Pewter Angels by Henry K. Ripplinger Page A

Chev. There was no other oncoming traffic for at least a block or so.
    The van started to slow down for Jenny and she darted out onto the road. Henry caught his breath as the driver in the blue Chev swerved sharply into the other lane and accelerated to pass.
    Henry’s heart stopped. Jenny .
    He grabbed for the door handle, seconds unfolding like hours though he knew there was no time for a warning.
    The van honked its horn in one loud blast and the startled driver of the Chev turned and finally saw the girl, his car lurching forward as he hit the brakes. But it was too late. Tires screeched and skidded as Jenny turned and looked in horror at the blue car hurtling towards her.
    And then something happened that Henry would remember for the rest of his life.
    Just as the car was about to mow Jenny down, she raised her arm and opened her hand as if someone was reaching out to take hold of it. “Quickly, hold my hand” flashed through Henry’s mind. And in that instant, it seemed that Jenny was half-pulled, half-lifted a few feet down the street and left standing unhurt on the curb just inches away from where the Chev finally came to a halt.
    Mr. Engelmann had joined Henry at the door and lay his hand on Henry’s shoulder. Perspiration beaded on Henry’s forehead and his sweaty fingers clung to the doorknob as he stood frozen. But only for a moment. Panicked, he rushed outside.
    “Jenny! Jenny! Are you okay?”
    Across the street, Jenny raised her head and nodded. She waved, gesturing that she was fine and not to worry. She didn’t even seem to be shaken. It didn’t look like the bread was crushed, even.
    Seeing that she was all right, the drivers of both van and Chev moved on, the Chev driver shaking his head and swearing to himself to pay closer attention. It was a good thing that girl had gotten out of the way so quickly.
    Mr. Engelmann came out of the store and stood beside Henry as Jenny waved once more before resuming her walk home, swinging the loaf of bread. Once again he put his hand on Henry’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Henry, she’s got a guardian angel.”
    Henry stood there, transfixed and baffled, replaying the scene over and over in his mind. Jenny should have been hit by that car and thrown like a rag doll. And, yet, at the last moment, she’d been pulled out of harm’s way. By a guardian angel? It was the only conclusion he could reach. His goose-bumps dissolved and faded away as a peace settled over him.
    Mr. Engelmann patted Henry’s shoulder. “Come, let us get back to work.”
    And that’s another thing Henry wondered about as he turned to follow his employer. How had Mr. Engelmann suddenly appeared at his side to comfort him. He hadn’t seen what was happening. Henry was certain Mr. Engelmann had still been behind the counter when he went to the front door to watch Jenny, and yet here he was with his hand on Henry’s shoulder.
    Mr. Engelmann had resumed writing up an invoice when Henry reentered the store. Henry stared at Mr. Engelmann for a moment and then headed back downstairs, shaking his head. Mechanically, he picked up the brush and began painting again. Jenny was safe and sound, and that was all that mattered. Soon the brush moved with more vigour, covering both the unsightly wall and the awful memory of Jenny’s near accident.
    By the end of the day, Henry had caught a total of twenty-six mice and had completely painted the basement. The basement looked so bright and clean he couldn’t wait for Mr. Engelmann to see it. He ran upstairs to get him, but Mr. Engelmann was unusually busy. There were at least ten customers in the store, most of them picking up supplies for the weekend.
    Henry went to the bathroom and cleaned the paint off himself as best he could, rushing back into the store to help. He found a spot beside Mr. Engelmann and packed the items into bags as they were rung through. After Mr. Engelmann handed the customers their bills and thanked each one for shopping at his