"This is a true story, and it happened about 20 years ago when I lived on 
a mountain in Love, Va. but it is as fresh in my mind today as it was then." 

Gazing out the front window one afternoon, I saw him. He was pushing an old
bicycle with dangling ropes and odd looking bags hanging from the handlebars.
The front rim of the bicycle was tireless and some of the spokes were missing. 
I rushed to the door because he was well into our driveway heading for the 
front door. I opened the door and a thin wiry looking man gave me a weak smile.

He had long stringy red hair, a leathery face, deep furrowed, and splashed with 
freckles. He had kind eyes, small and brown, but sad. His expression changed 
when he asked me if I would fix him a sandwich. He hadn't eaten all day, he 
said. I felt odd having someone ask me for food as I had never met a truly 
needy person before, but his need seemed so real. My response was surprisingly
quick and friendly. 

I asked him to sit in the swing on the porch while I prepared a meal. He thanked 
me and proceeded to go to the swing. I wondered where this odd-looking person 
came from and where was he going? How far could he get pushing a bicycle with 
only one tire? Was he going up the mountain or down? 

I plopped a dollop of potato salad on a large paper plate alongside a thick ham 
sandwich, and added a fresh apple fritter that I had just baked. I laid a plastic 
fork and a napkin on top of this. I filled a large glass with water and took all 
of this out to the man. His kind eyes told me he was pleased to have the food. 
He thanked me again and I proceeded into the house. 

I decided while he ate, I would prepare an extra bag of food for him to take
along on his journey. I waited about ten minutes before opening the door to give 
him the extra food, but to my amazement he was nowhere to be found! The paper 
plate and glass was empty. I was puzzled by his disappearance. I noticed the 
tireless rim left tracks in the driveway, but I still couldn't tell if he was
going up or down the mountain. 

A neighbor stopped by shortly after he left, and I asked her if she had seen a 
man of his description anywhere on the road. She replied she had not. My curiosity 
prompted me to drive to the top of the mountain to see if I could find the man 
on the road anywhere, but he was nowhere to be found. He simply vanished. 

To this day, I never heard anyone mention seeing such a man. I couldn't help 
wonder if perhaps I had entertained an angel. 

By Bunny Stein 
bunnyks@adelphia.net

"Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained 
angels. Hebrews 13:2