I believe in guardian angels. This may sound silly to some, but I truly believe in them.

I believe I have two, and I believe I know their names. The reason I know their names is because a friend of mine who one could say is a clairvoyant. I think a psychic would be a stretch, but I will say a clairvoyant, said their names and I said the second name at the same time as she did. We kept bouncing back on the first name, and we finally agreed on what sounded and felt right.

She said to me more than one time, “You know you have spirits around you.”

“I know. I feel them all the time,” I said.

“They surround you, protect you, and look out for you.”

I nod.

When I lived up north, in Brandon, I remember a day similar to today, except it was much colder. The temperature was well below zero and winds at least  20 to 40 below zero. School did not close hardly at all, because in places where it is always cold, children would be going to school all year around. The cities can’t shut down, because work must be done.

This particular day, Bettie said, “Do not miss the bus. I will not be home when you get home and you are the only one with the key.”

I missed the bus.

That damn bus always left so quickly, or was I that slow? I have never been able to figure it out to this day. Was the energy inside me so heavy and I was so depressed that my body moved that slowly and the rest of the world moved that fast? Perhaps as if I was walking backward on an up escalator? Or did the buses leave that quick?

It seemed that I missed the bus a lot. I did have arthritis bouts, so that was real. All I knew is I went to the front of the school and it was gone again. Bettie got quite frustrated with me. I probably only missed it half a dozen times, but still it was a half a dozen times. In truth, it could had been more.

So I missed the bus, again.

There went Rebecca and James – and they probably were well aware I was not on the bus, and I had the key.

I ran inside and a teacher stopped me.

“The bus left. Rebecca and James are on it. The cold. I have the key. Can you help me? I need to get home…”

“Where did you say you lived again?”

“Pond side Ave,” I said.

“Mr. Warren lives not too far from there, but he might have left already.”

We hustled down one hall and into the next and we spotted him packing up his sack.

I ran up to his desk.

“Hello – can I help you?” Mr. Warren said.

“Tessa is needing a ride to her house. She missed the bus . . .,” Mrs. Johnston said.

“And Rebecca and James are on the bus. I have the only key and I’m afraid they will be left out in the cold.”

“Of course. You are lucky you caught me. I am usually gone by now,” Mr. Warren said.

He threw his sack around his shoulders and I followed him on out.

“Thanks, Mrs. Johnston,” I said.

“I am just happy I could help,” Mrs. Johnston said.

Because the bus twisted and turned all over the damn county it took at least an hour on the bus to get home. We only lived seven miles from the school, but we were on the bus long enough I could listen to a whole CD and then some.

Mr. Warren and I jumped in the car and drove out to the house as fast as we could.

We approached the house and waited not even two minutes and the bus turned a corner and drove around the lake and it came to stop. The engine hushed and the door flapped open, and Rebecca and James jumped out.

“Where were you? You missed the bus,” Rebecca said.

“Yeah, I know. Don’t tell your mom.”

Mr. Warren smiled.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Warren.”

“Happy you caught me.”

I waved. “See you tomorrow.”

He smiled and drove off.

Walking up to the house, the wind blew right through us, as if the clothes on our body were nothing. I wiggled the key in the door and we walked in.

“Would you have stayed on the bus?”

“Yeah, but I don’t know how late the school would be open and I don’t know mom’s work phone number.”

“She would had been so mad.”

“Yep.”

“I don’t want to think about it.”

I exhaled and shook my head.

It was within 3-4 minutes from the time the buses left to Mrs. Johnston and then to Mr. Warren who just happened to still be there packing up, who just happened to live near me.

Then we arrived right before the bus pulled up.

Then I didn’t have to guess, would Rebecca and James gotten off the bus or known to stay on?

I believe my guardian angels gave me a helping hand that day, as they have given me help that day and countless times.

My feet and my being did not have the whereabouts to get on that bus, so they found somebody that could help, two somebody’s, two good somebody’s.

Or maybe it was four good somebody’s?