The Angel (Chapter 1)
Even though some names and concepts are inspired by the biggest world religions, this story is a work of fiction and should be treated as such. Let’s start with the story.
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Prologue
The angel Michael was shown a page from a book more ancient than the angel himself. He looked at it intently. A feeling of awe came over him. Michael was completely stunned at what he was seeing. Even though it was as real as his own finger tracing the words, it took every cell in his body to believe what he was staring at.
“But it really felt like free will”, said the angel.
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Chapter 1
“You must be Michael”, said Jacob. As a surgeon, Jacob needed some physical and mental assistance to keep himself on top of his game. It was a job that required a lot from Jacob and Michael was there to help him deal with the intensities of this job.
“Hi, Jacob. Great to finally meet you in person”, replied Michael friendly. Dressed in a full black and neatly fitting suit, he clearly stood out. The black shirt and black tie matched his black hair, giving Michael a stylish look that resembled an artist. He wore glasses with a black frame to match the rest of his style but mainly to deflect attention from his eyes to the glasses.
For a few months, Jacob had noticed his own health had taken a hit. He felt less energized and was quickly annoyed by small things. As sharp as he was, he knew this was the moment to seek some assistance. Jacob wasn’t the type to just wait and let things escalate by themselves.
He was great at what he did. As a surgeon, he was one of the best out there. He took pride in the many successful operations he performed. People loved him for what he had achieved and his work ethic was impeccable.
Jacob was a superstar surgeon among his peers but kept a humble attitude. It wasn't always that way since he’d had a time enjoying the fame and the perks that came with it within his professional community.
Now, a bit older and much wiser, Jacob was more grounded and stayed approachable. Younger starting surgeons always felt comfortable around him and took advantage of every little moment they could spend with Jacob. They used the time they could spend with him to learn from his extensive experience and added those wise lessons to their own toolbelt.
He had voiced his health concerns to his younger sister Anastasia, who recommended he see an assistant to strengthen him in those areas. Through her friend Sharon, she found out about Michael. Sharon knew Michael for a few months and she couldn’t stop talking about him. She met him at her grandmother’s funeral. Suddenly and out of nowhere, he was there. He introduced himself as someone who knew her grandmother since he was a little kid. Apparently, Sharon’s grandmother had given his family some bread on a few occasions when his own mother had trouble getting by.
Sharon told Anastasia how Michael consoled her and stood by her during her period of grief. Not only did Michael help her mentally by supporting her, but he also helped her get back in shape physically. “Michael came as a real gift to me”, confided her friend in Anastasia. “Just at the right time. In the right place.”
Jacob always consulted and trusted his younger sister in all matters of the heart. When she suggested he talk to Michael, Jacob knew not to let too much time pass. He asked for Michael immediately and hoped he would meet him as soon as possible.
“Could you get me in touch with Michael?” Asked Jacob.
Anastasia: “Just one million dollars, Jakez!"
Jacob: “It’s in my coat. Go get it."
“I’ll have the coat. That’s worth more than one million dollars", joked Anastasia.
As his little sister, she still loved teasing him every now and then. Especially about some of Jacob’s spending habits. Jacob had always liked spending his hard-earned money on nice suits, quality shoes, and his favorite car: his Audi A8. His job allowed what his heart desired, never making it an issue for him to get what he wanted.
After being set up together, Michael and Jacob had been meeting each other for a month now. What started as a formal relationship quickly turned informal and Jacob felt a new friendship forming. Michael, who was naturally friendly and sincerely helpful, kept a safe distance because he knew not to get too attached. Michael had no business forming long and intense relationships with people. Everything in Michael made him offer his sympathy and support to others. He felt intuitively inclined to console and uplift the people he met. However, building a strong bond wasn’t something Michael was comfortable with. He kept the nature of his relationships one-sided: that of a helper.
Michael saw how Jacob was recovering and how he regained control over the subtle parts of his life. Jacob’s colleagues noticed his more calm demeanor and his more relaxed attitude. It made Jacob excel in his work even more. His newfound balance didn’t go unnoticed by even the younger surgeons in training. One of the students had made a mistake for which she thought she was sure to be reprimanded. Jacob, however, consoled her and helped her see how she could evolve from that mistake into a better surgeon long-term.
Michael always enjoyed seeing people grow and become happier. Even though he enjoyed it, it made him sad too. He knew his time with Jacob was limited. He already spent a month in Jacob’s life and he had one more month left.
This was Jacob’s last month and Michael was the one who had to make sure it was so. This was the first time Michael was tasked with such a responsibility. Previously, he was tasked with helping people. Consoling people. Supporting them in the midst of their toughest struggles. He was sent to make the impossible possible for them. Now, he had to do something he doubted made sense. Something he doubted was up to him.
Michael wasn’t sure this responsibility belonged to him. He noticed the subtle meaning behind his feelings: he wasn’t sure. How could Michael not be sure? He was built to never be unsure. He always just knew. He just did. Things were always clear and he followed up. He was built to obey. Yet, here he was unsure of who he was and what task was handed to him. It was a task too large for him to carry. A task that did not seem to belong to him. It was the first time Michael felt this feeling. It was turbulence. It was not his. Still, he knew he better obey.
He spent the first days of the last month he had with Jacob trying to figure out why he was tasked with this. He tried to make sense of it by getting to know Jacob better. He hoped that would make clear why Michael was the one to do this. He imagined that the understanding of the situation would take away the heavy load of his burden. The shoulders that would support the people were now shoulders in need of support. He sought to lighten this burden by talking to Jacob. On one of their walks, Michael tried to figure out how Jacob had spent his last years.
“What does this job mean to you?” asked Michael.
Jacob let out a deep sigh. “I guess it makes me feel that I can help others. That hasn’t always been the case. In the beginning, it was mostly about the prestige.”
Michael: “Isn’t prestige still a part of it?”
Jacob: “It’s a part of it, but it’s not the biggest part anymore. Would it matter if prestige or status would be the biggest part?”
Michael: “Our drive tells us a lot about who we are.”
Jacob: “So what would I be if that was my biggest drive?”
“It would make you human”, Michael said looking down at his hands with no trace of disdain. Michael loved humans.
Jacob laughed and replied: “That’s all I am trying to be.”
Michael couldn’t see anything bad in Jacob. He saw someone he liked. Someone he wouldn’t want to harm.
Michael could only take a life when he knew the life had little good left in it. He wanted to view Jacob as bad. Otherwise, this wouldn’t all make sense. It would make his task easier but Michael was never tasked with determining if the person was good or bad. He had an order to obey. Michael investigated Jacob’s character for his own consolation. His mind required that he should see Jacob as bad in order to continue his mission. He couldn’t glue together the two concepts of someone being good and still ending a life that was good.
Even though this evaluation was important to Michael, he knew there was another pressure he had to deal with. The situation he was tasked with was not optional. Michael had to do it. Not following through had consequences that weighed heavy on Michael. In all his years and all the things he had seen, he had never faced a challenge of such magnitude. He had never experienced an inner conflict that caused this much turmoil inside of him.
Michael couldn’t understand why he couldn’t let the turmoil go. Why he couldn’t just follow up on the order. Why he felt things the way humans feel things.
It made him feel like he wasn’t what he really was: an angel. Sent by God. Sent to take a life or have his taken.
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