Forgiving Bessie

4. Heaven

A tall, lean youth with wild sandy-colored hair stands behind a hedge on a hillside. Beside him, his companion, Cora, a slight Asian girl with glistening black hair, gazes down the hillside with wistful eyes. Like all other souls in Heaven, they cast no shadows. Below them, nestling in a verdant valley, lies Heaven Interportal Airport. The open-air design incorporates posts at each corner that support a cedar-shingled roof. On the middle of the roof, a magnificent golden bell peers out from inside a crystal steeple. At the far end, a massive crystal door suspends in mid-air, glowing with a colorless aura. Beyond the door, an airport runway is clearly visible.

At the other end of the platform, the exit is in the form of an open archway, which is wreathed in flowers. Excited friends and family members are gathered outside, waiting for the next flight to arrive. Exotic gardens of extraordinary beauty surround the airport. Flagstone pathways bordered in stout hedges lead up into the hillsides. The night air is warm and fragrant with the scent of countless blooms. A billion stars fill the sky.

Soon angels begin to materialize amongst the crowd, many in powder-blue Air Heaven uniforms; others are in regular street clothes. Unlike all other beings in this heavenly dimension, angels are distinguished by their glittery, silver auras that sparkle and glow in any light.

“Almost time,” Jason whispers to Cora from their viewpoint behind a hedge. “Wonder who’ll be on this next flight …”

Cora gives him a small smile. Jason has become her most trusted friend in Heaven since they met in a meditation circle after they had crossed over. Without his help, she’d never have been able to reach out to her d**g-addicted mother in the Philippines and encourage her to finally kick her habit.

Slowly, the great golden bell begins to toll seven times. The crowd below goes silent. A white jet-like cloud moves swiftly across the sky. The massive crystal door at the far end of the airport swings wide, activating the Sacred Portal, the most holy gateway between Heaven and Earth. The jet-cloud hovers in place overhead. A hatch at the front of the aircraft opens, spilling out a white staircase that attaches to the Sacred Portal. A pilot angel emerges in her white and gold Air Heaven uniform before the passengers begin to slowly descend the staircase.

Unlike most Air Heaven flights, whose passenger lists encompass all ages from all areas of the globe, this one seems to contain a constant stream of teenagers. One after another, they file down the stairs, faces filled with shock or bewilderment, hands clutched in fear and awe.

Even the awaiting angels seem to sense there is something “off” tonight. Silently, they approach the Newly Dead one-on-one to embrace them in hugs creating a rosy glow, restoring the new arrivals to healthy images, regardless of how they got here.

The teens look at one another in confusion, not comprehending yet where they are. One girl says to another, giggling, “Hey, is this those pills we took kicking in? Cool!”

Her friend looks away, frowning. “Why is my grandmother here? Why’s she waving to me? She died years ago!”

The first one stares out the archway as they stroll towards it. “And there’s my father. He died when I was five. What’s going on?”

Near them, a dark-haired youth is sobbing to an angel. “I … I … wanted to come here but I’ve changed my mind. I have to go back. Please, I’m begging you.”

Gently, the angel walks beside him to the exit. “I’m sorry, but there’s no going back to the same life after your physical body dies.”

On the hillside, Jason stares at the mass of teens wandering and stumbling outside the exit, the realization of where they are finally hitting home. He turns to Cora to say, “I would give anything to have my old life back. Why are all these young people dying?”

Out of thin air, Angel Rachel appears beside him. In a crisp navy suit tailored for her tiny frame, with her perfectly coiffed hair, she radiates a powerful regal presence. Turning to Jason, she declares, “That is something I intend to find out.”

That