Gabriel might have been an angel or maybe he was an alien. He was a shapeshifter who took on many guises. I'm not even sure Gabriel was his real name. It's who he told me he was.
Was Gabriel good? That depends on how you define good. Meeting Gabriel was good for me in the long run. I'm healthier, wealthier, and happier. More importantly, I'm satisfied. However, meeting Gabriel wasn't fun. I would characterize Gabriel as chaotic good or a trickster mentor. He had no patience for the law or for polite manners. He turned my life upside down for a while and I lost a lot of things that I used to care about. But I'm glad that he changed me. I don't want to go back to the way I used to be.
The first time I met him, he didn't tell me that his name was Gabriel or that he was an angel. The first time I saw him he looked like a thug. His muscles bulged under his ripped shirt and he carried a chain. He looked so stereotypical that I was amazed to see him in public but I was on a crowded street and he seemed to be ignoring me. Then when he was near me, he suddenly reached out for me, picked me up and threw me over a fence. On the other side of a fence was a cliff. That's why I know the thug was no ordinary thug. The only time there has ever been a cliff on the other side of that fence was the one time he threw me off it.
I thought it had to be a dream except I didn't wake up. I just kept falling. I think I fell more than a thousand feet. As I saw the ground approaching, I wondered why I hadn't woke up yet. Then nothing.
I didn't feel any pain. It was so instant that I didn't sense anything. It was totally black and silent. I couldn't even feel anything. Then I saw a light appear like it was coming from the end of a tunnel. It was soft blue light and it came toward me. When it was close enough, I saw an angel. He was tall and golden. His long hair flowed as if heat was lifting it.
"Yo man. You're dead."
"What, just like that? I'm too young to die."
"Well it happens and all you humans think it never happens to you. It always happens to someone else."
"Listen, I'll do better. I'll attend church and pay my tithe. Just give me another chance."
Gabriel laughed. "I can't keep a straight face you fucking idiot. You're not dead. The crowd didn't even see you get thrown over that fence. As far as they know, you just sat down on a bench and are now waiting for a bus. I'm here to help you."
Who am I that I need help from Gabriel?
(Remember, Gabriel is a trickster mentor. That means he genuinely helps people, he just uses mean methods to achieve kind goals.)