Angels are Listening

Loquacious sat in front of Epiphany, her head tilted slightly backwards. Epiphany brushed her long hair with languid strokes. The warm spring water lapped at her feet, gently washing her porcelain toes clean.

Loquacious gently rubbed her fingers through the sand in slow ‘s’ patterns.

“I don’t know,” said Loquacious. “All this sitting around, sure it’s relaxing. Sure it’s nice not to be hurried, or over-taxed, for that matter, but really, shouldn’t we be doing more?”

“I’m sure it will come,” said Epiphany. “He has good people around him, after all. Good people who will point him in the right direction. Set him on the right path, so to speak.

Epiphany raised her eyebrows. Loquacious opened her mouth to speak, but shrugged and smiled, instead.

Above them was sapphire above milky white clouds, floating passed, Loquacious looked up at them longingly. Flying above the clouds bought back treasured memories.

“It’s not even for myself that I am concerned, or you, as I am for those naughty boys,” sighed Loquacious. “Where are they now, do you think?”

“Oh, Aloysius went down to the Valley of Sons to speak to Antonio,” said Epiphany. “I suggested to Ignatius that he went along too, you know, just to keep an eye on things.”

“But that was days ago.”

“Yes,” said Epiphany. She ran the brush right to the tips of Loquacious’ hair. It sparkled in the sun light, golden. “Yes, it was. Those two have no concept of time, you know that.”

Epiphany stroked down with the brush, rhythmically. They were both still, otherwise, caught in the moment. Their faces were reflective, serene and still. The stillness that comes with deep understanding and deep love.

“They could have got up to any kind of mischief by now,” said Loquacious. “I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but I worry about those two with so much time on their hands and so few demands upon it. Always up to something. Always looking for something to do. All that restless energy.”

“You only need to trust... them too.”

Loquacious shook her hair freely, shiny and glistening and laid her head back into Epiphany’s lap.

The sun was a golden orb against the sapphire blue. Time slowed.

“Wait, wait,” said Epiphany. “What was that?” Loquacious looked up at her. She looked away and squinted her eyes, as though she was listening to something far away. “I think he’s talking about us. Acknowledging us. Yes. Yes, I’m sure.”

Loquacious sat up, she turned to look at Epiphany, her eyes were wide with surprise. “What? About us?” She raised her hand to her slender neck and smiled broadly. “Finally? Really? Oh my, how amazing. Do you think he gets it? Realises.”

“He is. Yes, he is,” said Epiphany. “He truly is.”

“Oh my,” said Loquacious. “Goodness. Finally.” She smiled. “Oh my, my, my, after all these years, to be acknowledged. To be spoken of. To be known, do I dare? Who told him, do you think?”

“I think you know who told him.”

“Yes, yes,” said Loquacious. “Precisely.” She rubbed her hand across Epiphany’s beautiful face. “You always knew.” She leant forward gently and kissed Epiphany on the lips. “You smell sweet.” She raised her shoulders and swept her open hands through the air. “I’m so excited.”

“So do you,” said Epiphany. “Smell sweet.” She kissed Loquacious on the forehead, the bridge of the nose and on the lips, with slow tender kisses.

“Butterflies,” said Loquacious.

“Faeries,” said Epiphany.

Then the wind whistled, blowing down over them, stronger and then stronger again. A steady gust, singing like chimes, smelling like lavender, cool on their skin, imbued with glitter. Aloysius came flying through the sapphire, with Ignatius, holding his hand, as they always did when they flew. Aloysius leading, his dark hair parted across his forehead, Ignatius’ blonde hair rustling on the breeze, catching the sun.

The two boys landed gently, with no sound and with no pressure from their ballet slippers on the emerald ground.

“Look lively,” said Aloysius. “He’s talking to us, putting in a request for us to deliver on a desire.” He smiled. “Finally. Who’d have thought.”

“Positive affirmations, at last,” said Ignatius. “Do you believe it? Can you believe it?” He danced a waltz on the spot.

Ignatius smiled at Loquacious and Epiphany, as he hugged Aloysius from behind. Aloysius smiled at the girls also, strong and proud.

“We have a mission,” said Aloysius excitedly, his green eyes sparkling. Ignatius hugged him tenderly, rubbing his face into the small of Aloysius’ shoulder, as he stretched his arms across Aloysius’ chest.

“How long have we been waiting for this day?” said Aloysius.

“He has asked, finally,” said Loquacious.

“We must go,” said Epiphany.

The two boys smiled in front of them, standing up straight. “Yes, we must go,” the two said in unison.

At that very moment the Wind Faery appeared in front of them. Her Mother of Pearl wings beating behind her, as she flew backwards up into the sapphire yonder. She moved her hands to her lips and blew through her fingers back at the angels and then she was gone, as quickly as she appeared. The wind blew gently around each angel’s ears.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

All four smiled, as they knew who it was from.