A few years past and Madeline had been place to place, growing and accomplishing not slightly less than miracles. Joining lives, nursing grief. Sharing a body with someone was the only time she would feel and understand the makeup of the person wholly; each part of who they are. Madeline cherished this as her greatest joy on earth due to her love of mankind. She believed it the best way to help at times, at times the only way. As a little boy she felt the love from his father as he stared into his son's eyes and smiled. As an old woman, the heartache from her husband as he held her arm and watched her final rest. As a college man, fear of rejection and failure and life. She was with them sharing it all, unbeknownst to them, she was making it better.
There WERE rules. Madeline never crossed boundaries and never stayed passed her time of guidance. It was clear where her place was while she wathced them and clear was her place inside them as well. The memories were theirs'. The experiences theirs'. And the warmth she brought and gave to them they kept as theirs' likewise. She served as light, hope, heart, and clearly saw the difference of herself to them.
Undefeated and emaculate; Madeline shown no more signs of age but her beauty grew as her would be endless journey perdured.
Only a few short years. A blink. There, Madeline noticed below in this midsized city, a familiar glow. She coasted closer, a flouresent green unbrella, clearly oversized, wove it's way through cars, people and wind. It was covering a woolen coat, which was covering a girl. It was a cold Indian Summer. As the unbrella lowered, automatic doors slowly opened from a large shipping factory. The face buried in the coat was uncovered and there she was. Older, a bit of makeup, long light blonde, dressed clearly to impress. Her attire and expression proclaimed determination and capability. If Madeline had been an old schoolmate she would never have recognized Ivory from an auslander. To Madeline, the girl was undeniably quite the same. She saw no difference, no surprise of maturity or change.
Ivory was more experienced, more knowledgeable. She shook hands with an apparent secretary of the establishment.. Ivory had a folder and pen in hand. A job interview. Madeline felt excitement to have come upon the girl at such an anxious moment. There must be more this girl needs. Madeline could not ask to help a more worthy heart again. She had often recalled Ivory and the startling intensity she had felt to understand the girl's world within the world. There were always those whom etched slightly deeper than others in Madeline's memories.
Madeline floated about the interviewer, hovered in circles around them both. "This girl is perfect. She gets the job. This job is just right for this girl" breathed Madeline in her booming whisper. She danced around them, smiling, giggling. The chimes on the edge of the woman's cabinets slightly sang to Madeline's movements. Madeline listened as well, and learned plenty just from the conversation. Ivory's achievements, goals, and even her current home. Madeline sensed a hint of denial in Ivory's voice. A season of lies, a cloud of disbelief, and the haunting return to lack of rest. Ivory had been praying daily and attending church for a couple of years now, all on her own. Meeting people, gaining love and trust within her family. HIRED, she got the job. They shook hands. Ivory left and walked to a car. It was no longer raining and someone was picking her up. Madeline entered the backseat, unnoticed.
The man picking up Ivory was large and bearded. To the passing eye he would have appeared as grough and uninviting. Madeline saw the softness in his eyes. Caring, inquisitive, aimless, lethargic. Ivory and the young man chatted of Ivory's victory. The girl's voice was more relieved than excited. Glad that's over with. The couple stopped at a small diner for burgers. Madeline observed their interaction with one another. The man chatted of his work, college classes, family, leisure activities he was currently enjoying with friends. Ivory's face showed interest as she listened. Very deceptive. For her mind was glazed with many other things than what this boy had to say. Sprinkled with nods and thoughts of why does he talk about these things that mean so little? The pointless rambling passed through her ears like wind. The love they shared was that of devotion on his end and complacents and covienience on hers. Madeline focused intently on Ivory's eyes. Still missing pieces. Confusion. After encountering faith she still had yet to find her own heart. Mistakes. More illusions of what's and why's, yet outwardly viewed as proud and on a clear path to her goals.
Madeline's focus shifted to memories of Ivory and her present companion. William. They met before Ivory had even graduated yet he'd been done with school for a few years already. Becoming friends through mutual friends. Moving away from the farm town simultaneously and reaqaunted in this city. She felt directionless as much as he showed it. In her darkest, lonliest times he alone brought her safety and comfort. All else was chaos for many months. He loved her romantically above all others; yet he found it hard to show; affection being something he was never wise to. She knew his love though, without words she understood. Through their relationship she learned unexpression and passiveness. They had begun a small life together in a poor neighborhood, in a small two bedroom apartment. For months they worked all hours to make ends meet and afford simply survival. She lacked passion for him yet depended on his friendship. He lacked interest in the journey of life yet depended on her kindness and love. They quarrelled, laughed, fell into routines of work and small conversation. She desired passion, inspiration, and determination but had very little of all these things. He was content in staying the way they were. She was not. After some time Ivory moved out and began a new journey; but William followed, deciding against his own interests, that maybe he did want something more as well. He conformed to her path in order not to lose her. Still lost but fedup with her own indecisiveness, Ivory chose to settle, for the time being, for her seemingly easiest route to actually getting somewhere in life. William showed the entirety of his love for the first time on the day she told him goodbye. Now here they were, eating burgers as casual friends, William's continuous failed attempts at winning her back wer becoming a nucence.
Stuffed to the gills with understanding of this relationship, Madeline turned all of her focus back to Ivory. She saw the depths of all that Ivory was yet it seemed to be locked inside, and shadowed. What does she need? But Madeline was blessed with the gift of clarity and it had never failed before. Something was wrong. What is my purpose here, she MUST be it. She hadn't had to focus so intently before. Perhaps I'm trying to hard. Frustrated, Madeline continued along with the broken friends as William let Ivory off at her residence. Madeline stayed just long enough to catch Ivory's apartment number and left Ivory for the time being.
The tired Angel wandered the city, watching traffic, watching junior football practice, watching restaurants fill up and empty, watching bars drain and families pray. Struggling to see anything crisp as the sun, yearning for attestation. She had not struggled in all of her decades as she was now. Terrified and confused she turned to her Father for help. Through the hustle and bustle of the streets, through alley fights, gang violence, murder, addiction, poverty, and apathy, through the darkness of her closed eyes Madeline could see ONLY Ivory's gaze, her pale blue irises, and her piercing silence.