Forgiving Bessie

7. Ravenspond

Bessie lies wide awake in bed at 3:55 a.m., cuddling her kitten. She glances over at the portable Smith-Corona typewriter sitting on her desk. It was a gift from her parents to cheer her up after she came out of the hospital. She always keeps blank paper in it. She’s learned that her guardian Angel Mel, in his loud Hawaiian shirts, will type messages to her from Heaven on it. But in the morning, all the messages will be gone, and the page will be blank again.

The messages almost always appear at four a.m., when the veil between Heaven and Earth is the thinnest. She glances again at her desk.

The typewriter begins to tap-tap-tap by itself. Smiling, she sets down the cat on her blanket and jumps up to read it.

tap-tap-tap“How is your new kitten, Packer? Are you taking good care of him?”

“How is your new kitten, Packer? Are you taking good care of him?”She sits down quickly to respond. “Hi, Mel. Yes, Packer’s doing great, thanks. Gaining weight every day. Very cuddly.” She sits back until the keys begin to type again on their own.

“Hi, Mel. Yes, Packer’s doing great, thanks. Gaining weight every day. Very cuddly.” “So I can see. Miss Marple is a very good foster mom. You are, too.”

“So I can see. Miss Marple is a very good foster mom. You are, too.”She writes back, “Please thank Jason for sending him to me.”

“Please thank Jason for sending him to me.”“I will, although he’s off on a secret mission.”

“I will, although he’s off on a secret mission.”“What kind of secret mission?”

“What kind of secret mission?”“Well, I can’t tell you that, my little mushroom, because it’s a secret. How is school?”

“Well, I can’t tell you that, my little mushroom, because it’s a secret. How is school?”“School is school. But I like being home-schooled.”

“School is school. But I like being home-schooled.”“Soon, you will need to decide what you want to do with your life. Choose wisely. Maybe become an astronomer, like you told Angel Jigjag you would be, ha-ha.”

“Soon, you will need to decide what you want to do with your life. Choose wisely. Maybe become an astronomer, like you told Angel Jigjag you would be, ha-ha.”“Yeah, that was a good one, Mel.”

“Yeah, that was a good one, Mel.”“Seriously, have you thought about what you want to do when you graduate from high school next year? Your sister wants to be a detective, I believe. Or a writer of detective fiction.”

“Seriously, have you thought about what you want to do when you graduate from high school next year? Your sister wants to be a detective, I believe. Or a writer of detective fiction.”“Yes, she has always known her path. I am so different from everybody else since my near-death experience. I don’t fit in anymore.”

“Yes, she has always known her path. I am so different from everybody else since my near-death experience. I don’t fit in anymore.”“Why would you want to fit in? I know fitting in is very important when you’re young, but trust me, the ones who are not part of the crowd, will be the ones who excel later on.”

“Why would you want to fit in? I know fitting in is very important when you’re young, but trust me, the ones who are not part of the crowd, will be the ones who excel later on.”“Okay, I get that but I’m just so confused. I feel lost. Since I came back from Heaven, I feel in limbo, like I don’t have a path to follow anymore. Everything has changed.”

“Okay, I get that but I’m just so confused. I feel lost. Since I came back from Heaven, I feel in limbo, like I don’t have a path to follow anymore. Everything has changed.”“You used to want to get a job with an airline and see every square inch of the world. You were so curious.”

“You used to want to get a job with an airline and see every square inch of the world. You were so curious.”“Now I don’t want to leave home unless I have to.”

“Now I don’t want to leave home unless I have to.”“You have suffered a great trauma, my little mushroom. But inside this trauma, you will discover there is a gift.”

“You have suffered a great trauma, my little mushroom. But inside this trauma, you will discover there is a gift.”“A gift from a trauma? Are you kidding me? What? More pain?”

“A gift from a trauma? Are you kidding me? What? More pain?”“The gift is this: trauma raises your consciousness to a higher level. A level few people will ever experience in their lifetimes. What are you doing next Saturday?”

“The gift is this: trauma raises your consciousness to a higher level. A level few people will ever experience in their lifetimes. What are you doing next Saturday?”“Next Saturday? Oh, this is fun. I am meeting up with the nurse who looked after me in the hospital when I was in the coma. I ran into her when I was visiting Sophie and the new baby, Glory.”

“Next Saturday? Oh, this is fun. I am meeting up with the nurse who looked after me in the hospital when I was in the coma. I ran into her when I was visiting Sophie and the new baby, Glory.”“Hmm … fascinating.”

“Hmm … fascinating.”“Hmm???”

“Hmm???”“There are no coincidences in life, Bessie. You will see. Nite-nite.”

“There are no coincidences in life, Bessie. You will see. Nite-nite.”“I have no clue what you mean. Nite-nite.”

“I have no clue what you mean. Nite-nite.”Bessie throws herself on the bedspread, waking up the kitten. What was that all about? Wish Mel wouldn’t be so mysterious sometimes.

What was that all about? Wish Mel wouldn’t be so mysterious sometimes.If only she could see her guardian angel in his office in Heaven, sitting back in his chair. His shirt is ablaze with yellow sunflowers over his ample torso, and a grin twinkles on his face, warming his features. “Ah, my little mushroom, hang on tight! Your life is about to take on a whole new plot twist.”