot do,
there is nothing too small to ask.
There is nothing that is too large ...'
Angelina broke in, 'Same again, dummy.'
Raphael threw the book on the floor. 'Stupid book. Twice it gives the same silly advice.'
He tried to think quickly.
'OK,' he said. 'Time is running out. We'll have to go to sleep soon and I really don't want to have to sleep with a dead Angel in my bed! It doesn't seem right so let's just close our eyes and ask the spirit of this Angel to come back to its body.' This seemed the most logical and simple solution, even though he had no reason to believe it would actually work.
'I'll say a prayer and you follow along,' he told his little sister.
Angelina nodded, eyes tightly closed. Two or more people praying would surely be more powerful than just one.
'Dear spirit of this Angel, we ask that you come back into the Angel's body and bring it back to life.'
There was silence and they waited anxiously until Mum gave them their second fright that night by calling out, 'Time for bed!'
Angelina pinched Raphael's arm. 'It hasn't worked. Nothing's happened.' She skipped out of his room to brush her teeth. Through clenched teeth, Raphael felt his determination grow. 'The Angel must have come to me for a reason, and I'm going to help it.' Stubbornly, he added to himself, If it's the last thing I ever do.
* * *
Mum or Dad usually came to wish Raphael goodnight and talk to him about his day. They liked to encourage him to see his day in a positive light and think of at least ten things he's happy with as he goes to sleep.
Scanning his room for a hiding place, he quickly and carefully picked up the Angel and placed it in the corner of his room. Nothing I ever do works, he thought miserably. He then covered the Angel with an orange blanket so Mum and Dad wouldn't notice it.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Raising Angels by Paul Morris Segal. Copyright © 2013 Paul Morris Segal. Excerpted by permission of Rockpool Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
COVER,TITLE,
INTRODUCTION,
COPYRIGHT,
DEDICATION,
PROLOGUE,
PART ONE,
PART TWO,
PART THREE,
MY BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL BOY,
EPILOGUE HEAVEN,
THANK YOU,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR,
BACK COVER,