I'll Take You Away

I stood watching as a little boy walked out of an orphanage. He had bruises on his arms and legs and looked underfed. He seemed as though he'd been fighting for his life and his expression seemed so lonely.

Little boy, 6 years old, a little too used to bein' alone...

He walked toward a car, stepped inside and buckled his seatbelt. He stared out the window, expression forever hopeful.

Inside the car, the head of the orphanage was speaking.
"Just ahead, we'll meet your new parents! Are you excited?" She looked into the rearview mirror to gauge his reaction.

He looks up and says with a smile upon his face, "This is my temporary home,"

The woman smiled worriedly and looked back down, eyes on the road.

The car finally stopped at a large white house in a gated community. A man dressed in a sweater vest and pleated pants emerged from the house with a beautiful woman on his arm.

She wore a beautiful, vibrant red dress with her hair in a bun. When she saw the little boy, she lost all composure and ran down the driveway, scooping the little boy up in her arms. Another new mom and dad, another new school...

"Oh, we're so happy you're here, Jonah!" The little boy smiled in her arms, but thought to himself, It's not where I belong...

The three said goodbye to the head of the orphanage and entered the house.

***

The little boy was trying to get accustomed to his room. The walls had been painted blue and were covered with posters of Power Rangers and other television personalities.

He stared at everything in the room. Windows and rooms that I'm passing through...

As night fell, the little boy got down onto his knees.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep;
Angels watch me through the night
And keep me in their blessed sight.
Lord, please help me. This is just a stop on the way to where I'm going.
Amen."

The couple came in to the room to tell the little boy good night and after a little while, he fell asleep.

But he suddenly woke up, kicking and thrashing, crying. He'd had a nightmare.

The woman came in, holding him in her arms.

"Sleepyhead, close your eyes. Mother's right here beside you.
I'll protect you from harm, You will wake in my arms. Guardian angels are near,
So sleep on, with no fear," she sang while rocking him. Her voice was so sweet and the little boy was calmed.

He couldn't remember his actual mother and this woman seemed like an ideal person to take on the role. He smiled as she handed him a little teddy bear and he hugged it to himself.

And then thing took a turn for the worst.

The man stumbled into the room, drunken and angered.

"What's with all the noise?" He crossed over to the bed, stumbling on the way.

The woman stood and put her hand on her husband's arm. "Jonah had a bad dream," she whispered.

The man walked over, hitting Jonah hard across the face. "Grow up!" he spat.

"No!" The woman put herself in between her husband and the little boy. "Don't!"

The man was angered once again and continued to hit them both. The woman kept her arms around Jonah, protecting him. He snatched the little boy's teddy bear and destroyed it right in front of him.

Finally, the man grew tired and left the room.

The woman lay crying with the little boy in her arms. “Are you okay?” she asked him.

He looked up at her with a week smile on his face. “I am not afraid, because I know. This is just my temporary home.”

“No,” she said, taking his hand. “This is just our temporary home.”

And with that, she proceeded to pack his things.

***

Not daring to return to her bedroom, the woman left with Jonah’s hand in hers. She had to go somewhere, but didn’t know where.

“A shelter,” she whispered to herself. And that was when I decided to show myself.

I stepped out from where I was standing. “Angels watch me through the night and keep me in their blessed sight.”

I wanted the words to let them know that I wouldn’t hurt them. The woman held the little boy protectively, ready to defend them in the dark of the night.

I approached them slowly. “You don’t have to fear,” I said quietly. “I won’t hurt you.”

Slowly I handed the woman money. “Go,” I said. “Find somewhere to stay, somewhere to be safe.”

She smiled gratefully and began to walk away. “Wait!” I called behind her.

She stopped and turned around. “I almost forgot…” I pulled from behind me a teddy bear, small and soft. Just like the one the man had destroyed.

The little boy smiled. “Thank you!” I nodded.

I listened as they walked away. “Mommy!” Jonah said, his words drifting up into the night air. “Mommy, I think that was an angel!” They both looked back at me. I smiled.

“Maybe, Jonah” she whispered. “Maybe.”

As they walked away, I couldn’t help but let a tear roll down my cheek. “Angels watch you through the night and keep you in their blessed sight.”

Jonah had been pushed around every day of his short life. No one had ever done much to protect him.

And the woman. She had been good all her life, but had been stuck under the dominant nature of her husband. And all I could do was watch them walk away.

“I’ll take you far away from this one day, okay?” I whispered to their retreating figures. "I promise.