In the Heavens Above…
Two angels are looking down on Earth observing humans the way angels often do in their free time. During their human lives they had used the names Allie Caufield and James Castle. Both had died young and were watching a young man they had both once known. His name was Holden Caufield.
Allie:
He's wasting his life away.James:
He's lost his way. That's all.Allie:
You for one should know the consequences of going astray.James:
Okay, okay I admit that jumping out the window was not exactly a rational or enlightened action. I was stubborn. You need not worry about Holden though. He won't do anything he can't fix later.Allie:
You don't know Holden. He's confused now. There is nothing stopping him from doing something rash.James:
Nonsense, he's a very intelligent and rational boy.Allie:
He's intelligent. You have that right. He doesn't give himself enough credit in that respect but intelligence isn't the only factor. You can be intelligent and still be emotionally unstable. I have a right to be worried.James:
Sure you do but I simply don't see a need to worry.Allie:
I don't think you're tuning into his brainwaves. He's thinking about sitting on an atomic bomb. Who in his right mind thinks about things like that?James:
I must have missed that part. Surely he wasn't seriously considering it?Allie:
That's just the problem. He was. If there's another war he wants to go out and sit on an atomic bomb so that he needn't be in the army. He's suicidal, I swear.James:
You're getting yourself all worked up for nothing. It was probably just a passing thought. Everyone has them.Allie:
Maybe you're right. I worry too much about him.James:
That's the spirit. Relax. Don't get emotionally involved.Allie:
I can't help feeling involved. We were so close. I always find myself wishing he would make better use of his life. Life is short.James:
I forget that you didn't die on your own accord as I did. You wish you had been given more time, don't you?Allie:
Yeah, I guess that's it. It all ended so quickly. I didn't have chance to live life to it's fullest and I want Holden to get all the things I didn't have a chance to get out of life.James:
You miss him, don't you?Allie:
Sure I do. I miss him plenty and you can tell he misses me too. He's always thinking about me. He wrote a descriptive composition on my baseball mitt.James:
You'll be seeing him soon.Allie:
You don't mean…James:
(nodding solemnly) He's only a few months left, a year at most.Allie:
Why? What's wrong with him?James:
His lungs don't tell me you didn't notice. It's that smoking. It ruins your health. Haven't you noticed that he's always out of breath? Sometime soon his lungs are just going to collapse.Allie:
I suppose I've been avoiding the facts. It is obvious, isn't it?James:
Now I wish I hadn't mentioned it. Don't dwell on it. This is heaven. You're supposed to be happy.Allie:
He's not ready to die.James:
Neither were you. Forget it.Allie:
I can't. What about mother? She's still mourning me. If Holden dies she'll have two sons to mourn. She'll be overwhelmed with pain.James bends over to adjust the view of Earth so that Mr. and Mrs. Caufield are in plain view.
James:
Look at her. She's fine. Sure she sad sometimes, but she hasn't forgotten how to have fun. She'll be fine.Allie:
Yes, she'll be fine. They'll be fine. I'm overreacting like usual.~ 1 year later at St. Peter's Gate ~
Allie:
Welcome to heaven Holden.