The angel

The Angel

The story that told by one American

I had been traveling for three days now, driving down different roads across different states, on my way to visit my girlfriend in California. The roads were empty. I had no money and no reason for rest – this was back in the seventies.

I would take short breaks and get right back on the road. In Texas, a small dog jumped into my car.

The road went uphill; the dog was black and white, covered in engine oil, still relatively young. The night did not bode well for me. At the next rest stop, I slowed down to get a bite to it and bought a hamburger for my new friend. The dog looked very grateful; soon he was dozing off in my lap. Those who had to travel along deserted winter roads would know how little pleasure one can find  the process. My new four-legged buddy seemed to understand my state of mind. Every now and then I would look at him, he would open his eyes, and so much sympathy and support was in his glance that I continued with more confidence and strength.

On the overpass one of the wheels failed – just what I needed at that point. Realizing that I could not go further, I started looking for help. Finding assistance on the overpass in the winter night was not that simple, but out of nowhere, a couple of locals, Native American men, appeared. Thanks to their skills, they managed to put the car back on the road. We continued our journey.

I wasn’t sure whether my girlfriend was actually waiting for me far away in the sunny California, but after my mother passed away, I simply could not sit still. And now I was basking in the warmth of my new four-legged friend, literally and figuratively.

We drove all night. Once we got to the valley at dawn, I made one more stop. When I returned to the car, the dog was gone. I searched for a long time, but he had disappeared, as suddenly as he had shown up in the middle of the night.

I thought then that he may have been my guardian angel who helped me on get through the difficult path to the mountains; his presence saved me from fear and danger that lie in wait for a lonely traveler in the middle of a winter night.