RUDY'S ANGEL
I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries.
I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 37 years was still too raw.
And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.
Rudy often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look
for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always spot him walking
down the aisle with the three
yellow roses in his hands.
Rudy knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to
buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since Rudy
had passed on.
Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two. Standing
by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how Rudy had
loved his steak.
Suddenly a woman came beside me.
She was blond, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked
up a large pack of T-bones, dropped them in her basket, hesitated, and then put
them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks. She
saw me watching her and she smiled.
"My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't
know." I swallowed the motion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.
"My husband passed away eight days
ago," I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control
the tremble in my voice. "Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you
have together." She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she
placed the package in her basket and wheeled away.
I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy
products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A quart,
I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream section near the front of the
store. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.
I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I
saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In
her arms she carried a
package. On her face was the brightest smile I had ever seen. I would swear a
soft halo
encircled her blond hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.
As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes.
"These are for you," she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed
yellow roses in my arms. "When you go through the line, they will know
these are paid for." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek,
then smiled again.
I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to
speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision. I looked down at
the beautiful roses nestled in
the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly
the answer seemed so clear.
I wasn't alone. "Oh, Rudy, you haven't forgotten me, have you?" I
whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.