The Disfigured Angel
 
When my children were small my husband and I would take them along with us to antique car shows, which my husband had an interest in.
 
One summer, we attended a show that was held in a park along a river in a small town about 15 miles from our home.
 
As usual, the children quickly became bored with the old cars and wanted to do something else. Since there was a play area at the park, with swingsets and such, I took them over to play for a while.
 
As we approached one of the slides, I could see a young girl, about 6 or 7 years old, climbing up the ladder to the top of the slide. My son ran up and began to climb up the ladder too, but I asked him to wait his turn while the girl took hers.
 
At that point she turned around to look at me and beamed me a wonderful, warm smile. Her face was very disfigured, as if she'd been burned in a fire, but her smile was genuine.
 
She looked right into my eyes, and said, "I know you." I laughed, thinking it was a child's imagination, as I'd never seen her before and I said "Oh? You do?" Very seriously, she gazed at me for a few seconds and then said, "Yes, I know you. I know you quite well, in fact." And down the slide she went.
 
The two children played on the slide for a while and then the little girl said she had to go. At that moment, my attention was drawn away towards my son, and when I turned back to say goodbye, she was gone.
 
I didn't see her again that day, although the park is small and there weren't many people there. In fact, I've never seen her again.
 
I've often wondered who this little angel with the disfigured face, but beautiful smile, was. All I know is that she knew me.