Every year we make a special trip . . . It would be a sin not to go. March the twelfth is a special day for all of my family, but especially for me, my brother, and my sister. My brother and I are the O'Donnell twins. There's my dumb brother Mark. He's not really dumb, but a big brother can say that. You see I was born five minutes before him. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother and I would do anything for him. Like me, my brother was a blessing. I'm Mike - nice to meet you. My sister Rose is the most beautiful girl ever born. Her beauty is one thing, but her heartfelt warmth is another. I'm 12 years old. Well, I would be if you counted from my first birthday. Really I'm 11 years old. Okay, I think I'd better explain. I was born on the 8th of January in the year 1997. I loved my parents dearly, but December 23rd was a bad day for me and especially for my parents. My dad was the greatest man in the world, but my mom was fussy and I was the one she fussed over. My dad worked at the electronics firm in town. My mom worked at a local store during the day and was always home when I came back from school. She didn't have to work, but she wasn't one for staying at home all day, so she worked to keep busy. Like I said, I loved my parents dearly, but what happened next would change our lives forever. On that fateful day, my dad told us he had to go away for a conference, which meant he wouldn't be home for Christmas. My mom, not one to argue, didn't like it, but said nothing and told him to be careful. I screamed at him that he couldn't go, then ran as fast as I could out the door. With it being so late in the season it was very cold. Temperatures had dipped below minus 10C. An eleven year old boy wearing boxers and a t-shirt is a bad combination in such weather. Well, I ran into the park and then into the woods where I went down the bank to the lake. I hid under some fallen trees. They were searching for me well into the night, but without success. Hypothermia took over and I drifted off to sleep. I was found the next morning hugging a dead tree. What happened after that is blurred to say the least.
Darkness is scary, but when mixed with a bright light, well, it's also strange. I didn't know where I was, I didn't even know I'd passed on. I'm looking into space, nothing but endless space. Next, I'm looking down from the clouds. You've seen the clouds as the light fades to dark with the moon bright in the sky? That's how I remember it, everything was so peaceful. It was scary, but it was good as well. I mean, seeing all those lights flickering right before your eyes. This was just like a dream. I nearly jumped out of my skin, if I'd had any, when this hand touched me on the back of my head. "YOUCH!"
Next thing, this kid was looking at me, he had a circle of light around his head like an Angel, "David, you're early."
I should have told you my old name was David Thompson . . . sorry. "What!! Early for what??" A stupid question I know.
"Well, you weren't meant to get here for another sixty years. We can't let you in."
"In where?" Another stupid question!
He laughed. "Well, you must have noticed that you're sitting on them there clouds? You ever done that before?"
I looked down, then got scared. "Whoa." I tried to run but couldn't move.
"This is where you cross over into Heaven or Hell."
"Which one am I going to?"
He laughed, then looked at me again. "Neither . . . you're too early and we can't send you back, as they've already found your dead body!"
"Dead!!!" Then I started crying. The kid came over and held me. "I can't stay here forever?" I sniffed.
"We'll have to update our records before you can come in. Like I told you, you died too early."
"How can I die too early??"
"Some do slip through the net. It happens. I mean we're not perfect."
I laughed sarcastically, "Huh, how can someone that's supposed to be so powerful make mistakes."
"Well, we've got a new secretary and she filed you in the wrong pile. Anyway, my name's Michael. I hope we can be friends. We might be talking a lot for the time being."
"First, you kill me off, now you want to be friends. Give me a break. Can't you reverse it and give her the sack??"
"That wouldn't be very Godlike, now would it?"
Was this joker for real?
"I am not a joker, I'm an Angel. Look, for now you're going to have to hang around here till we sort this out. I mean, you can fly, no one can see you unless they're special. Why don't you go to some of the places you've always wanted to go to. That will stop you from getting bored at least. Just don't make a nuisance of yourself"
"Huh. They kill me off and then expect me, an eleven year old to behave." I said under my breath."
"Exactly. Behave!! Just call if you need me." Then he was gone.
I sat on a cloud for awhile thinking everyone had gone crazy, or was it just me? I started to whiz through the air like a superhero, giggling to myself as I did loops. I went to what looked like a park and sat on one of the benches. Where was I? This wasn't where I used to live. "MICHAEL!!"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, you can't be near your family, so we moved you." Michael shouted.
"But where?? I'm not going to see them? You're not killing them too?"
"You're in Vancouver, Canada."
"I know where that is," I said sarcastically. I just sat there deep in thought until it started to get light. This is going to be really boring, awake forever, no sleep, no friends, no one I even know. I started to walk. It's funny watching what people do. You see things that you never even thought of. You could hear the cars speeding around, people rushing from one place to another. Kids being told off while they played. That seemed funny.
I got to the main street watching things just happen - like a porter at a hotel getting his ass chewed for not handling someone's luggage with more care. I was laughing so hard I fell over and hurt my knee. "Hey, I thought being dead I couldn't feel pain." I shouted.
"You're different," Michael's voice shouted back.
"Thanks." I walked for a little and the pain started to disappear. I was walking past a park with a play area for kids when I saw this kid crying. I didn't think I could do anything, so I just stood and watched. Just then a woman walked over and picked him up, shouted at him, then gave him a smack. "Leave him alone," I shouted. As the saying goes 'You could have knocked me down with a feather.' The boy looked to see who spoke. Whatever this woman was doing just paled into insignificance compared to the shock he got when I shouted. I was going to run and hide, but I was too late.
"Who are you?" The scared boy said.
"You can see me??"
"I'm your Keeper, now you'd better behave," The woman said.
"What do you mean can I see you?"
"Who the hell are you talking too?" The woman was now getting irritable
"Ah!! Him over there."
"Who? You stupid boy."
"Him!!" The woman looked around trying to find an imaginary person.
"You stupid boy, there's no one there." She shook him, then put him down.
The conversation was funny with his eyes sticking out of his head and her trying not to look stupid. I started to laugh. That seemed to annoy the kid. "So what's your name and how old are you?"
"My name's David. I'm eleven. I mean I was eleven, but now I'm dead!!" It was so funny, he just sat there with his mouth so far open that a bus could've parked in there. I couldn't stop giggling it was so funny, much to the chagrin of the boy.
"So what's your name and how old are you??" I asked.
"I'm Jake, I'm nine. How come you're err... dead?"
"Just a mistake. So why is your mom mad at you?"
"She's not my mom, she's the housekeeper. She hates me, hates all kids."
"So, why haven't you told your mom?"
"I did, she thinks I'm telling stories."
"What about your dad?"
"There's just me and mom?"
"MICHAEL!!!" I shouted. "Can I help this kid?? MICHAEL!!!! MICHAEL!!!!"
"I don't know. You're in a alternate Solarplex!!" He replied.
I laughed. "An alternate Solarplex? You mean Universe!!" I was crying I was laughing so much.
"Okay, smarty pants! Sometimes it's possible. I've heard that if you concentrate hard enough you can move objects. But take it easy, it's very tiring."
"Most people get a Guardian Angel. I get a kid younger than me." I said giggling.
"You laugh now, but just wait till you cross over to here, I'll show you who's a kid."
I looked at the kid and said, "I have to go. Will you be back here tomorrow??"
"Only if I come here on my own and mom won't let me do that."
"Sneak out? I'll be back tomorrow, see you then?" I went to find somewhere to try out some new skills, if I had them that is. Boy this is hard! I tried to move little things at first, then to see if I could move on to bigger stuff. I was getting tired and aggravated at the same time when I kicked a rubber thingamabob and it moved. I don't know how long I tried to shift this thing again, but it seemed like forever. I sat down to rest. I mean even spirits need energy. After a short rest I tried again. It was getting dark before I could really say I was making progress. Now it was dark and I didn't have a clue as to what I was going to do till daybreak. I went walking around town to look at the sights, as much as you can see in the dark.
I followed my nose to the smell of pizza. How could they make such a mistake? I asked myself more than anyone else.
Michael reappeared. "I'm sorry, David. I know this is hard for you, but you're just going to have to get used to it."
"Why? You make the mistake, and I'm the one who has to get used to it? You're an angel, why can't you help me?"
"I can't help you, I can advise you but not physically interfere. Maybe there was a reason this happened, maybe this really was a mistake. I don't know. I just know that there's no going back. You're here, so you'll just have to make the best of it . . . if there is one."
"I loved my mom and dad. They were good. So why? There are kids where bad things happens to them, yet you take me from where my life was okay."
"David, I don't know why. But crying about it isn't going to change it. Why don't you try and find people who are on your wavelength. I can't say any more, but maybe there was a reason. What will happen will happen. You and I have no say in what happens. At least you're not fully dead."
"Oh yeah!! I'm not fully dead. That helps. I can hear, I can see, but I can't have or even love my mom and dad anymore. Yeah, that really helps." With that I shot off in disgust....