An Angel guided me back home

by Abhilash Paul
(Bangalore)

This is an event that happened when I was about seven years old. I had been to a relative's house that was in Kerala. There was a village pond that everyone used to go to for hanging out or have a good swim. As a young lad, I was fascinated with swimming, so I would just hang out there with my legs in the water sometimes. I still can't swim!

On my first day in the holiday, one of my cousins had told me that it is not safe in the area around the pond once it gets dark as the place was infested with snakes. He had given me clear instructions in broken English that the path that leads to the house which we were staying was the "White Road" as only that path had a bit of white soil.

During my stay one day, I went to the pond as I heard that my cousin was there. On reaching there, I found that he was already returning home. I told him that I want to spend a few moments in the pond alone. He agreed and left me there. After I had watched the sun set, I planned on returning home. But as I turned around to start home, I forgot the road that I had to take. All the paths that led to the pond were similar to look at. I kept thinking hard to remember what he had said about the path that leads home, but nothing came to my mind. Almost an hour rolled by but I was still standing. Then something came to my mind. But it was not about the road. It was that snakes would begin to creep out once it got dark. I heard noises from the surrounding bushes. Frightened beyond words, I was about to cry. But then, I heard a voice of a girl who was dressed in bright white clothes. She asked me what was wrong, and I explained to her my situation. She said back to me "Just Follow the White road."

I remembered the path and rushed to it. I also did not forget to thank her as I turned around the corner. I later realised that only my cousin and I knew about the word "White Road" and no one else. No one from that village could speak perfect English without the Keralite accent; and how we could hear each other so well even when we were standing at the two extreme ends of the pond.

I believe that it was an angel. Someone may have come looking for me once they noticed I missing but I thank the angel for guiding me safely back home.