In The Scheme of Things

When I came to see my uncle who was dying, an angel was already there, behind the door, its unwinking eyes fixed on the dying. The presence of the angel took me completely by surprise because my uncle was never known to be pious ,philanthropic or even soft spoken. In fact,he was a man who completely disliked the company of others. I personally knew many of his quarrels and unnecessary law suits against good people. Arrival of the angel thus confirmed to me that our value systems did not entirely tally with heaven's.

 I couldn't figure out if the angel was male or female, but it was, nevertheless, surpassingly beautiful. I foolishly tried to engage the celestial being in conversation but it ignored me and seemed to be counting time, looking at the dying man. Two people known to me came, stood near uncle for sometime. I didn't fail to see the happiness on their faces. They seemed busy and departed fast, without noticing the angel, whose face was lit up with reverence for uncle. 

Finally when the angel stirred and said something, I couldn't stand its musicality. I must have fainted, I guess. When I came round much later, I was still in raptures. The angel was not to be found but a faint smile lingered on the lips of my uncle who had by then become a corpse.