The Aftermath
Bill Parrish turned to the figure beside him, the man he had known briefly as Joe Black. The business man watched as Death gave the one from the coffee shop back his life and sent him on his way meet his daughter, Susan Parrish, on the other side of the bridge.
"There," Death said, as they both stared after him. "It's done. I'm satisfied." He turned to Bill, but it was not in the form of the beautiful blond hair man who had been his constant companion for several days. "You have nothing to fear. Everyone will accept him and no one will be the wiser."
"Why is that?" Bill asked. "Will my daughter be happy? Are you able to see into the future?"
Death had taken on another form, a ghostly image of shapes and figures, as Bill had first seen him before Death had taken the body of the coffee shop kid.
"In a way, Bill," Death whispered, as he bade the businessman to follow him. Before Bill's eye's, Death transformed into a older white haired gentlemen. He was dressed in a suit and tie, like the businessmen Bill had dealt with throughout his career. "Come," Death said, with a wave of his hand, "we must reach the final destination of our journey. We are late now. You will see clearly when we reach there. There is a lot to explain and a lot to show you."
Bill hardly noticed the changes around him as they walked forward. The familiar feel of the real world was gone and it seemed as if he was in some kind of dream. Their world was now stark white with no colors whatsoever.
"Ah, here we are, finally," his companion said and Bill looked at his new surroundings. They were standing in front of a small house situated on a cliff overlooking a beach; the blue green waves lapping at the shoreline. The sun was just starting to set and the sky was a magnificent red.
"This will be your home, Bill. There will be visitors from time to time, to keep you company and to get you acclimated to your new surroundings and your new job. I'm sure you'll fit right in." Death smiled. "I think you will enjoy it here. "
Bill Parrish smiled. He was already getting used to the differences and found he could get used to this way of life. Surely it wouldn't be the same as his time on Earth, but a man need a change and this would suit him very well. Very well indeed.
"Look down, Bill," Death instructed and Bill did as he was told. The scene below him had changed from a lovely beach into something familiar, something that he had just left.
"That's my…" Bill answered. He was a little confused. He looked away and focused on the eyes of the man next to him, but Death smiled and shook his head. "Keep looking down, Bill. You asked me if I could see the future. Well, now is the time for explanations and reflections."
"Yes, Bill," Death explained. "That is your country mansion. Look at your daughter, Susan." He pointed downward. Bill saw that she was holding hands with the coffee shop guy and introducing him around.
"Funny, the name you made up, Joe Black? Well, that was his real name so no one will be surprised when she introduces him. He will be accepted by everyone, Bill, so you will not have to worry. Look there, Allison and Quince are meeting them now. He will keep her happy, Bill and she will want for nothing, I will see to that. Her life will be full, from kids to grandkids, you will see it all. Quince and Joe will take over your business and you'll watch it grow and prosper under their capable hands.
Bill looked up at the man by his side. Death had transformed once again, this time into a younger man, the suit discarded. This time he was dressed more casually, tee shirt and jeans; a baseball cap sat on his head.
Death smiled. "Look down again, Bill. This time, you will see that the party is over. The caretaker will discover your body. You were so tired from your walk that you fell asleep in the boathouse. The autopsy will reveal that you died of a stroke and you went peacefully in your sleep." He pointed downward again and Bill followed his finger.
"Here is your funeral, Bill, buried right next to your wife. She will be visiting you in a few days time and, if you two wish it, will be together once more, but that is a decision that you two will have to make."
"Your mansion will become the Bill's Place, a hospice where adults and children alike can enjoy their last days. This comes about because a family member will develop an incurable disease and he will spend his last days there. Susan will recall how much she loved growing up there and wanted everyone to experience her love of the place. It will be run jointly by the Parrish sisters; Susan and her staff of highly trained doctors and Allison who will keep the books while she oversees the entire operation."
"Can you tell me who that family member will be?"
Death smiled. "Yes, Bill, I can. It will not be pleasant news, but it will be your personal butler, James. I believe he was the one who introduced me to peanut butter."
Bill smiled and shook his head. He hadn't how much he had depended on that man. Yes, he could be considered a family member. Bill had always considered James a friend more than a servant and loved him as the brother he never had.
Death smiled. "Your penthouse in the city will be transformed into a place of meetings and family get-togethers, a final tribute to you, Bill. There will always be a family member living within its walls."
"And the children you mentioned?"
Death nodded. "Susan and Joe will have four children, two girls and two boys. Two of them will share their mother's love of medicine while the other two will become business people. Your younger grandchild, the Black's older daughter, will become the first woman CEO. You will be proud of her."
"What of Allison and Quince? What happens to them?"
"They will adopt two little girls; twins for that matter. They will make excellent parents and they will love them until the end of their days."
"And Drew?"
Death chuckled a bit. "What about him? He has been blackballed from every major business, including John Bontique. He's left New York to find another job but is having a hard time finding someone to trust him. No one will ever trust or hire him again, no matter where he goes. In the end, he will become distrustful and bitter and will die a broken man in prison."
"What will happen to me?"
"You will be helping me, Bill. You will be instruct others how this process works, showing them what I just showed you, explaining to them what happens when they pass through these portals. I will also need someone who can organize these souls and disperse them to every corner of the globe and to maintain that business. This will leave me free to perform other important tasks. You have a great business sense and a way to instruct, Bill. You are an honest and faithful man and I see much potential in you, which is why I took you so early."
"What if my wife decides to join me?"
"It will a joint decision, Bill, and has to be honest and agreeable to one another. Not all married couples on Earth stay together here. Many have found other partners or have nothing in common anymore. Most of it how the two of your lived your life on Earth. If you decide to be together than your life here is set. You two will share Eternity together. I cannot predict the outcome."
Death smiled and with a wave of his hand, Earth disappeared and the calm, serene water returned. "So now you know everything and I've explained it all. I've shown you everything and now it's time for me to take my leave of you, at least temporarily."
"One more question if I may?" Bill asked, looking into Death's eyes. "I will be able to follow my children's progress as they grow old? Will everything you just told me come true?"
Death stared at him. "That's actually two questions, but for the most part, the answer is yes. Everything will transpire as I have relayed it to you. You will watch them grow and you will continue to watch your family until you desire it no longer. I can tell you no more except to say that as you learn and grow here, you will gain all the information you seek. You will find that you will lack for nothing."
And then Death was gone, leaving Bill Parrish to ponder. It seemed that his companion had known all about him, his secrets, his desires and his needs. He had no doubt that he would happy and he would be here as he had been on Earth.
With a crooked smile and a sigh, he turned and headed for his new home.
Somehow, Bill Parrish had known that he had lucky all his life and he would carry that same luck with him, even in death.