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A Gracious Saviour

By BrianRobertNeal

27 July 2006

This is also on SFF, under a differant title. It had been originally titled, "A Saving Grace" but that is the name of a film. I'm not really happy with either title.

I'd dropped quotation marks to create a visual impact but I think Jean's remark is worth attention, so I've brought them back, on this version.

On occasion when in a strange place one can come across the most unlikely of persons.

For there she was. Not as I last saw her, but as she was when we first met. She was the person that I least wanted to meet again! I turned my back on her and walked away. But she was still in front of me but closer. I turned and twisted but she stayed in front of me and got ever closer. Then we were face to face.

She smiled and said; "Well speak to me; at least say hello."

I was bewildered for she had been dead for at least 20 years. Finally I managed to spit out that, I had nothing to say to her and that when I awoke she would have been just one of many unpleasant dreams.

She asked me what my last memory was?

I suddenly remembered the pains in my left arm and then everything was a blank.

She asked me to touch myself. I could feel nothing!

I kept hoping I would wake.

"I’m sorry", she said, "But you are in fact, like me, dead."

I looked round me and saw that I was nowhere that I recognised.

She continued, "You’ve had your first and final heart attack. I was looking back at you as I have done since I died. You fell and there was nothing that could be done. You were dead before you hit the ground."

"For crying out loud",I shouted, "Wake up." Then I realised that I could not see any part of me. That is hands, feet or body; I could see nothing. I shouted, "This is no more than a nightmare."

She said, "Look at me closely. I have been dead for 20 years or more and yet I am just as I was when we met."

I responded, "You are still no more than a figment of my imagination"; I added that I doubted that I would remember much if anything of this dream.

She implored, "For goodness sake look back. Now focus on our eldest son."

There he was, on the phone, his words made no sense. He said to somebody that, "Dad’s dropped dead at work; he has had a heart attack."

I snapped out of it. I was sure that I should now wake up as I often did when a nightmare reached a climax. Then I realised that I was in fact dead. I asked her, "Where am I."

She answered," I don't know but you are not yet in Hell."

I asked, "Where dio you think I am? "

She said, "I’m not allowed to say."

I looked back and saw a coffin slide into a furnace. I looked back again at a congregation. There was my second wife, her family and my three sons and some friends.

I demanded to know, "Why are you not in Hell, when you think of what you did and what it cost? Suicide is a mortal sin. Look what’s happened to our eldest. How could you live with yourself?"

She replied, "I could not and so I killed myself. When I am not looking back at you, I’m looking back at our eldest. I am so distraught, I am so sorry, can’t you forgive me."

I closed my eyes, I struggled against it, but I found that I could and did forgive her. I opened my eyes she was gone.

I was stood by the side of my car; I felt pains in my left arm and blacked out.

On occasion when in a strange place one can come across the most unlikely of persons.

For there she was, Grace my first wife. She came up to me and smiled.

"So you’ve finally forgiven me and as a consequence God has forgiven you. Welcome to Heaven. But it was a close thing!"

Reviews

Hi Brian
Written by jean.day (2283 comments posted) 27th July 2006

This was an interesting story for me to read. But I did find the lack of conversation marks made it a bit hard to follow and I had to go through twice to make sure I knew who had said and done what.

This reminded me of a conversation I had with my father-in-law maybe 15 years ago. He told me that purgatory was where you went until you could forgive all those who had hurt you, and be forgiven by all those you had hurt. I thought that was quite a nice idea and not that dissimilar to what you are saying in your story.

Hi Jean
Written by BrianRobertNeal (1195 comments posted) 27th July 2006

I've just made a pigs ear of a review on your "Flood" tale-Forgive me for I knew not what I was doing.

I'll add conversation marks to this version as you've suggested,

nice to hear from you again, thanks for your time and comments,

Brian.

Written by Bottleblondesurfer (3362 comments posted) 27th July 2006

I can see why you had a problem with the title; it is such a strange and quirky story. I was moved by it, I used to dream about my dad aftr he died. He used to come back and I had to tell him he was dead -so this story resonated with me. It was a difficult concept and I thought you handled it very well and i really like the ending,the perfect twist. I would have liked it a bit longer with more explanation, though
Unusual and imaginative.
cheers
BBS

Hi BBS
Written by BrianRobertNeal (1195 comments posted) 27th July 2006

But for Jean you are my only reviewer.

So once again thanks for your time and comment.

It is one of my favourites. I think that it has my best opening and best ending.

Regarding titles one I dropped because of length was Forgiveness:The Saving Grace.

Brian

Written by Clifftown (620 comments posted) 4th August 2006

Firstly, thank you for your review, which was much appreciated.

I agree that this story has a great opening and ending. The simplistic way in which you tell it almost makes me believe that this is a true story, and in a strange way left me feeling uplifted - I suppose we all like to think that life doesn't end when it does!

Thank you for an entertaining read - one that makes you think.

Hi CT
Written by BrianRobertNeal (1195 comments posted) 4th August 2006

I glad that you enjoyd it and found it a worthwhile read.

Brian

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