In Heaven
By Anja Boyce
When God came down and told me I was going to heaven I was upset. I didn't wan to go to heaven yet. I didn't want to go to hell yet. I wanted to stay on earth with the people I loved but he told me I could watch them from heaven. As I floated up into the sky I watched the trees we used to climb and the dock we used to sit on. I spotted Vada. As she cried about my death I wanted to comfort her. I felt myself being carried away by what I assumed to be Angels and felt like I was leaving behind my angel on earth, my blood sister Vada. I wanted to marry her one-day. Not that she would ever have married me.
Heaven is further away than you think. The angels carried me through the clouds and being so high up in the sky, I felt warmth. Their touch was so gentle I would have barely known they were there if it wasn't for the light which shone from them. The bee stings didn't hurt anymore. They seemed to have disappeared. I could also see without my glasses now. I could see things clearer than ever before. My fear was gone and I was starting to feel a peace coming over me. I thought about how I would never be given the chance to get married. I would never have children or even graduate from school but that was all starting to matter less to me.
The higher I got, the more comfortable I felt. I suddenly heard peaceful music playing in my ears and I could hear water running. I had arrived at heaven. I was surprised to see that there were loads of children there my age. My heart hurt a little as I thought of why these children would be here. A little boy who must have been no older than five walked up to me and took my hand. He led me to a waterfall that I knew without being told that God created to purify the souls of those who had just passed on to heaven.
God allows everyone to go to his or her own funeral. He says that it's a good way for the person to come to terms with their death in the earth world and their new life beginning in heaven. He also says that it helps the person's loved ones to recover. They can sense that you are there. However when I went to my funeral I did not feel like Vada knew I was there at all.
I stood by my coffin and wondered where Vada was. When I saw her walking into the room my heart almost broke. Her face was red and tears were staining my angels face. She walked to my coffin; the room watched her silently as did I. She looked where my lifeless body lay and began to cry more. She told them to give me back my glasses and that I wouldn't be able to see. I started telling her that it didn't matter in heaven. I told her that I had perfect vision here but she couldn't hear me, or else she wouldn't listen.
God stood beside me. He told me to put my hand on her shoulder and that she would just know I was there. I did and she just cried more. As she ran out of the room, I felt no better than before. As I watched my relatives cry my one condolence was that I knew how loved I was, but being dead I felt useless. I felt like I hadn't helped anyone by being there. Although I knew I'd be happy in heaven, I felt like the sadness of my family would always be a burden to me. I felt like it was all my fault.
Months passed on earth and time floated in heaven, I couldn't watch earth although I missed it so much. I was too scared. I wanted to pretend that no one on earth missed me. One day God called on me and I went to speak to him. He said that he could tell I wasn't happy. He said that he felt maybe it hadn't been my time to go yet. I stubbornly agreed with him. He gave me permission to go down to earth again, to visit like I did during my funeral. I didn't accept straight away. I was scared that it would only make feel worse.
But when I refused God just nodded. He said that when I was ready I would go down to earth. He seemed so wise that I felt I had to believe him and he was right. The curiosity soon got to me. I had to see Vada again. I had to see if she was okay. I wanted to try and help her again this time.
I found her in the classroom where she learned to write her stories. She was standing at the front holding a piece of paper. I stood beside her and took her hand. As she read her poem aloud to the class I realised it was about me. It was beautiful and I was so proud of her for writing it. As I stood next to her listening to her words I suddenly understood that Vada wouldn't come to terms with my death until I was able to. I put my arm around her and whispered in her ear that I was alright and that everything would be okay.
As she read the final words of the poem I began to cry for the first time since my death.
"Weeping willow, stop your tears," she softly said, "for there is something to calm your fears. You think death has ripped you forever apart. But I know he'll always be in your heart"
She finished the poem and looked around the room. She looked stronger and I felt happier too. We walked out into the sunshine together for the last time. As she began to walk down the street, only then did I let go of her hand. God was there. I knew it was time for me to go. Comforted by the words of her poem I happily floated up to heaven thinking of all the good times I shared in my life.
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