It happened a year ago today and it still seems like a dream, although I know it was real…

Every day I walked home through a long stretch of the woods after a long day of work, holding my lamp high to light my way on the path, trying to avoid stepping in a hole or tripping on a branch or rock. It was really dark that time of year and the way home was a long walk. But I had to make it every day, no matter what, because if I didn’t bring home my days wages I wouldn’t be able to buy any food my son and Nana; and we just wouldn’t make it. Since my husband died and we had no money, things had gotten really hard for us. As it is, I had to leave my son Samuel with my very old grandmother at her small house, everyday so I could work at the farm across the valley. And Nana (we called her) could barely get around.

Things were so hard back then. That night I remembered how grateful I was that the coat I was given by my boss’s wife kept me warm. The cold seemed to be trying to pierce through any opening in my clothes. I walked as quickly as I could to get home.

Squinting over the scarf which covered my face, keeping it warm with my breath, I remember that I could barely see where I was going. I kept my eyes more on the path in front of me than forward. It was so cold, I had to get home, it was so dark, I guess didn’t see it coming. But a tree branch had broken loose and was hanging right in my path. I must have walked right into it at full stride!

I don’t know how it happened, but when I woke up I found myself in a strange place, a hut of sorts, with the wind of the night blowing little ice crystals through cracks in the wall above my head, and it looked like there were stars on the ceiling above me; but it was warm and the fireplace glowed softly. Where am I? How long had it been? Everything was foggy…Oh… It seems like I hurt all over. What happened to me?

Sitting up I immediately wondered, where am I? Then I realized that I had to get home to feed my child, I can’t be late, I need to put wood on the fire, they’ll freeze if I don’t

"Shhhhhhhh! Someone said as I felt a warm hand on my forehead. "You’ve had quite a spill. Rest now". But where… how… who are you?

"Softly in an almost musical full soothing voice he said I’m Jonah. They call me "the woodsman" because I live out here in the woods. I like it here by myself alone, where I can pray, and not many people know me.

Just then it hit me… my son! I have to get home to my son Samuel! You see he can’t take care of himself, he’s …well he’s special, and I have to leave right now!

"Don’t worry, he’s right here" he said!

What!?... How?... Where?... is he all right? "Yes he’s fine "Ella" Jonah said in a warm tone as he brought him to over me.

How do you know my name I asked?

"That’s not important right now" Jonah said as he led Sam to me.

Are you all right honey, I cried! How did you get here? Did he bring you here? Did this man do any….I mean are you ok? Sam smiled and hugged me tight; and I could see that he was all right. He said: "I had soup mommy…would you like some?"

Well, I …just then my head felt like it was floating and I …well I guess I fell back asleep or passed out. When I woke up, in my waking cloudiness I remember thinking…oh, all this is just a dream; it’s not real. I must be home and having a nightmare. And as my head cleared and I looked around, I realized indeed, I was at home. I let out a sign of relief. But my head really hurt. I really must have hit it on something.

Sam was sleeping beside me and everything seemed all right. But what about the stranger named Jonah; that warm place in the woods. That dream. I was relieved, it was all a dream, but this bump on my head, and the soup…I don’t remember making soup. We didn’t have any food. Nana can’t make soup anymore! I was going to buy some food on the way home with my days pay. Where did the soup come from?

Soon Sam awoke and he smiled as he almost always did. He was so sweet. Shortly after he was born the doctors said that he really would never understand most things, and will always need help with the simplest of things. I worry about what will become of him when I’m gone. The doctors said he will never learn like other children…but he always seems so happy, and he makes me smile. He just lights up the room.

Where’s Nana, I asked? "Nana sleeping quiet" Sam said. Then I went into the other room, and found her. Nana had a peaceful expression on her face, but I knew it was over. She was gone. She just couldn’t go on anymore and just stayed asleep forever. I didn’t want to cry and scare Sam, but it was all just so much. Why? I asked God! Why now? How am I going to work all day and care for Sam too. Who will take care of him? What am I going to do, I cried to myself!

It was still quite dark, so I reached for my lamp on the short table next to my bed and found that it was smashed and didn’t work anymore. How did that happen? Now what, I thought! No light, no food, Nana is gone. Dear God help me! And I cried awhile.

After a couple minutes I went into Nana’s room to get her lamp to bring it in. At least I have this one to use I said as I lifted it. I don’t remember it being this heavy. As I picked it up, I noticed a small note under the lamp, addressed to me. It was from Nana! She must have known she was dying.

Through my tears I looked at the lamp, but it wasn’t broken! Nana said she broke it! How? Maybe she was delirious, I thought.

"Mommy, Sam have soup" he said. Sure honey. I thought, soup? I didn’t make soup, and Nana couldn’t. I was really confused. As Sam took my hand we walked to the other room and I noticed a nice stack of firewood and a smoldering warm fire with a pot of soup hanging there. It smelled wonderful. "Jonah make soup" he said! What! How? Did I have a dream or… Was it real? Who was Jonah?

Sam, I asked…Who is Jonah? "Jonah help mommy" she said. "Jonah find mommy, bring mommy home, make soup and fix Nana lamp too". "Jonah help" he said.

I just didn’t understand, was there really some man named Jonah? How did Sam find him? What happened last night? Did I need help last night like Sam said? (I remembered the bump on my head). I must have gotten hurt on my walk home… How did Sam know I needed help?

I remembered Sam said "Jonah fixed the lamp?" I held it up to the fire light and could see that it was perfect, shiny, and just like new. I don’t remember it looking this clean and new. And somehow it was a lot heavier than I remembered it. Sam just looked at me and smiled like he always did. All day he smiled at everyone…and he seemed to know something we didn’t. And nothing bothered him.

I put the lamp down because it was so heavy and noticed that it rattled. So I picked it up again and shook it. It rattled like there was something in it, and upon looking closely, inside the glass base there was something shiny. So unscrewing it I looked, and couldn’t believe my eyes! Inside the base of the lamp was not one, but 7 gold coins. Gold coins! These must be worth a fortune. Where are they from, why didn’t Nana say something about these? I don’t care…they’re here! Thank God! We’ll be ok…Nana must have been saving these, or was it that Jonah fellow?

"See mommy"… Sam said. "Jonah fix lamp!" It took a second or so, but suddenly I understood. It all became clear.

Well I don’t know who this Jonah was, or how he made soup from nothing, brought in firewood, and left us enough money to take care of us for a long time, but I sure thank God for him. Nana said that Sam was outdoors and seemed to be talking to the air, to no one there, but I now know now that he wasn’t just talking to nothing or no-one.

Sam had to be talking to an angel. Jonah had to be our angel. And only Sam could see him, and talk to him! He was there for us that night. Sam somehow knew I needed help, and told Jonah to look for the light of my lamp in the woods. He helped us, and is still helping us.

God took Nana home to him that night, but sent Samuel and I his angel, to help us in our most difficult time. Things could have gone so wrong that night. I could have frozen to death in those woods, Sam would have been alone. Tears again well up in my eyes as I think back on that night.

Sam’s special gifts saved my life. His special gift is the ability to see God’s angels, to be totally a child of God, to approach life everyday with a smile, knowing that God will never forget us and that He sends special angels into our lives when we least expect it.

Copyright © 2005 by Andy Cirmo