Pewter Angels by Henry K. Ripplinger Page B

store ( He knows everyone , Henry thought again), Henry handed them their bags and thanked them by name, too. The first time Henry did it, both Mr. Engelmann and the customer looked at him and smiled. Mr. Engelmann nodded once in approval and introduced him, “This is my new assistant, Henry.”
    It was six o’clock before the store emptied.
    “Thank you for staying. You are a big help, Henry. Did you close the cellar doors?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did you lock the upstairs basement door?”
    “No, not yet, I was hoping you’d come down and have a look.”
    “I know you want to show me and I cannot wait to see it, but is it all right if we leave it for tomorrow? It’s already suppertime and I am worried about Anna. I heard her call just before you came up and I haven’t had time to check on her yet. We will go down together tomorrow morning.”
    “Yeah, you’re right. I better get home too.”
    Henry locked the upstairs basement door and said good night to his boss. After he left the store, Henry unlocked his bike and wheeled it over to the corner where he stood for a long moment, reliving the incredible scene. He was still awed that Jenny had escaped the impact. Traffic was light now: most people had already arrived home from work and were eating supper.
    “There should be traffic lights here,” Henry mused.
    He walked his bike to the other side of Victoria Avenue and stood where Jenny had. Thank you , he thought, although he didn’t really know to whom his thanks were directed. Prayer was part of his life, yet he had doubts. He questioned who people prayed to, why they couldn’t see Him, how He could listen to everyone at the same time, and so on.
    “Just accept it on faith,” his mom had told him. “Don’t complicate it, Henry. Someday it will make more sense.”
    Henry took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to release some of the tension he still felt. He swung his leg over the seat, pushed down hard on the pedal and biked home. It was too bad Jenny wasn’t home tonight to talk to. He wanted to know exactly what had happened.
    His mom and dad were already eating when he walked in. Henry washed his hands then sat down at the table and told them what he had done at the store. He wasn’t as excited as he would have been, considering the incident with Jenny, but for reasons he couldn’t quite work out, he’d decided not to tell them about it. Besides, it’d make his mom worry even more .
    With nothing else to do, Henry went into the living room where his dad was reading the paper and told him about the deal he’d reached with Mr. Engelmann. His dad smiled, but his eyes never left the newsprint. Henry told him he figured they could bring all the supplies they’d need the next day through the cellar doors rather than going through the store. His dad nodded again and gave a noncommittal grunt. Finally taking the hint, Henry decided to take a shower and go to his room.
    It was only seven-thirty, but somehow it felt later. Henry’s muscles were sore and weariness mingled with pride and confusion. As he lay back on his pillow, the tension of the last few hours finally began to lift. He took a deep breath and let it go, relaxing even more.
    He thought of Jenny and how close he’d come to losing her. Did she really have a guardian angel? In Grade 2, Sister Monica had taught them a prayer about guardian angels. How had it gone? He tried to remember.
    Just before he drifted away, the words came to him:
    Angel of God, my guardian dear,
    to whom His love commits me here,
    ever this day be at my side
    to light and guard, to rule and guide
    my life … and Jenny’s …
    forever and ever.
    Amen.

Chapter Six

     
     
    T he clock on Henry’s bedside table read six-fifteen. The sun was up but just barely. He rose, too, and went to the window to look outside.The sky was overcast and rain threatened. He was glad. If it was a nice day his dad would probably be wishing he was golfing or working in the yard rather