Guardian Angel. 1. 14. Hello from Grandma

"A GUARDIAN ANGEL"
a mistical novel
by Alexandra Kryuchkova

PART I. A GUARDIAN

1.14. HELLO from GRANDMA

June 22, Saturday,
Moscow, a clinic on Belorusskaya


Alice ran around the doctors and donated her blood in order to collect the due permissions for the Friday surgery. At noon she was called by U.

«Well, how are you doing, Piglet? What did the Doctor say?»

«Two surgeries.»

«You are not an ordinary Piglet, but a clairvoyant one!» U tried to be kidding. «When?»

«This Friday, 28th, and on July 17th. Then the Surgeon goes on vacation until mid-September.»

«Listen, don’t be upset! You see, everything is going well! Otherwise, you would only reach the doctor on the 28th. So you’ll manage to do it in time! You moved the stars not for nothing. The Higher Forces are guiding you!»

«Guiding somewhere, yes,» Alice agreed and sighed. «I don’t know where to get money from, all my capital is my books.»

«Isn’t it free?»

«It’s possible to get to the same hospital, to the same Surgeon, if one works in that Ministry. Otherwise, you should pay. I’m scared of other hospitals and unknown surgeons. It’s not like changing a filling in a tooth!»

«Well, then you should urgently realize your huge and, moreover, unique capital! Listen, Piglet, just don’t argue, okay? You have a lot of acquaintances. If you ask them for help…»

«Oh, I don’t know how this story will end. I don’t want to borrow money. Nona’s words about the surgery are still sounding in my ears, I can…»

«Forget! You won’t! What the hell are you thinking about? Write to people as it is. You’ll see, there will be plenty of them to help you. I’m the first in line. I’ll visit you one of these days, okay?»


***
June 23, Sunday, midnight, Moscow, Alice’s kitchen


Alice opened her poetry webpage and was touched to the heart. A review had appeared under her verse at midnight. It was written and signed by an unknown woman with the name and surname of Alice’s grandmother, she had lived with in childhood. Wow hello from there! Both of her grandmas had lived for many more years after their surgeries, having successfully celebrated their eightieth birthday. But Alice’s mother and mother’s sister had died six months after the same surgery, almost at the age of Alice. However, it was a hello from the grandma, mother of Alice’s mother, who had over-lived everyone. «I need to go to the church, to order a memorial prayer!»

After much hesitation, the same night, Alice sent a message to her acquaintances, saying if someone could buy at least one of her books, she would be very grateful, because she would use their money for… Without waiting for a reaction and not thinking more about money, Alice sat down in her chair in the kitchen, turned off the light, lit a candle and took out of her purse… the photo of the Man in White.

«How are you doing there?» she asked him mentally and, without waiting for an answer, added, «Let everything be fine with you!»

Alice took the cards and tried to lay out the chain of events she needed for the period of Saturn according to the rules of Medici Solitaire. Toward the end of the deck, she put a card in charge of meeting the Man in White.


***
June 24, Monday, morning, Moscow,
the Church of St. Peter and Paul


In the morning, Alice went to the church to order prayers for the upcoming Friday for her health, as well as a memorial prayer for all her loved ones in Heaven. At the entrance to the church, Alice stumbled upon the lid of a coffin, a bad sign! There was a funeral liturgy in the church, so the counter that accepted the orders of the parishioners was closed.

Alice bought candles from the church shop outside, where it was impossible to order a prayer, and returned to the church. She came up to the icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. George the Victorious and to the Greek icon of Mother of God called Pantanassa. Alice remembered that she had bought Pantanassa on Athos in Greece a year before for a friend. That icon, helping people with oncology, had been sold in a single copy, and Alice’s friend had urgently needed it. So Alice had no Pantanassa for herself.

Leaving the church to the heart-rending weeping and lamentations of the relatives of the deceased, Alice thought, «Why are they crying like that? His soul is probably calm and easy now!» And she suddenly stumbled, flying down the steps, landing on both palms and erasing them on the asphalt exactly in the place of the Life line ending according to chiromancy. Alice stood up and looked at the patterns on her palms, perhaps during the landing some lines had been lengthened, redrawn or added. Not noticing obvious changes, she went to work, realizing that the next morning she would have to go to the church again.


***
daytime, Moscow, the Union of Writers


Alice came to work and turned on her phone while turning on the PC. Suddenly, multiple trills of incoming messages were heard. Alice didn’t realize yet what happened. But after a couple of minutes, those whom she had written to the day before started calling her. Nona posted a message on her blog, the writers asked till what hour she would be at the House of Serving to Creativity to come to buy her books.

«Wow,» Alice thought, «I didn’t know how many friends I had!»

At noon, Irina, a satirist poetess, arrived. She bought Alice’s books and gave her the holy oil of St. Matrona, and the icon of Pantanassa.

«Where did you get it from?» Alice was surprised and said that she had remembered about that icon that morning.

«I begged my mother on it, a prayed-for icon. I decided to bring it to you. I’ll also order a 40 days prayer for your health in the church of St. George the Victorious, he helps you!»

The very last to enter Alice’s office that day was Deepwater, a poet.

«Hey, brown-eyed! How are you?»

He didn’t know anything about her black tunnel. He came up, kneeled down and held out a flower to Alice, gently kissing her neck.

«Thank you,» Alice replied sadly.

Deepwater sat down in the chair next to her desk, took her hand, pulled her towards him.

«Why are you so sad?»

«Saturn, master of my Death, is in Scorpio now.»

«So what does it mean?»

«Restrictions in communicating with men,» Alice grinned and sat on his knees.

«You are very beautiful, and your dress is beautiful,» Deepwater hugged Alice rocking her like a baby being lulled to sleep.

«Two surgeries…»

«Come on!» He froze for a moment, then hugged Alice tighter. «For some reason, I remembered my mother. Everything will be fine! You’ll survive! You are our Queen, at least mine.» He stood up with Alice in his arms and began to whirl her around the room. Outwardly, Deepwater reminded Alice of the man she had called Brother, the same tall, stately, even similar in face. «Do you know where I’ve been today? At the minister!»

«You yourself will become a minister,» Alice said for some reason, «or his deputy.»

«Maybe!» Deepwater smiled. «And then I’ll be your king!»

Alice laughed. Deepwater gently landed Alice in the chair by the table,«You need another man, but while he’s not with you yet, I can be nearby. If you want. When Saturn goes away. There, in the corridor, your photo was hung on the honor stand. And I’ve recently read your poem «A Portrait’. Did you write it about this House? I visit your webpage and read you there.»

Alice began to recite verses about the House of Serving to Creativity. Deepwater didn’t listen to Alice, kissing her, stroking her back, her hair, but Alice seemed not to notice that and kept reciting more and more.

«Did anyone tell you that you are as stubborn as a sheep?» he asked softly. «I’m leaving soon. As I’m back, I’ll call you. You’ll probably be in a lot of pain, but everything will pass, really! Just remember, we all need you. Including this House and me, and whoever is not with you yet, too.»

…Late in the evening, Alice received a message from the Man Who Was Not, bumped into her three times in London. He wrote the address of the restaurant to dine together the next day. «Okay,» Alice replied and opened the file with the photo of the Man in White.