AN OLD LADY IN THE COLD

I was a senior in high school, in the month of freezing, snowy January, I was in English class daydreaming about playing baseball for the Mohawks Baseball Team in early April. I thought I would need to get a new baseball glove since the one I had was all worn out and in bad shape, it would not last another season. I would ask my good friend Bill if he wanted to go along with me to the Sears department store, sporting goods department to look for a new glove.

Saturday afternoon Bill and I decided to take a drive to the Sears Department store in my car. It had been snowing, so there was fresh snow on the road, and it was about twenty-seven degrees F outside. We had the heater on in the car, but we still felt cold. We finally arrived at Sears after driving for about twenty minutes and discussing the upcoming season.

When we pulled into the parking lot, about six hundred cars were already parked, and I managed to find a parking space about five rows back in the center of the row. Bill and I headed for the store's back entrance, with snow still falling and freezing temperature.

Entering the warm store, the sporting goods department was on the basement floor, so we took the escalator down to the basement. Looking at the baseball equipment made me feel warm inside. I touched the leather of the baseball gloves, and the smell of the leather made me want to play baseball right then and there. I found a Rawlings baseball glove I liked, though a bit stiff. I had plenty of time to break it in before the season started. I headed to the cashier to pay for the glove and head home.

It was even colder outside when we left the store and walked to the car. As we walked, I could see someone standing behind my car. Getting closer, I could tell it was an older adult woman, maybe in her seventy's.

When I arrived at the car, she asked: "can you give me a ride home." Looking at her face, she reminded me of Mother Teresa, or Grandma Coco, all wrinkly, watery eyes, her body trembling. She was wearing a long gray tweed overcoat, with a dark gray babushka on her head and black snow boots. Her sincerity touched me.

She was a stranger, but the first thought that went through my mind was that she could have been my mother in need of help. Bill and I looked at each other in a way that we were not sure what to do. It was getting colder by the minute, and I could not just leave her in the cold. So I said "yes" and let her in the back seat of the car, and quickly turned on the heater so she could warm up.

I asked her, "where do you live," and she said, "not far." She explained that "exiting the driveway of the parking lot to make a left turn and go to the street light and turn right. Once you have made a right turn, Then drive down to the second street and turn right again." I followed the old lady's instructions onto the second street. There were hardly any houses on that street. Also, on nearby roads due to a freeway scheduled to be built in that area. The houses were being demolished.

As I slowly drove down the street and the car nicely warmed up, I asked: "where is your house" since it was primarily snow-filled fields with a few scattered homes. She replied, "you could pull over here," but there was no house there. I told her, "it's ok." "I will take you to your home, and it's freezing outside." The older woman insisted on pulling over and letting her out there. I was shocked but pulled over. She said "thank you" and got out of the car. As I drove off to turn around and head back, she was not there as I looked for her. In not even 3 minutes, she disappeared. The snow was not high on the ground. If she had fallen, I would see her on the ground but nothing. Bill and I looked at each other in amazement. The lady was so old that she couldn't run or walk fast, so where did she go? The houses were too far apart to reach quickly.

As I was driving, I thought this a test from God was that an angel sent by God testing my spirit. I am so glad that I helped the old lady, whether she was a human or an angel. To this day, I can still see her face clearly in my mind and wondered where she went, possibly back to heaven mission accomplished?