The Dollar

A young woman encounters an angel by chance on the streets of New York

The Dollar

By: Sarah Hale

   

   It all started with a one dollar bill. I had been walking on the side walk headed towards a very important reunion, with a friend I had known since first grade, when it fluttered by. Without a second thought I reached out to snatch the lost dollar from its lazy flight through the busy city streets. I caught the bill and shoved it into my pocket giving it no further thought as I continued on my way. As I made my way down the crowded side walk, brushing by various people who were most likely on their way to their own important meetings, I saw something that startled me.

 

  A small child, somewhere between the ages of four and five, ran out into the four way intersection chasing a bright red ball. Worried that the child would be hit by some careless driver in the oncoming traffic I began to push people out of the way to get to the child before it was too late. As I pushed my way through the tight crowds of people, who hadn’t seen the child in the street, I realized I wouldn’t make it in time. Absently I stopped and looked up at the sky. “A little help would be nice… please...” I growled pleadingly. When no reply came I scanned the area around me looking for something, anything that could help me. I sighed now beginning to get very frustrated. The seconds ticked by as I continued to try working my way through the crowd, and just when I thought I would make it I heard the screeching of tires.

 

  I froze wide eyed in my place for a second before daring to take another look in the child’s direction. The little girl was nowhere to be seen, my heart sank. A little worried I finally pushed my way through the shocked crowds of people to see what had happened. There on the other side of the street was a man about my age covered from head to toe in dirt and soot, and dressed in a tattered old coat and an old pair of boots. I smiled as the man stood and helped the little girl to her feet.

 

 Carefully I made my way across the street intent on expressing my relief that the girl was safe. The man smiled warmly at me as I came to a stop next to him. “Karen! I’m so glad you’re alright!” the girl’s mother cried nearly in tears by now. I smiled glad to see the woman explain to the child that she couldn’t play in the street. The man and I both stood watching the scene as the crowds continued on their way. “I sure am glad she’s alright.” The man said beaming at me. “Yeah... Me too…” I sighed. “I couldn’t get to her in time… It’s a good thing you came along.” I said letting my mind wander for a second as I stared at the sky for the second time today. The man put his hands in his ragged pockets. “If I hadn’t seen you struggling to get through the crowd I would have never seen her in time to get to her myself…” The man sighed. I looked at him stunned.

 

 He was staring up at the clouds, like I had been doing only moments before, letting the wind blow his dirty blonde bangs across his face. He chuckled to himself and I looked at him curiously. “God works in mysterious ways doesn’t he…”  He said as a soft smile crossed his face. I blinked a bit confused by the sudden statement, then gave a small laugh of my own. “Yeah… Yeah I guess he does doesn’t he?”

 

   A light breeze blew past as we settled into an oddly comfortable silence. Suddenly a thought hit me. “Hey how about lunch?” The man looked at me, surprised by the offer, and smiled. He rubbed the back of his head laughing lightly. “Yeah lunch sounds nice…” He winced and realizing that he didn’t have any money I offered to pay.  

 

  The woman thanked him, after checking Karen over for any injuries, and assured us that she would pay him however much he wanted for the danger he’d put himself in to save her daughter. The man chuckled again softly declining the offer and insisting that he was just glad that the girl was alright. I couldn’t help but smile at that. The woman just stared as he smiled, told Karen to be more careful next time, and turned towards me.

 

 As we sat at a small corner booth of the café a few minutes later the man stared out the window at the darkening sky and sighed. The waitress interrupted softly. “Here’s your coffee, you’re plates will be ready in a minute.” She said nervously placing the coffee on the table between us. “Thank you.” We said simultaneously but equally sincere.

 

  We all glanced at one another and laughed.

 

  As Tammie, the waitress, went on to wait the other tables I couldn’t help but notice the smile on her face that had been missing a few moments earlier. I watched her spreading that same smile through out the café as she took waited on the other customers.

 

  “ Joy is contagious…” The man said softly obviously aware that I had been watching in amazement as everyone in the café seemed to brighten a bit. I smiled again as his seriously amused yet shocking blue eyes caught mine. I laughed. “Yeah… I guess it is.” I said lightly.

 

  Tammie appeared with our lunch and we ate silently each of us absently lost in our own thoughts. I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to be at the airport at one o’clock. With a jolt I glanced down at my watch twelve forty five. I groaned realizing I was going to be late. “What is it?” the man asked slightly concerned. “I was supposed to pick up my friend Beckie at one and its twelve forty five…” He smiled. “Don’t worry we’ll get you there on time I’m sure of it.” He said waving Tammie down. “Tammie, would you mind getting us a couple of boxes?” he asked calmly.

 

  I laughed as Beckie ran up to meet me. “oh I haven’t seen you in forever!” she said throwing her arms around my neck. I stared at the unfamiliar man at her side. Beckie smiled and introduced us.

 

  “This is my husband Brian, he’s from Houston, Texas.” She laughed. “Brian this is my friend Amy.” she said. Brian smiled and reached out to shake my hand. “Any friend of Beckie’s is a friend of mine.” He laughed warmly as I shook his hand. “Hey Amy are you going to introduce us to your friend?” she asked girlishly. I bit my lip realizing I didn’t have a clue what the man’s name was. He smiled and reached out to shake hands with Brian and Beckie. “Name’s Nicholas Connors nice to meet you.” He said grinning at my silent thank you.

 

  “So Amy  I hope it wasn’t any trouble asking you to come pick us up on such short notice…” Beckie said apologetically. “It was no trouble Beckie really…” I said thinking about how the mysterious Nicholas Connors had managed to get us here just in time.

 “After all it was just a few taxi cabs and a lot of running…” I added silently. I looked up about to thank Nicolas for all of his help, but he was gone. I looked around worriedly hoping to see some sign of him. In amongst the moving groups of tourists and business people I caught a flash of his tattered brown coat and took off after it.

 

 “Hey Nicholas!” I shouted forgetting for a moment that I was in public. The crowd seemed to thin out pretty suddenly as Nicolas stopped and looked over his shoulder at me with a smile. I stared for a second at his laughing blue eyes. “I just wanted to say thanks for everything you’ve done for me today.” He smiled. “Just doing my job...” he said softly before vanishing into thin air. I stood unbelievingly staring at the spot he had been seconds ago. “Oh and keep the dollar…” his voice whispered in my ear.

 

 I stood there as the crowd continued to move, oblivious to whatever had just happened, and pulled the dollar from my pocket. I looked at it for a second and smiled. Scrawled across the back of the bill in neat blue ink was Hebrews 13:1-2

 

"Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares".

 

Author's Note

hey I liked it....

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

What a very beautiful and very heartwarming story. I love how you turned that verse from the Bible into such a wonderful story. That's one of my favorite verses from the Bible.

[K. Carver]

...im crying so hard right now...
thank you so much...
i needed this really bad...