Tessie D

For the past few days, Angel has been coming into the office for lunch with the other dairyhands. He is just as kind and sweet as I remembered him from the carnival.

We all sit in the backyard under the large oaktree at a rectangular picnic table. Mrs. Olsen sometimes comes over from the house with a warm vanilla pound cake for all of us to share after we eat our sandwiches. Mr. Olsen said that nobody used to sit out there and eat until I came along. But, after sitting in the office all day, I need to be outside in the sunshine. Besides, it’s October. October is the gift we get for surviving July and August in Texas.

Sitting outside under the tree, everyone talking and eating, is the closest I’ve ever come to feeling as truly happy as I did when I first started working at the restaurant. Sure, the smell of cow manure gets up your nose when the wind kicks up just right, but there’s the smell of the hay and grass in the field.

I try to sit as far away from Angel at the table as I can. I’m afraid if I sit next to him, it’ll be too obvious what I’m thinking. My face would give it all away. But, I look at him when I don’t think anyone would notice. His face is just so beautiful–dark with freckles scattered across his long, straight nose. His teeth are slightly crooked and the corners of his eyes crinkle when he smiles. How can someone be that beautiful?

Sitting there, looking at him, I have come up with a theory about regular people and beautiful people. I’m a regular person. Someone might say that I’m cute. I know that I’m kind and have a good heart, so I’m not being modest or bashful. But, I’m also honest: I’m a regular person. And, that’s okay. Most of us regular people.

There are a few, though, who are the beautiful people. They light up from within. People turn toward beautiful people like they’re the sun–and equally painful to look at. They should be in magazines and movies, but instead they’re walking around and amongst us regular people.

But, to be a truly beautiful person, they also have to be beautiful on the inside. (Otherwise, they’re just pretty regular people.) They have to be kind and thoughtful. They look at you when you’re talking and make you feel like you’re the only person they care about at that moment.

Angel is one of the beautiful people.