Strange Visitor

Death comes for a visit Hank, but it was a huge mistake. How did it happen, and what happened as a result?

                                              Strange Visitor

    "Who are you and what are you doing here?"  He asked angrily of the oddly dressed stranger standing in ther middle of his family room.

    "Are you talking to me?"

    "Well, look around, besides me, you're the only one here.  Of course I'm talking to you!   How in the world did you get in here?"  His patience with this uninvited visitor was already growing short.

    "I seem to be disturbing you, Hank.  Is there something important that I'm taking you away from?  I'm use to coming at all hours of the day or night and most people have no qualms about it."

    "I find that hard to believe!  You mean to tell me that you drop in unannounced on people at all hours of the day or night and they don't find it disturbing.  I'm not especially busy with anything in particular at the moment, but still I find you an unwanted intrusion."

    "Usually I only drop in on them just one time.  Most of those I call upon are asleep when I come.  Many other had been seriously I'll or just recently involved in a serious accident.  I seldom have conversations with them.  I simply go to them and take them with me."

    "Oh come on now!  Who do you think you are anyway, death?   All the conditions you describe for meeting up with those people could only be because that is who you are!"

    "I'm not denying it.  The fact of the matter is, that's exactly who I am."

    "That can't be!  That's not the way I've been told it happens.  I mean, here I am actually having a conversation with you.  I've never heard of it happening."

    "Who would have told you if it had happened?  Would you have believed them if they had?"

    "I really don't know."

    "Of course not!  To tell you the truth I don't recall it ever happening before.  Then again, I'm still in training."

    "In training, you're DEATH and you're in training for it?  That's incredible!  I can't believe it!"

    "Well, just think about it for a moment.  Everyday millions of people die, do you suppose the DEATH each and everyone of them individually?  I'd be impossible, that's why there are millions of us, many still in training to help with the task."

    "How do you which people to visit?  Your say there are millions of people each day.  I would think that could be pretty confusing."

    "Sometimes it is.  For example, do you know how many Sithms there are just in the United States alone?  Thank goodness they resolved that problem ages ago." 

    "How was that?"

    "Digitizing!  It was done by digitizing everyone who's ever been born.  It's internal of course so you don't see anything, but it's easy to pick up on.  Of course, they've been doing for thousands of years and there are usually very seldom any mistakes."

    "You say thousands of years, that's impossible!  Digitizing is a relatively new term tied in with computers.  Computers haven't been around anywhere near that long.  How could you have been sing them for over a thousand years?"

    "Are you serious?  People on Earth haven't even begun to tap the resources available with their computers.  We've had computers long before cavemen began writing on the walls of their caves!"

    "So, there are never any mistakes made?"

    "Well almost never." the stranger replied sheepishly.

    "First you tell me there aren't any mistakes made then you say, almost never.  You can't have it both ways!

    "Listen, they are computers after all.  Don't tell me that you've never had your own computer occasionally screw up on you.  In fact, it's probably more than just occasionally, I'd bet it happens all the time.", yours' is in Heaven where everything is supposed to be perfect

    "Yes it does, but my computer isn't in Heaven being watched over by angels or whoever it is who's responsible for taking care of them.   Besides your's is in Heaven where everything is perfect, ideal, infallible."

    "Well as incredulous as it may seem, on some rare occasions ours sometimes foul-up."

    "Really?"

    "Really!  As a matter of fact, that's why I'm conversing with you."

    "So you don't ordinarily talk to people you come for?"

    "In all the times I've done this, this is the first time I've had to do this.  I'venever before talked to any of my victims, excuse me, I mean recipients of my services."

    "Services, so ow this is a service you are providing?  I don't suppose I could refuse this "service" could I?"

    "Everything about your case is somewhat unique.  Just for starters, it seems the computer has made an error in selecting you."

     "Oh my God!"

     "Please don't refer to Him like that.  You must understand, He gets very upset when mistakes like this

 occur."

     "I thought you said they rarely happen."

     "They don't, but time is a relative thing.  For those of us in Heaven, time is eternal.  If something like this were to happen once in a million years that would still be too often."

     "Oh my God-ness!"  he said quickly correcting himself.

     "Thank you, I saw where you were going with that."

     "You're welcome.  I wouldn't want to upset Him any more than He may be already.  Tell me though, is He really that sensitive?  This seems like pretty petty stuff compared to what's going on all over the Earth."

     "I may have exaggerated a bit.  In all the eons that I have seen Him, I can't recall a single time when He was uncontrollably upset.  In fact, the only times I can remember that he really got upset was that incident with Noah and then the death of His sons."

    "You mean Jesus?"

     "Yes, Jesus, Mohammed and Buddh, all their deaths upset him greatly.  Of course Jesus was the only one actually killed.  I think after that He resigned Himself to the fact that redemption was beyond most of those here on Earth."

     "You mean to say that He's given up on us?  Is He going to do us all in again as He did to the people in Noahs' time?"

     "The gossip I hear, when I get up there is that He isn't going to anything that disastrous.  I get the impression that He would see that as a tremendous failure.  Even though He's God, failure is something He doesn't easily abide."

     "So what is the consensus on what will happen?"

     "Nothing."

     "Nothing?  You mean that we'll just continue on our bumbling way, destroying the environment, starving millions, killing off millions more and He'll do nothing about it!  That doesn't sound like a very caring, loving God to me."to see if people

     "Don't forget He gave humans free choice.  I might be wrong, but I think He is just waiting  to see if people can finally work out the problems of getting along with each other on their own.  He has certainly sent you enough amazing people here to set good examples.  From what I understand, there are quite a few here even now that are trying to show you all how to do it."

      "But look at all the terrible people who are doing the opposite.  It seems to me that they far outnumber the "do-gooders."

     "I know it must seem that way, but the reality is the "do-gooders", as you call them, far outnumber the evil ones.   They don't get the attention of the media and they seldom if ever make it onto the television news.  For example, think of all the times you've heard people decrying teenagers today.  Of course they're referring to the ones that have managed to get into some form of trouble and became newsworthy.   There is a far larger number of boys and girls in things like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and other service organizations doing wonderful things for their communities getting little or no recognition.  I'm sure that it's on the basis of this much larger group that He decided to let you go your separate ways and trust that you'll eventually find the "right way."

     "For a person that deals so much with death, you seem to be very knowledgeable about life.  It would seem to me that you would have some difficulty doing your job."

     "What do you mean?"

     "I would think there must have been quite a few times when you  have become emotionally involved. The death of a child, a beloved mother,or some other member of the family, doesn't it bother you?  I know it would bother me quite a bit.  I remember when I was young boy and my dog was hit by a car and killed.  It took me quite a while to get over that.  I'm ashamed to admit that I was more upset over that then when my 92 year old grandmother died."

     "It must seem cold and even heartless but we are trained not to have any emotions with regard to the people we are to visit.  Don't forget, it is very rare that they are even aware of our presence."

     "Let me get this straight, you and the others providing this "service" just go and tap the recipient and they quietly leave their life behind.  Is that all it takes, a tap, a nudge, anything as long as you touch them in some way?  I can understand now why none of you would get emotionally involved, is it still easy for you?"

      "Except for situations like this, yes it's very easy.  We don't get involved in the right or wrong in the decision-making process.  All we do is see to it that the people selected are terminated.  Other than whatever pain they suffered as a result of the illness or accident it's a painless process.  I fact, within that short expanse of time, all their pain and suffering is over."

     "Okay,let's get down to particulars, what about me?  Am I going or am I staying?  You must know I haven't been seriously I'll.  Obviously I haven't been involved in a serious accident.  You can see that I'm not very old, so again I have to ask, what are you going to do about me?" 

     "You know that heaven is a very pleasant place and if I take you now that is where you'll go.  I don't want to sound like a travel brochure, but there are many other things other than the fantastic climate that makes it the ideal place to spend eternity.  Just name the sport or game or just about any activity you can think of and it's there for you to participate in."

     "What would happen if I chose to stay here, what would happen then?"

     "I'm not privileged to that information.  Even if I were. I don't think kt would be fair to gell you.  All I can tell you is that as of right now, at this moment in time you would go straight to heaven.  The choice is yours."

     "You sure don't make it easy to choose!  It's not that I have the grandest of lives here, but I have many friends and even family that I'm sure would miss me.  Thankfully I'm still very healthy and enjoy a good social life.  Even though I don't think I'll ever become a millionaire at my job, I like what I do.  I especially like the people I work with.  I think, best of all, there is my girlfriend Louise that I'm hoping to get engaged to this Christmas."

     "All you say is true, but still asre you willing to gamble the assurance of heaven against all the things that could go wrong with your now stable life?  I find it fascinating.  More and more though I can understand why He is so willing to let you people struggle here in the hope that you'll  figure it out."

     "But you say He has and still is sending people to help us to live and work together."

     "True, true.  He wants you all to succeed, and H is ever faithful in sending you whoever or whatever it takes to see that it happens."

     "If I were to go with you now I wouldn't see it happen except perhaps as a spectator."

     "That's true."

     "Look, I have faith in God.  Even though it might not happen ion my lifetime, I want to be here when I happens.  I don't like spectator sports, I'm like to be in on the action.  If it doesn't happen during my lifetime I figure I'll get to see it later on.

     "So you're telling me that you don't want to go with me?"

     "I guess that's what I'm telling you.  Look I appreciate your kindness, but I'm now, more than ever, looking forward to the rest of my life."

     "I wish you the very best.  I must tell you though that when I leave, you'll have no recollection of my being here or of any of this taking place."

     "What about you?"

     "Oh, I'll remember it alright.  In fact, when I get back I'll have a ton of paperwork to fill out."

     "You're not mad at me then?"

     "Oh my goodness no and don't forget I a citizen of heaven, I'm not allowed to lie."

     "I want to thank you again.  I'd shake your hand goodbye, but I don't think that would be a very good idea."

     "Good thinking.  I appreciate the sentiment though."

     "Best of luck to you in the future Hank.  I hope you get to see what we all hope for the Earth."

      "       

       

        

    

Author's Note

that all t takes

Reviews

[emmajoygreen]

A long short story, full of thoughts and emotions yet - set in a a two way dialogue that slowly displays thoughts considered within theology, supposition and more. The open ended finish leaves the reader to return, to decide where my mind lies in what is offered or otherwise. A clever and well put story, worth returning

[Dave]

emma - I'm glad you enjoyed it. I purposely left the ending up to the readers' imagination or inclination to decide what Hank would really do. I'm curious, does it make you wonder what you would do?
Take care and thanks for reading- Dave