“Are you in trouble with God?”
“Let’s just say he’s not thrilled with me at the moment. He doesn’t think I’m ready for heaven yet.”
Marissa rolled her eyes. “I know lots of people who are never going to get to heaven.”
Sterling laughed. “There were some people I was sure wouldn’t make it, and now they’re right up there with the best of them.”
“Go figure,” Marissa said. “Do you want to come in? I have a chair that was big enough for my dad when he came over to help me with my homework.”
She’s charming, Sterling thought as he followed her into the spacious room. What a little personality. He was glad that Marissa knew instinctively that he was a kindred spirit, one she could trust. She already looked a little happier.
He settled himself in the armchair she indicated and realized he was still wearing his hat. “Oh, sorry,” he murmured, took it off, and placed it neatly on his lap.
Marissa pulled out her desk chair and sat down with the air of a polite hostess. “I wish I could offer you a soda and some cookies or something, but if I go downstairs they’ll want me to eat dinner.” She wrinkled her nose. “I just thought about something. Do you get hungry? Can you eat? Because it looks like you’re there, but not really.”
“I’m just trying to figure all that out myself,” Sterling admitted. “This is my first shot at this sort of thing. Now tell me, why won’t you talk to your dad?”
Marissa looked down as a shadow fell over her face. “He won’t come and see me and he won’t let me go and visit him and neither will NorNor-she’s my grandmother. And if they don’t want to see me, I don’t want to see them.”
“Where do they live?”
“I don’t know,” Marissa burst out. “They won’t tell me, and Mom doesn’t know. She said they’re hiding out from bad people who want to hurt them and they can’t come back until it’s safe, but at school kids say they think Daddy and NorNor got in trouble and had to run away.”
Which is it? Sterling wondered. “When was the last time you saw them?”
“Two days after Christmas last year was when I really saw them. Daddy and I went ice skating. Then we went back to NorNor’s restaurant for lunch. We were supposed to go to Radio City Music Hall on New Year’s Eve morning, but he and NorNor had to go away. They rushed in when I was hardly even awake and said good-bye. They didn’t tell me when they were coming back, and it’s been almost a whole year.” She paused. “I have to see Daddy, I have to see NorNor.”
Her heart is broken, Sterling thought. He understood that kind of ache. It was like the yearning he felt when he saw Annie go past the window to heaven.
“Marissa…” There was a knock at the bedroom door.
“Oh, I knew it,” Marissa said. “Mom is going to make me go down and have dinner. I’m not hungry and I don’t want you to leave.”
“Marissa, I’m going to get to work on your problem. I’ll be back to say good night.”
“Promise?”
“Marissa.” There was another knock at the door.
“Yes, but you promise me something in return,” Sterling said hastily. “Your mom is really worried about you. Give her a break.”
“Okay. I’ll even give Roy a break, and anyhow, I like chicken. Mom, I’m coming,” she called. She turned back to Sterling. “Give me a high five.”
“What’s that?” Sterling asked.
Marissa was incredulous. “You must be pretty old. Everybody knows what a high five is.”
“I’ve been out of touch,” Sterling admitted as, following her example, he raised his hand, palm flat, and held it open as she gave it an enthusiastic slap.
Precocious, he thought, smiling. “See you later,” he whispered.
“Great. Don’t forget your hat. I don’t want to be mean, but it really looks dumb.”
“Marissa, dinner’s getting cold,” her mother called.
“Dinner’s always cold,” Marissa whispered to Sterling as he walked her to the door. “ Roy takes forever to say grace. Daddy says Mommy should stick to cold cuts.”
Her hand was on the knob. “Mommy can’t see you, can she?”
Sterling shook his head and disappeared.
In the celestial conference room, the board had been following Sterling ’s movements with interest. “He’s made contact immediately. Using the old noggin, I call it,” the admiral said approvingly.
“That little girl is so unhappy,” the nun said softly.
“And quite outspoken,” the monk observed. “However, I do realize it was different in my day. Sterling is about to request a conference with us. I believe we should grant it.”
“So be it,” they chorused.
Deep in thought, Sterling stood for a brief time in the breeze-way of Marissa’s home, sheltered from the slowly falling snow. I could snoop around town and find out about her father and grandmother, he thought, but there’s an easier way to get the full picture, one that would involve requesting permission from the council.
He closed his eyes. Before he even had time to make the request, he found himself in the conference room. Relieved, he saw from their faces that his saintly mentors seemed to be observing him with guarded favor.
“I see you tried to find an old lady in distress,” the admiral chuckled. “The young fellow who beat you to her got quite a surprise. I say, she was a prickly one.”
“At least Sterling didn’t waste a minute when he reached earth,” the nurse said approvingly.
Sterling glowed to hear the praise. “Thank you, thank you. As you can understand, I don’t want to waste a minute now. I believe I can best help Marissa when I fully understand the cause of her problem.
“Marissa’s father and grandmother were planning to take her to Radio City Music Hall last New Year’s Eve morning. But something went wrong just before that. They came to see her very early that day and told her they had to go away for a while.”
The monk nodded. “To get to the root of most problems you have to do some digging in the past.”
The shepherd, who had been very quiet, suddenly spoke up. “Most people’s problems go way back. You should have met my family. Why do you think I became a shepherd? The only place I got a little peace was out on the hill.”
They all laughed. “Don’t get me started,” the queen said. “My family’s problems were the talk of the kingdom.”
The monk cleared his throat. “I think we all understand you, Sterling. We know why you’re here. You are requesting permission to go back in time to learn why Marissa’s father and grandmother needed to leave town.”
“That’s it, sir,” Sterling said humbly. “Perhaps you feel that by granting permission you’ll make my job too easy, and of course, if that’s the case, I don’t expect special favors.”