The Wink

Anya and Kiril were excited. They were going on a long trip. With their mother, they were going to their new home in America.

At last the big day came. They said goodbye to their friends and got on the airplane. Many hours later, they arrived in Austin, Texas. Jim came to meet them at the airport. He was smiling. He was happy to see them. Everyone hugged and cried and said "at last!"

At first, Austin seemed strange to the children. Where were the cowboys? Everyone spoke English. Anya could understand a little English but Kiril couldn't. He saw the people's mouths moving but he couldn't understand what they were saying. "That's OK," said Mom, "you will learn English soon."

Although the children were happy to be with Mom and Jim, and Patricia and the dogs, they were sometimes sad, too. They missed their old home and their old friends. "That's OK," said Mom, "you will make new friends soon."

One night, after the adults were all asleep, Kiril woke up. It was very quiet in the house. Even the dogs were asleep. He was frightened and sad. He was particularly missing his old home and his old friends so he woke Anya up. "What is the matter?" Anya asked.

"I am sad and I miss our old home and my old friends," Kiril said. "I am a big boy so I can't cry but I feel like crying."

"Oh, Kiril, I know. I feel that way too. What should we do?" said Anya.

Kiril walked over to the window and looked out. A tear was threatening to run down his cheek and he didn't want his sister to see it. Outside he noticed a bright light in the trees. "Look Anya, see this bright light? I wonder what it is."

Anya walked over to the window to look out. Suddenly the light started to move. It came closer and closer. The children backed up. They were frightened of the light coming toward them.

Suddenly the ball of light came through the window. Then the children could see a figure in the middle of the light. They were surprised to see that it was a beautiful angel.

"Do not be afraid," she said. "I am an angel sent from God. What is the matter? Why are you crying, Kiril? Why do you look so sad, Anya?"

"I'm not crying!" protested Kiril.

"We are sad because we are thinking of our old home and our old friends. We miss them," said Anya.

"Yes," said Kiril. "Mom just says `That's OK, you will learn English and make new friends soon but we still miss them and we don't know what to do. We don't want to be sad, we want to be happy and we are lonely."

"I know," said the angel. "But your mother is right, you know. Every day you are learning more English. And you will make new friends when school starts. But I know you are still lonely now and missing your old friends and your old home. That is normal. And I hope you will never forget your old home and your old friends. One day you will go back and visit your old friends.

Then you will tell them about your wonderful new home in Texas and all the friends you have made here. And while you are learning English, you must remember how to speak Russian, too. For now, though, remember that God has given each of you a guardian angel to be with you and keep you company always. Do you know your angel's name?"

Kiril's eyes got very big. "I have an angel?" he asked, "Where is he?" Kiril turned all the way around. He didn't see another angel. "Are you my angel?" he asked.

"What is her name?" inquired Anya. "Does my guardian angel have a name?"

The beautiful angel began to laugh. Her laugh was very pretty like a tinkling silver bell. "You can't see your angel, Kiril, but he is there to watch over you. And yes, Anya, your guardian angel has a name."

"What is her name?" asked Anya.

The angel laughed her silver bell laugh again. Then she said, "Children, you may decide on whatever name you would like to call your guardian angel."

"Then my angel's name is John," declared Kiril.

Anya had to think a little longer. Then she said, "I am going to call my angel Mary after Mary, the Mother of God."

"Those are good names," said the angel.

"Whoa, if we can't see them and talk to them what good will it do us to have them?" asked Kiril.

Again the angel laughed her tinkling laugh. "Your angels will guard and protect you. You can talk to them with your heart, she said. And so you won't feel lonely, I am going to leave these with you."

With that, the angel reached into a pocket of her skirt and brought out two stuffed rabbits. "When you are talking to your angels, if you speak out loud, you can pretend to be talking to these toys. Your angels can hear you. And although they can't talk back to you, you can hug the toys and the angels will feel your hugs and you will have a warm feeling of knowing that your angels are there for you. It will be a secret between you and your angels."

Suddenly the light got brighter around the angel and she floated back through the window up into the sky until her light seemed to match the stars. The children held their new stuffed bunnies tightly and climbed back into bed. Soon they were fast asleep.

The next morning when the children woke up, Kiril told Anya, "I dreamed an angel visited us last night, sister."

"That's funny," said Anya, "I dreamed the same. But it was only a dream of course."

Then Kiril noticed that there on the bed beside him was a large stuffed rabbit. "Oh!" said Kiril. He looked over and there was another rabbit on his sister's bed. "Anya," he said, "if it was only a dream, where did these rabbits come from?"

"It must have been a dream," said Anya. "I'll bet Jim or Mama put the rabbits on our bed."

Just at that moment, Kiril was looking at his rabbit and it seemed to him as if the rabbit winked.

Kiril hugged his bunny and whispered, "John, are you there?" Suddenly, Kiril felt warm all over and the rabbit winked again!