Chapter 2

The Day Of Joys.

Episode 1 – The Dawn Into A New Life

The day of Promise is at hand. Little Daniel is sitting in his Heavenly crib, reaching high for his grandmother's arms to accept him so. Her youthful look is by law the manner of all Heaven's inhabitants; no more than twenty-five, she looks. Daniel seems to be the boy in play; no apparent danger made; though by his childlike grin he knows the mother to his mother.

There are shadows of emotions which ebb and flow about her expression. Of joy and of remise; of hope and of regret; of beholding and of sadness; of tenderness and of fret. The circumference and range yet in her display gave the frank nature that her gain is the tragic loss to the daughter and son-in-law she loved. If but for a way to send love and message to them that little Daniel is safe. Heaven does not allow. There came to her a loving husband; Daniel's grandfather. His eyes in glow with sweet embrace sitting on his face much the same. They collapse together in hug and matrimony; to be led away from this home in Heaven and out along forests and lawns of pure green and vibrancy

"Ethan," the grandmother did look to her spouse, "I did send way to them, but they could not hear. I do wish that sorrow does not prevail to end their happiness so…"

"They will survive…" he returned.

"The loss of a child is great," she stalled and looked to him in a longing and yearning fashion, "no grievance is greater in earthly life."

"Joy supplants sorrow," he smiled.

"To know what end is here," she looked about in wonderment, "the simple Truth of everlasting life; the scope is never ending. The journeys; the travels; so far to reach, their minds cannot bend to see, what faith and imagination do not even allow."

"Still," he comforted her, "it is their born travels on earth which we can't shield them from… We did as best as we could. Their lives are theirs to live in…"

"I would rather hold them now," she still supposed, "and gift them some freedom to enjoy, even a moment with their son."

She looked down on little Daniel.

"To see their son," she clung to the child, "To know his eyes; the touch of his look to theirs'; the bounty and mirth with that connection. There is wonderment that links us all… There is such loving emotion in so a simple gaze as this. How can we not abandon him; even as we are the generation beyond his own parents; John and Mary, of least in all, do not deserve such a vacancy as this… I can't see the pain which they are forced to cling to, though how do I wish to suspend it forever, and so capture the hurt it kills them with…"

"As forever life as there is here," he came to hug her closely now, "and by faith in God will they suspend such pain… There is the gift in all this."

"To be with Daniel again…"

"Yes…" he directed her stare as they began to walk freely along the pathway to some clearance, "and when 'forever' comes, they will know more than imagination can show…"

The expansive meadow gleamed high and long; rolling through to the vast lands of Heaven and beyond. The shoulders of which were as massive and as extreme as any. The long rainbow colors to the sky trickled down in shadows and bright spots. The waves of gentle winds crisscrossed the long blades of grass and curled them into gentle sways; cutting a variety of colors as they went. The empty shadows blew in quiet disarray and made all the lands alive with its long, flowing breath. As if God's hand were brushing through.

Mountains cut the views in every direction; the silhouette of each was like a stitch and line drawn throughout the landscape. Waterfalls, timber forests, valleys and hilltops roamed the world of Heaven with a natural blanket of beautiful gardens.

Angels were fully in play to the skies above; in circles and loops, darting with the patterns of an archaic game only they knew. The land dwellers below mingled about until this trio appeared from the dense forest. The celebration would soon begin.

"Lauren," one came to her and stared, "Is it true?"

"True to what?" the grandmother couldn't speculate.

"He is the chosen one," she responded.

"Chosen..." Ethan replied.

"I have heard the chosen one was soon to be born."

"For what in purpose?" Lauren pressed further.

"The thirteenth," she returned, "it is long written the thirteenth will be born."

"It can not be," Ethan remarked.

"Why," she quickly spoke, "I am sure of this…"

They could see some of the angels were beginning to land and assemble.

"It is his birthday," the woman, of mutual age, looked glowingly down on little Daniel, "It is a blessed child; a blessed event. Oh! What Joy! The thirteenth has come!"

"This can not be so…" Lauren seemed concerned by this.

"How can this not!" She looked to embrace her friend, and so whisper into Lauren's ear, "He is of child… All others born in birthday come not like him…You are blessed! He is the thirteenth… There can be no other!"

The angels moved to slowly come closer; bow in reverence, and look to them with curious expressions. Now to these angels, they were elite in size and strength, some reaching as high as ten feet; athletic, supreme in length and agility. Their faces were long and cut as if by a powerful sword; eyes of gold that sparkled when they looked straight upon their targets. Hands as large as small boulders, with vice grips that could crush the girth of a grizzly. Many wore breastplates of pure gold, with swords and sheaths like scabbards drawn over the length of their backs. Of which, all were made from pure gold. Others had shields as long and as large as a normal, earthly man; swung about their rears and tethered by rope twined in pearls and diamonds with glitter boxes of infinite shine.

Their wings were their most distinctive, majestical feature to impose. Large and engrossing as these twin towers rose in high arch above their galactic heads. When they spread to unfurl about, they would stretch twice to the length of the angel themselves, and make a sound as if a heavy wind were in blow and just went by. Such an expansive and graceful creature of God when they released themselves in full length; wings spread wide with those pointed ends; smooth, white and akin to clouds with sprays as long as the forever skies.

One came forward.

His eyes graced a look down on little Daniel; a look which moved to enlighten his expression replete in a happy smile.

"Do grace me," he looked at Lauren, "may I… hold him?"

"Of certain," she released Daniel to him.

He paused and gave his full concentration on this little child; the wonderment, the glassy stare which penetrated the look which sat between them that they shared. He marveled like a child with a new found toy sitting by his bedside when he awoke on a young Christmas day.

"God is my judge," he smiled briefly, laughed in a short stint with his large mouth gaping free, "Daniel… It is good to see you…"

More angels came to his side and they too, looked below to Daniel with wonderment.

"The thirteenth warrior…" another spoke out.

"Will he fly?" Yet another angel leaned over to inspect Daniel.

"Of certain," one spouted, "and the fastest ever…"

"I see no wings," another proclaimed.

"In time," the one holding him stated, "You will see…"

A glance and a spray of sunshine sped across his expression as he yielded and returned Daniel to his grandmother. The three moved forward only to be met by more congratulations and well wishers. You see; in the lands of Heaven there is no age; no time spent. Tomorrow is as of today, and yesterday is as of the same. Nothing to grow old or whither by; no death employed to sentence those to some other end. Life; as to be always and forever, endures well in these lands.

Author's Notes:

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