30 Creative Intersections Pat lived in a clean and orderly mobile home less than ten minutes from my house. She was very grateful that I had brought Sister Rita to her safely. She insisted I join them for what was now a very late lunch. I was pretty exhausted from a busy day but agreed to have a piece of apple pie. As we all chattered about the day’s ordeal, I took a large bite of the pie. As I swallowed it, I looked down at my plate and realized it was covered in abundant green mold. Gulp. I pointed out the problem to our hostess and she discovered that both of the pies she was about to serve were moldy. Really, really moldy. Sister Rita and Pat decided that I had saved their lives. Both were of considerable age (younger than I am now) and eating moldy pie could have made them very ill or worse. I looked over the rest of the food to make sure it wasn’t spoiled, found another pie similarly ruined, then headed home to see if a Martini would disinfect my stomach. Apparently it worked. I drove Sister Rita back home the next day. In the mail, I received a small gift and a thank you note from Sister Rita, telling me I was her guardian angel. Thus began a friendship I shall treasure forever. Sister Rita lived and worked at a home for working women operated by the Catholic Church. Aging nuns administered the large building near the center of Philadelphia, providing clean, safe rooms for young women, predominately immigrants who spoke little English. Sister Rita, who was in her 80s, was in charge and helped take care of both the nuns and tenants. The third time I went there, Sister Rita insisted I come inside and meet her co-workers. They welcomed me with warmth, as if I were some kind of celebrity. “We wanted to meet Sister Rita’s guardian angel! We heard so much about you.” I felt embarrassed but very grateful for all of their love and generosity. During our many subsequent rides back and forth, Sister Rita and I sometimes discussed religion. I was raised Roman Catholic but after my confirmation at age 13, became an atheist. I wanted to believe but couldn’t. By the time I was in my early 20s I had studied most world religions and concluded that just two made any sense to me: Taoism and Judaism. I I drove Sister Rita back home the next day. In the mail, I received a small gift and a thank you note from Sister Rita, telling me I was her guardian angel. Thus began a friendship I shall treasure forever.
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