Ten years ago, when my nephew only was born, I lived with my parents in a little town in Massachusetts. My sister and her husband bought a house next door, so all our big family used to hang out together, watching tv, babysitting the little one and playing sports on weekends.
Especially we all loved playing football. Therefore, as the second youngest member of our family, I was very close to my nephew, Steve. We both were about crying when I was leaving to New York for my Master’s degree. Vividly, I remember a scene, when my 7-year-old nephew stands with a football in his hands and asks me if I come to his first game. I made my promise and departed.
Three more years have passed, Steve joined the boy scouts, so I forgot my promise, as one day my sister called me.
‘Stevie has his first football game in a week’, she said. ‘Come Friday night’.
‘In a week?’, I felt really irritated. ‘And you’re telling me now?! I have other plans, I have a girlfriend, I have a job!’
‘Honey, calm down. If you don’t want to come, do not come then’.
And she hung up.
What did I have to do besides packing for my trip? I called my employer and arranged stuff with my girlfriend, apologizing so many times, and in a week, on Friday morning, I drew out of New York, heading North.
The music was playing loud, I was in a cheerful mood, imagining how happy Stevie would be when he sees me at the game. But suddenly my car stopped for no reason. I tried to turn on the engine, however, there was no luck. I stuck in the middle of the highway!
The road was quite empty, so somehow I pushed my car aside. Actually, all I was thinking at that moment was how would I get to the game on time. So, I couldn’t think of a better idea than to hitch-hike. I stopped by a local store to buy some helmet accessories for my nephew.
It is hard to say how long I was standing there with my finger up. For me, it seemed like an eternity. All those cars passing by with drivers, who do not give a damn about you and your trouble.
Suddenly an old green truck stopped. A small lady in her sixties waved to me in a friendly way.
‘Any problem, hun?’
‘I need to get to Boston as soon as possible’, said I. ‘Could you give me a ride?’
‘Sure. Get it. I am going to a football game of my grandson. The first one! And you?’
I have never believed in miracles until that day. Now I know that the most beautiful things happen to us in an unexpected way. The lady was going to another town in Connecticut, but she gave me a ride home and dropped me off by the front door of my parents’ house. She disappeared as fast as she appeared before, and I still don’t know her name. Maybe, she was just an angel? Who knows. But my nephew’s team won the game and it was one of the happiest moments of my life.
