Heaven's Gate

It was like drowning in the centre of a deep sea, where. You could see no beginning and no end,without the minutest glimpse of hope for survival. It was like a big sea animal was drawing me down to the bottom of the sea and most unfortunately to my own ebb. it could be likened to being left in an air-tight container in the middle of a wide desert and the heat suffocating the life in you. I struggled with all my strength and will; but it was not a thing to overcome with mare strength and will. I soon gave in.

But, soon I was up and could see for the first time a little crowd of sullen-faced folks in our living room. But I was in a great hurry and decided to ascertain what was the problem after. I was already running late. The publisher had stated it categorically that he has little patience with tardy individuals, he said it is a mark of lethargy which he has little tolerance for; and I had assured him that I was no such person. I could only imaging how disappointed he would be if I call some minutes after the time we scheduled. I should call him first then come back.

On getting to my room, I was irked at the sight that greeted me. Everything was in disarray; my clothes lay on anything possible in the room
" Who could have done this? I always try to tidy my room each time I leave it, so who? But wait. I could not remember the last time I left my room, perhaps I did not also remember to arrange my stuff when I left it last. But what could be breeding such senility in me?
The call yes! Yes the call was the reason why I came into the room at the first instance. I went to the desk where my phone was lying but I was not able to pick it up. I was alarmed. I should tell mum what is happening to me. I rushed out of the room.

Back at the living room now, my mum was sitting on a sofa and crying dearly. I was confused ." What's wrong with everybody?" My sister was sitting on the laps of one of our neighbour who sat very near my mother. My sister too was crying , but from the expression on her face I could see that she was as confused as I was.
I tried to talk to my mum, but she seemed so oblivious of me. Everyone was behaving like I never existed.
" Sorry madam"
It was the husband of the woman who was carrying my sister.
"God knows why he took him by this time" the man said.
" Take who" I asked , bemused.

Presently I heard a sound like the ticking of a clock, but this time the ticking was unsually loud. The clock-like sound was soon interrupted by a solemn voice.
" As you can see brother, you are no more among the inhabitants of the earth"
"And what could that mean" I retorted to the voice, and among which inhabitants am I now?
The voice seemed not to have heard my question as it continued.
" It's time you have to follow that door"
Now there infront of me appeared a door; it was ash in colour, and on the place where the handle is supposed to be was a round patch of black on one side and white on the other. I never wanted to give heed to the voices utterances. How could I leave my mum and my sister at this time? My worry was that they would be worried about me; how do they know that I am alright? And the writings ,how do I publish them? This was what I was supposed to do the following week.
"This is not fair at all , not fair!" I exclaimed.
Now the clock-like ticking was becoming louder, what ever that means. I had a plan, I thought. I dashed off immediately.

The old building that was our parish church was some six minutes walk from my house; one could get there in three minutes if one ran. In less than three minutes I was at the church premises. I always come to the church at this time of the day when the sun is at its first setting stance. I enjoyed the serenity and peace the church provided at those "living moments"
When I got to the church it was devoid of any human presence as it was won't by that time of the day. The wild flowers that grew on the lawn billowed in the gentle breeze . I always enjoyed this sight, and now am told I have to leave.

Now inside the church, I moved through the central isle to the alter railing. Resting my gaze on the crucifix that hung on the wall behind the alter, I opened my mouth; I wanted to say a lot, but I had no words for them. At that time I could not ask for anything. I turned down my gaze and watched the meticulously arranged alter that never seized to awe me.
Now the clock-like ticking intensified in speed and loudness. Suddenly I could feel my self moving inadvertently towards the ash door, that appeared once more, I could feel myself disolving against the black and white patch.

Once inside the door I came out to a most unsual place. The most silent place I ever saw. There was nothing in this place except two roads that stretched in front of me, and a very white cloud hovering above.
The road on the left was very impressive: it glinted and glared. The floor looked smooth and shiny; on each side were flowers of varying colour and a highly piquant smell emanated from them.
The road on the right was anything but attractive; it was narrow and festoned with stones and on each side of the road sprouted torny bushes.
" You have to go through one of those roads" the solemn voice came again.
" Which one exactly I retorted. " That I can't tell you" was the curt reply from the voice which I now have started to think was the cause of my predicaments.
" I told you this is not fair . First you asked me to follow a certain door which I did and here I am. Now you said I should follow one of these two roads then abscond" I lamented.
To my ranting came no reply. It seemed th solemn voice had gone for good. Now I tried to turn back , but each time I was repelled. Then it dawned on me that I must walk one of the two roads, but which one?

I lingered on my options for a while; the road on the left, apparently,looked nice and with promises of a good journey, but my worries lay on its over smoothness and that steeped place; I might fall and break an arm or leg, I could even hit my head on the floor. On the contrary, the road on the right is frightening. The torns and stones must have their ways if I venture on to the road. But on the other hand it would be better to be bruised than to break an arm o leg. At last the rough and torny road I must walk.

The stones and torns had their way as I made my way through the road by the right. I walked for a brief moment and my horrid journey met an abrupt end at the foot of a white stairs that seemed to come down from the hovering cloud above.
" At last " I exclaimed, as I sat down on the stairs to take a look at my bruises. Presently I heared sound of foot steps of someone coming down the stairs. Looking up I saw a fine gentle man clad in flowing white gown coming majestically down the stairs. The man came and sat beside me.
" I see you are bruised" he asked
" Did you ever walk through that rough and torny part?" I asked .
"Surely" was his short reply.
Then he stood up knelt down before me, tore his garment and started dabbing my injury with his lustrous fabric. At that instance all the pains I had. been feeling vanished, not so much for the potency of his dabbing as for the awe I felt at the this strange man's action of showing so much love to a stranger. He was soon done and stood up. Stretching out his hands amid a smile that seemed to melt my being, he said. " Shall we?" While indicating the stairs before us. I took his hands , then up the stairs we climbed. He was a head taller than me and could pass for a big brother.
" Who are you if you don't mind, and where are we?". I asked as we climbed on. With that smile still gracing his face. He said.
" I am God, and this is heaven. We are still on the stairs anyway".
At that instance I was filled with a mingling sense of joy, awe and trepidation.
" Why so surprised? " He asked " you should not be as you have been here lots of times when you were still on earth.
" How lord and when" I asked. He smiled, then said.
" How do you feel now?" I opened my mouth and closed it again, I had no words to describe my feeling. He smiled then asked " have you felt like this before.
" I can't remember" I answered. " Ok I shall help you" he said. " How did you feel that day you gave your transport fare to beggar who was at a bus stop and walked all the way home?
"Yes, yes" was the only words that came from my mouth.
" And how did you feel when you finished writing that piece you think would change lives for better?" He asked again. Now both of us were smiling, I was now at ease.
" And Lord about the writing, you know am yet to publish them"
Yes my dear, I know. It would be published at the right time. Ada your sister will not damage any of them, and I assure you that they both would be fine, your mum and your sister"
" I believe you lord. I always do"

Now I started hearing hisses from the left side of the stairs. Then a gruff voice erupted from the side of the stairs.
" He is not supposed to be here" the voice said " did he not look lustfully at a girl in his street?" Hearing this I bowed my head in shame. Then the lord lifted my head with His hands and said.
"You forgot that you did recognise your fault and asked for forgiveness and you were forgiven" the smile again returned to my face. And I thanked Him.
Again the gruff voice was unrelenting, as he said.
" He did get his mother very upset the other day?" Those words were like ice-cold water quenching my joyous mood. Again I bowed down in shame. Now this was the truth the voice spoke. But again the lord lifted my head and said.
" You did, surely apologise to your mum and she forgave you and so did I . My joy returned once more to the fullest, and the gruff voice seemed defeated as it interrupted our climb no more.

At last we cleared the stairs and just before us was the pearly gate. Magnificent. I don't have enough words to describe the beauty of the gate.
" Here we are" the lord announced " now you shall enter and share the fullness of joy.
" But am already enjoying lord!" I exclaimed . He laughed in the most hillarious way. Then putting his hands round my neck he wispered " what you have just experienced is the tip of an enormous iceberg.

"Lord you know what" I said looking up at him. "No matter how many times we read in the scriptures that you made us in your image and likeness, a good number of those o earth, would always imaging a God a being of larger- than- life size, with very long bears always carrying a scepter, and who's utterances contains a lot of judgemental words and who's voice would echo and echo till the audience would have to cover their ears."
"Really" He exclaimed in mock surprise as we both walked into the pearly gate amid a hillarious outburst.