The Road to Heaven

This is based on a real dream of mine about my own grandmother, the night of or the night after her death (I can't remember; so I wrote it in short story form before I lost the memory completely).

Dreaming. I knew that was it, but I didn’t want to let go. The memory…her face. More so that it happened after she passed.

 

I was falling down a pit of darkness. The fingers of vertigo gripped me all over until I fell straight down with a ponderous boom. Fog engulfed me and the ones that were around me blew away like ripples at my fall. I was in the middle of a road, but I couldn’t tell where it was leading. It wasn’t because of the cloud-like fog that swam knee deep everywhere; but the road was literally endless. People appeared. Slowly…and all came in identical pairs.

Must go to the Store, my mind urged me. A small roof of an edifice popped up from the ground. Its lights were among the brightest all around. The Store!

I walked towards it, knowing that I had to buy something. What was it?

I was just few feet before the door when old woman passed by. She was familiar to me, but that face of happiness, of no worry was foreign. Grandmother!

“Nanay!” (That was my name for her). I walked up to my grandmother and tugged at her arm, unsure if she was who I thought she was and if she would recognize me.

Grandmother turned around and her smiling face grew into a surprised grin. “Selene!” She hugged me tightly. That was when I noticed her partner. She looked just like my grandmother, but with obscurely different features. Her face was expressionless but I ignored her as I hugged my grandmother.

“How are you? What are you doing here?” She asked.

“I just came to go to the Store. I have to buy some food.” The idea just came to me as I spoke. Grandmother and I paused awkwardly for a short while.

“Why don’t you come with me? Just to go in, you don’t have to help me buy the food.” I suggested, hopeful.

“Okay.” We walked arm-in-arm while her partner followed robot-like behind us. “How’s your mom?”

I hesitated, though still feeling too good that we were together. “She’s alright.” We reached the Store, but I kept walking through the doors. Inside the Store, other people were walking around, but this time, they had no partners.

“Okay Nanay. Thank you for walking me. You have to go right?” She nodded and we hugged tightly for a long second.

“I miss you Nanay. I always will.”

“I miss you too.” We let go.

“Good-bye. Love you!” I called out as she began to walk out the door with her partner.

I looked at myself, and at grandmother, then at the store. There was nothing that I needed. Not anymore. I walked back out, trying to see if I could catch up with my grandmother, who was walking towards a higher place in that endless road. The fog had gone, but I knew my path led to the opposite direction. So I started walking.

 

 

Author's Note

Feel free to comment on grammar, writing, or just story content ^^

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

The Story is beautiful. Few people touch us with love and tenderness. Your story told a very good story. I like the set-up and the flow of your words. Grandmother's are the sweet people who caress our heart with love and leave us too soon. You are a outstanding writer. You wrote a excellent story.
Coyote

[Ashley.M.E]

this is a really good story. I agree with Coyote I don't see after so long how it hasn't gotten more reviews...