The Second Week

We've all wondered; now it is revealed in this short story what

lies ahead when we ascend to those Heavenly Shores.

 

A Short Story by: Arthur B. Wiggins, Richmond, VA.

 

Copyright June 29, 2005

 

 

Chapter 1, The Arrival

 

          That first week after he died seemed to go by in a daze. Too much to take in and yet so organized as to be almost restful. It was not at all as he might have anticipated nor imagined nor was it nearly as stressful as it could have been. Then, finally, the second week!

 

            If he had expected anything it would have been blaring trumpets and St. Peter sitting on a throne dealing with an endless stream of recently dead people, each presenting his or her case in the most convincing manner possible. There was none of that. Instead he seemed to be in a brightly lit and commodious hall peopled by many, many short lines of applicants, as if for jobs, as they stood before interviewers seated at small tables. Actually the line of tables extended for as far as the eye could see in either direction and none of the tables seemed to be overly busy. Four or five people at most per table.

 

            Those behind the tables appeared, for the most part, to be normal folks but of widely varied ethnicities, colors, and statures. Ages varied from perhaps the teens to those much older. Everything seemed very businesslike yet your awareness told you that this was not a business setting. He, from

his vantage point of just entering the hall, could not make out any of the languages being spoken but it appeared that there was no language barrier. For example there did not appear to be any interpreters or any roving interviewers filling in. "Remarkable", he thought.

           

            The people in the lines were a strange mix. Some old, some young, some very infirm or, surprisingly, in wheel chairs or using walkers and canes. What could have been a place of sorrow did not seem that way at all. Though his view was limited he imagined he saw bassinettes and baby strollers in the distance.

 

            It just seemed proper to join one of the lines to at least learn what was going on. After what seemed to be a very short wait he came up to the table and took an offered seat. His interviewer was an Eastern Indian gentlemen, who, as he soon learned, spoke fluent and easily understood English.

 

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            "Welcome" he was told. "I think you may know where you are and why you are here. You will

also find that we know all we need to know about you so this interview will just be a pleasant formality. It will also answer a few of your questions for you."

 

            "Yes", I said, "I understand that this is heaven but don't I first have to meet some qualifications or fill in forms or answer some questions or something?"

My interviewer smiled and said "Yes, that is what most folks think when they arrive here. But doesn't it make sense to you that you have answered all those questions and met all those qualifications

during the time you were on earth? Otherwise you would not be here, would you?"

 

            "Now" said my interviewer "we need to bring certain matters and rules, if you want to call them that, to your attention to help you get settled into that eminently satisfying thing we call eternity. That sounds like a very long time doesn't it, but believe me it will not be boring.'

 

            "First, you arrive here in the physical condition you were in one month before you died. That may be the hardest concept for you to grasp but, ha, ha, you will have time to grasp it. Some come from the prime of life, some from accidents, some from a hospital bed, some from just growing older, and sadly, some still in the womb or just born. Over the eons it has worked out that this would be a good way to give us a logical starting point for your life here.'

           

            "Here again you must try to grasp the fact that none here are in pain, either mental or physical, although sometimes it may be a stretch to believe that, if you have spent  time with any, as you would say on earth, ‘the less fortunate‘. Appearances notwithstanding, do not fret about the appearance of others about you. As you will learn they can all escape from their appearances by a simple act of will, a will given to all who come here‘.

 

            "That works this way: Everything here is based on a word of common usage back on earth and of great use to us here. The word is ‘scenarios' and provides the basis for nearly all that you will encounter'.

 

            "We know you are wondering how this all works out so I will try to explain. One of the big bonuses of this afterlife is that all of us have the ability to choose our own scenarios but with one immense exception. No negative scenarios are allowed nor, for that matter, will even work if tried. All scenarios are willed by the individual and are based on a remembered (we all enjoy clear and enhanced memories here) pleasant time in our earthly lives'.

 

            "No matter how difficult that prior life was, all here have some pleasant memories of something

 

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- a place, an event, a relationship, etc. Our scenarios allow a simple mental exertion of will to return to that previous time for as long as it remains pleasurable, or until you make a change. You can return to the same scenario as often as you wish and for as long as you wish. Age and prior circumstances

obviously have a bearing on these "scenarios" but, as we will explain, there is a great leveling factor at work'.

 

            "And of course, you do not have to be jumping from one scenario to another. After some time here you will find it pleasant to just take it easy in these nice surroundings, perhaps talk to others about their experiences. You will not be rushing around greeting old friends, old relatives, old lovers, old parents, etc. Those will come to you in the various scenarios that you may will'.

 

"Another important thing to know is that you will never be far from those who can answer the many questions that will arise from day to day. These people, technically angels, are not very obvious but you should know they are everywhere. If you pay attention you can easily identify them by the white sweat bands they wear around their heads. And, before you ask, no, they don't sweat.'        

           

            "Well, I know all of this must be quite overwhelming for you as it is for nearly all who come here. The beauty is that you don't have to grasp everything all at once as you will have plenty of time to ponder what I have told you and to ask questions of anyone you meet and, especially, the angels.'

 

            "I should add a few of those little housekeeping notes that are a part of this welcome. Food, drink, a place to rest, sanitation, and all of those things are just not going to be any problem. As you may have noticed there is no language barrier so we encourage you to speak to anyone you encounter. Back in your computer world, a very tiny niche in time, you began to use the word "newbies" which does pretty much describe what you are here. That condition will abate almost within a day or so and you will fit right in, I am sure.'

 

            "This has just touched the surface of what you will need, or want, to know about your new surroundings. My job in this interview, more properly a conversation, is just to let you know that you are welcome, your needs will be supplied, and that things will proceed at a pace to your liking.'

 

            "For the rest of this first week just wander around, clarify some questions in your mind, and get used to scenery and surroundings that may appear to be familiar but assuredly are not. Relax, settle in, and get ready for many wonderful things ahead.'

 

            "There are no further indoctrinations, group meetings, duties to be assigned or anything like that.

 

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You will find that everything will fall into place and that your many questions will sometimes have obvious answers but more often will be answered by those around you, including the ever-present angels. You may not see me again but I assure you that you will enjoy it here once all of this strangeness and, indeed, all the enormity of it all slips into place. Go in peace."

 

Chapter 2. Taking It In.

 

            John (Ed. It has been decided to call the narrator John for simplicity.) stepped back from the table, took his first real look around, and tried to accept it all. Was he to be treated any differently from the others he saw? Were more surprises in store and would he be able to accept any that came along? Was he now cast adrift to "make it" on his own? Was he to be assigned a guide or was he expected to pick everything up by osmosis?

 

            "Whew", he thought, and then almost as if he had been directed to do so, stepped out into the sunny and blue-sky-covered area just outside the large hall (which, he noted) seemed to disappear as he did so.

 

            Taking a look around he noted that he seemed to be in a pastoral setting with pathways, benches, trees, grass, and flowers. Far off he glimpsed a small lake. The temperature was comfortable, the breeze light. He was not alone. Groups and individuals seemed to be all about - some sitting quietly and some in groups engaged in quite animated conversation. No one took notice of him but no one seemed deliberately ignoring him either.

 

            He did not feel tired; however, a bench was nearby so he decided to sit and think a bit. What was all that about "scenarios" and what did it mean to him personally? He wished fervently that one of the "angels" would sit down with him; however, he did not see any nearby. Maybe he was meant to figure some things out for himself.

 

            In the distance he could distinguish a few buildings but they were far enough away that he could not even guess their purpose or usage. Letting his mind roam for a while he went back in memory to try to recap what had happened. He seemed to remember having died a violent death but that memory never became very strong and soon faded. He tried to get back to it but drew a blank.

 

            While deep in his reverie he almost did not notice the little old man that took up the seat next to him. "Well, how's it going so far?" the man said by way of breaking the ice.

 

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John, a bit startled, tried to smile and said "I don't know. It all seems very strange".

 

            "Yes", the man said. "I've been here for many years and this place never ceases to amaze me. Are you relatively new? How long have you been with us?"

 

            John finally managed a smile and replied "I've just been here for about a week and am still trying to get my bearings".

 

            The man laughed a bit and said "Yes, I knew that", and it was then that John became aware of the narrow white head band around his head.

 

            John gave a start as he realized that this was one of the promised angels mentioned while he was at the desk. He had not expected this first encounter to be so casual nor so soon. And the man with the appearance of being about 75 years old did not fit any picture that John had had of an angel. Questions rushed to his mind so rapidly that it was hard for him to give each of them a proper priority.

 

            "Relax", the man said. "I will try to answer a few questions and perhaps impart a little of the knowledge that you need to be equipped with here. And remember, that time does not even become a factor for us. What you don't learn today you will pick up during the years and eons ahead. Boredom would appear to be factor but, as you will see, it will not be".

 

            "As it might be" he continued, "if this was all that you would have before you. But, as you will see, there will be excitement enough to satisfy you. Just think of this garden setting as a way point for you when you need to just sit for a while and cogitate. Now, ask away. I know answers to all your questions but, surprisingly, I don't know what those questions will be. Helps to keep my existence more lively".

 

            John took some time to think, then started to question his companion. "Will I be able to locate all those who died before me, at least all of those who came here? Pets, friends, those whom I have lost touch with and who must have died by now?"

 

            "No", the man said solemnly, "you will not. I'm sure that you, like most of us when we were alive on earth, had some sort of vision of heaven which put us with those who died before or after us. Loved ones, parents, wives (sometimes more than one, he laughed) but that is just not how it works here. For reasons that you will understand once it becomes clear to you.'

 

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            "Scenarios", he said. "That word will become very prominent in your new life. Funny, how easy it is to call it "life" when it follows death, isn't it? But, life everlasting is a phrase that you heard many times while still on earth and that is what we have here - life everlasting."

 

            "I don't mean to ask more than I should" said John. "But, of course, the premiere question I have and one which I am sure you have been asked many times" is "Where is God? And, part of the same question, will I see Him? Will I know Him if I do see Him?"

 

            "Whew, that is a three-part question. And, like you say, one that everyone without exception asks in one form or another. Here is the surprise for you: God is the same place he was when you were on earth - everywhere. In physical form it is unlikely, though not impossible,  that you will ever see him. No golden throne, no gold crown, no angels flying hither and yon. Still, he is here and with you and me all the time. Now, Jesus, that is another matter. From time to time he will assume a visible, physical form, and will walk among us. But even with Jesus the physical sighting will not be a common event for you. You may see him, you may not. Probably in the long time that you have ahead you will see him and maybe even talk to him and he to you - that is something that we angels are not privy to. There, I've always wanted to use that word "privy" and now I have! I promise not to use it again."

 

            "So, in the time we will spend now you may ask away as you will. I have told you that I know all the answers; I just don't know the questions."

 

            John drew in a deep breath and began: "Those scenarios you mentioned. I can envision how that might apply to me - I've had many happy times on earth - but I don't see how the concept can apply to those who either have no happy memories or perhaps are too young, e.g., babies or newborns to have developed any of these happy times. What about them?"

 

            "Well", said his companion. "You will find (gradually I will admit) that you are finally in a place where all possible concerns have been thought out and planned for. For those too young, too inexperienced, too life-sheltered, there are groups of angels who work very diligently in developing alternate special scenarios. When the need arises such folks (even including embryos, but we won't go into that now) are helped in choosing a faux scenario where they can enjoy pleasures that they have never experienced before. For those incapable of making a choice themselves a suitable scenario will be assigned'.

 

            "For most of us, yes, I include myself, it takes very little thought to go back through our lives and think of moments which provided us with happy times. When we have done that it takes but an instant to will ourselves into that moment in time where we remain as long as it suits us, after which we return here".

 

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            "A little thought will bring these moments to your mind and a little more thought will spirit you away to that moment in time. It does not have to be a grand occasion though some scenarios may be. A new puppy, your first girl friend, an athletic achievement - the possibilities are endless. And the beauty is that if you have enjoyed this repeat moment you can return to it as often as you wish with no memory of your previous visit'.

 

            "But I can see that all this is a bit much to take in all at once. You don't have to. And there will be no test. I am going to leave you now but when you encounter another in my place you will find that the conversation will almost take up where we leave off. Now, take some time to ponder what I have told you and get some questions ready for the next angel (or friendly non-angel that comes your way). It has been a pleasure - always is, no matter how often I meet new folks".

 

            With that the man arose, bowed slightly, and moved off. John began to walk, smiling at those he passed and getting nods and smiles in return. He passed a paraplegic, surprisingly in an electric wheel chair and, shortly thereafter, a mom (?) pushing a stroller with a happy-looking baby inside. He walked on towards what might have been a developing sunset but, with his brain so surprisingly active, decided to sit again.

 

            "I wonder how that scenario thing works" he said to himself. With the thought that nothing ventured, nothing gained, he decided to experiment. He remembered the joy he felt at taking his first airplane ride and just as he had that thought his surroundings seemed to dissolve and he found himself seated in a large airplane whose engines had just started. He seemed to be about twelve years old. He looked around and did not see anyone he knew; however, his mind was atingle with the anticipation of the flight. He was scared but strangely exhilarated as the airplane rumbled down the taxiway and onto the runway. The engine roar increased, the plane lurched forward, and in a few moments he found himself looking down at the fields, houses, and roads beneath. He had had this dream of flying since a very early age and here he was, soaring in the same sky that the Wright Brothers once used. His mind wandered just a bit and, surprisingly, there he was back on a park bench in what he now recognized as heaven.

 

            "Well", he said to himself. "That was quick but it certainly was pleasurable." Dare he try the same thing again? But even as he started to think of that flight again he took a breath and decided to "cool" it a bit with this pursuit of pleasure. What had he been told? That he had an endless time to pursue his pleasant memories.

 

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Chapter 3. Sustenance.

 

          John got up from his bench and walked slowly down the path ahead. Looking first left and then right he admired all he saw. There did not seem to be any vehicles (not counting that stroller and wheel chair he had encountered earlier) but then there did not seem to be any obvious need for any. At first he took no note of a strange feeling, then it occurred to him that it was a feeling of thirst and hunger. He looked about, perhaps seeking the Golden Arches (well, where else but in heaven?), but saw nothing even remotely like that.

 

            As his hunger seemed to increase he allowed himself to think of delightful meals he had had in the past. He remembered a certain Thanksgiving where he, Pat, and little Sandi had entertained Aunt Mary and Uncle Henry. He remembered the cooking smells, the pleasing conversations, showing off little Sandi, and.............

 

            There he was, sitting in the living room on Flanders Avenue listening to his often boisterous, somewhat overweight lawyer uncle and his "Well-a, well-a, well-a!" in that booming voice of his. Just then Pat stuck her head out of  the kitchen and announced to all "Dinner is served in the main dining room" which in those early marriage days just happened to BE the kitchen.

 

            All sat down to a sumptuous repast of turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings. After grace they all began to pass the hot dishes around. When all were served serious eating began and the conversation slacked off a bit. John, though busying himself with loading his plate and taking care of his cute little girl, allowed himself a thought. Am I really in heaven? Is this what it is like?

 

            And just like that the scene dissolved and he was back in the garden setting which he had left earlier. "Hey" he said to no one in particular, "I didn't get my pumpkin pie!" And as that thought passed through his head there he was back at the table accepting a delicious triangle of pie.

 

            "I do hate to leave this", he thought, and just that little thought took him once again to his garden bench. "Boy, this is weird, somehow incomprehensible and disconcerting but enjoyable nonetheless". His hunger and thirst seemed to have totally abated and he felt free to think of other things. Was it possible to return to that particular dinner again and again? He had been told that it was but he deliberately tried not to. Time enough later to try that.

 

 

 

 

 

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                                                Chapter 4. R & R

 

          John did not feel especially tired but thought perhaps he should snooze a bit and let his situation clarify in his mind. He did not want to try sleeping on a bench - kind of crude for heaven - so thought he would experiment with some pleasurable time of rest in his past.

 

            Sleep, though, did not evoke pleasant memories as easily as did food, pleasant events, and so on. But, upon giving it a few minutes of thought, a surprising number of pleasant rest or sleep events began to drift into his mind. Nothing seemed defined, though, so John thought he should perhaps concentrate more. Ah, that seemed to do the trick. He settled on one event - a night on a Boy Scout hike - and began to recall. It was difficult to imagine this particular night to be a pleasant memory but there it was.

 

            The Scouts had just hiked the seven miles to their mountain cabin set among thousands of azaleas and rhododendron. This day, though, these plants were just pretty green snow-covered shrubs, some much taller than John at his then-age of thirteen. How could this result in a pleasant sleep? Well, after consuming their Spartan evening meal prepared with the aid of a roaring fireplace, fatigue from the long hike and the many activities in the woods began to creep in.

 

            It was cold, near freezing, and not a whole lot warmer in the cabin. Sleeping accommodations were crude consisting of plain wooden double bunks set around the interior walls of the cabin. The Scouts all had sleeping bags and there were rough striped-denim mattresses in the bunks. The bunks closest to the fire were claimed by the senior members of the group whose members did not include John.

 

            After vespers it was not hard for the leaders to get these boys to retire. (Tomorrow night would be a different story as it would include much more time around the fireplace, telling stories, playing games, and more). Tonight they just wanted sleep.

 

            John climbed into his upper bunk, snuggled into his cold sleeping bag, pulled up the zipper, and began one of the most satisfying and pleasant nights of rest he had ever enjoyed. Soon, now toasty warm, he soon drifted off, a satisfied smile decorating his features.

 

 

 

 

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                                                            Chapter 5. Loneliness

         

          With a start John's eyes popped open and he found himself back in his heavenly surroundings. He had still not met or talked to anyone he knew and began to think what a long time eternity would be if he didn't make new friends or run into an old one.

 

            He began to allow himself thoughts of loneliness but such thoughts seemed to lead nowhere. The various people he had met in heaven had been universally kind and helpful but seemed to drift into and out of his "life" with no indication that they would become anything more. How he longed for his old school friends such as used to come over to the farm to play softball or cops-and-robbers. He was never very athletic but played all the time; he owned the ball and bat and a couple of gloves, which made the farm a popular hangout for teenage boys.

 

            Why, he remembered one day when he and Bobby Wilson were playing pirates in the old barn and slashing away at each other with wooden swords (made, not bought). Such fun! And there he was, back in the musty old barn, climbing back and forth on the rafters with Bobby. Not a care in the world and a full afternoon of just enjoying life with just enough danger thrown it to make it all exciting. Excitement peaked right up to the point where Bobby fell through a wet-straw-rotted section of the stable floor and fell to the floor below. He was not hurt by the fall into still more straw but was slightly hurt when the wooden sword stuck about a quarter inch under the skin of his chest. This was painful and bled some but boys in those days had to be really hurt to run to their mothers or some other relative for help.

 

                                                Chapter 6. Family/Friends

 

          Again, back in the heavenly setting he began to long for some of the friends he had enjoyed on earth. Of course, his mother was one of these, and just like that he was there on the farm with her getting ready for a delicious luncheon of pancakes. He remembered the "noon" table cloth - last night's newspapers carefully spread over an oilcloth table cloth. As the pancakes came off the griddle they were smothered with real butter, over which was poured syrup made of simply sugar and water, boiled down slightly.

 

            What a delicious and satisfying meal this was! His mother was there and his older sister and they were all enjoying the meal. Not his father, though, as it was a week day and he was in town at his job of hardware store manager. Apparently it was also summer as there did not seem to be any school in the

 

 

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offing. How enjoyable it was to be with his mother and (yes, shall he think it?) also his sister with whom he had had many unpleasant moments. None of those, it seemed, would come back into his memory.

 

            It slowly dawned on John that he could spend eternity just reviewing the many pleasant times he had enjoyed. On balance he decided that his life on earth had included many, many pleasant times, enough to fill his memory for many days, especially since he had been assured that he could relive these pleasant times over and over with a sort of amnesia making any repetition seem to be a new event.

 

            I am one of the lucky ones he said to himself. He began to think of the less fortunate and grew a bit sorrowful until he remembered what he had been told - that everyone he saw in heaven would be dealing with pleasant memories, albeit some of which were made from whole cloth. A little child or a baby could not have as many pleasant times to remember but the master planning that had gone into all this seemed to compensate for the lack of life experience. To the baby it mattered not that he would repeat over and over some remembered experience, e.g., being cuddled, even if he never moved on to the experiences of others.

 

            It became apparent why the built-in amnesia became so important as it allowed an experience to be repeated over and over, each time being fresh and new.

 

            John longed to raise more questions about how the process worked but then, he reasoned, that no two people here could possibly have shared the exact same experiences. Questions seemed to arise faster than answers.

 

            Towards this end John began to look around for a head-band marked angel with whom he could talk and get more answers. In the distance he though he saw such a person (such an angel?) and he hurried off to try to make contact.

 

            As he hurried along his brain reeled with the enormity and orderliness of it all. "At least" he thought voicing his thoughts our loud "it sure isn't going to be boring!"

 

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Copyright 29 June 2005                                                                                   Arthur B. Wiggins