AS I bid farewell to the masons, carpenters and electricians and the last of the construction workers after they had repaired my old house, in the process carrying away three lorry loads or more of debris, I walked wearily up to my terrace. “Who are you?” I shouted a bit fearfully, as I looked at the band of also weary looking men who were leaving but not by the staircase.
“Construction angels!” said the leader of the bedraggled men. They were a little huger than ordinary men, and as I put on my glasses and stared harder, I realized that all of them had wings, though most of their wings were either bandaged or looked injured. “Construction angels?” I asked, “How did you get here?” “You called for us Bob,” said the leader, smiling through the dust and grime that covered his face. “Remember, the time before your home was repaired, you knew it was in bad shape, and you walked through many of the rooms, after your family was asleep, looking fearfully at the beams, columns and ceiling?”
“I knew they could collapse any day!” I whispered. “Do you remember what you did as you walked through the rooms?” asked another angel. “I prayed!” I said, “I told God that the repair work could not be done now, because either covid had struck, or guests were expected, or I was short of funds! So, I prayed that God would keep my home safe!”
“So, we were the answer to your prayers!” said all the angels together. “But looks like you guys got quite hurt in the bargain?” I asked looking at their bandages and hurt wings and even small blood stains on their arms and legs! “You remember the time you felt there was a rumbling above your head when you were fast asleep?” asked one of them, showing his hands.
“Yes, I thought it was the beginning of an earthquake,” I said. “Worse! It was the slab unloosening and coming down on you, and it took all of me to hold it there!” “So too with your living room when you had guests, and your office room, one day, when you left. All we were doing, was putting back or holding slab and mortar in place, till finally you managed to get the masons and workmen to get your rooms repaired!”
“Today, your work is complete and as they leave, we leave too,” said the angel leader, getting onto my parapet wall and groaning as he slowly spread his injured wings. “Looks like there’s a lot of time you’re all going to spend in the heavenly hospital,” I said. “Well, it was well worth it, than seeing you in a morgue!” laughed the angel, as he and the rest flew off. “But, we’re always there, when you pray for help!” they shouted gleefully from the skies..!
