Dancing with angels brings joy
AUNT Leah came out of the house to find Rachel sitting under the olive tree by the well in the small courtyard at the back of the Angel Inn. “Goodness child, what are you doing here? …Day dreaming when there is so much work to do. What is the matter?”
In answer Rachel drew back her tunic. “It’s my leg,” she said. Aunt Leah looked down at the two legs, at the left one, thin and somewhat shorter than the other. “Naomi’s sister will be married next week and Naomi says the girls don’t want me to join in the dancing. I’m slow you see and I stumble. I wish I had been born with two good legs. I do so want to dance, Auntie.”
“Well, never mind. Dancing is not important. I have an inn to run. Inherited from my dead husband. Not an easy job for a woman. I adopted you when my sister and your father died. One day the inn will be yours, Rachel and when you run it, the leg won’t matter. You will limp as much as you like, but you will have an income. With all this bother about registering, the town is chock a block. There will be no room for us tonight inside. We will have to sleep in the barn here.
“In the barn!” said Rachel. That sounds exciting.
“Well get a broom and bucket and make the place respectable.”
Rachel liked the barn. It was a small outbuilding where Aunt Leah kept the bundles of hay, where the cat had her kittens and where the hens roosted at night. In winter the donkey stayed there, warm and cosy. The barn was soon cleaned and ready, and Rachel spent the rest of the afternoon helping out in the inn.
It was almost sunset when a young couple arrived and asked for shelter.
“I’m afraid were absolutely full,” said Aunt Leah. I wish I could help you, but we really have no room. What about the barn?” Rachel asked? “The lady’s going to have a baby quite soon and we must help them. “Very well,” said Aunt Leah.
“The barn will be fine,” said the man. We are grateful for any shelter.”
Rachel showed the young couple to the barn and brought them some food and water.
“Thank you, Rachel,” said the lady. “We are Joseph and Mary from Nazareth.”
“And where are we going to sleep?” queried Aunt Leah
“We can sleep under the olive tree in the courtyard,” said Rachel.
She was wakened by a soft touch on her forehead.
When she opened her eyes, she saw two bright angels standing beside her. “Come,” one said and the two angels took her by the hands and flew with her into the night sky.
It was a wonderful feeling with the wind brushing against her cheek.
Upwards they flew, higher and higher. Then they hovered and the air became gold.
Suddenly, the sky was full of angels. They were bright and shiny and their robes were all colours of the rainbow. They were singing Glory to God in the Highest and Peace upon Earth.
Some angels were playing golden harps and others golden trumpets. Then the angels began to dance, their robes flashing in waves of colour, And Rachel’s two angels danced holding her hands and leading her into the melee of angels.
Then the angels formed a ring around Rachel and she danced alone, her heart bursting with happiness. The light became brighter and brighter and Rachel closed her eyes.
Aunt Leah was shaking her. Rachel blinked her eyes in the bright morning light of the sun.
“Get up, you lazybones,” said Aunt Leah.
“Mary had her baby last night. A boy. Such a to-do with all those noisy shepherds who came here. Mary says you can come and see the baby.”
Rachel was up in a second. “I had a dream,” she said. “But I think it really happened. I danced… My leg…” she looked down at her leg. It was the same weak, silly leg she’d always had. So, the dream was not real.
She limped across the courtyard and went into the barn.
The baby was asleep in the manger. Rachel gently kissed his forehead.
He opened two sleepy eyes, then shut them again. Rachel looked up and saw standing beside her, the faint image of an angel. Then the image faded.
“Thank you,” said Rachel and as quietly as she could, she left the barn.
Hop-skipping across the courtyard she yelled out, “Doesn’t matter about my lame leg any more. I’ve danced with the angels!”
Devenish is a librarian and teacher at the Open Air School for physically challenged students in Durban