Nan

“Come on, guys,” called Nan as she hurriedly pull her black wavy hair back into a ponytail. “We’re running late. I’ve got to get you guys to school.”

“Coming Nanny,” called Coral as her book-bag bounced on her back as she ran out of the house to the crew-cab. Nan quickly checked Coral’s pigtails before she lifted her to the back seats and secures her in her safety seat.

“Rob,” shouted Nan. “Rob!!!”

The teenager trudged out of the house yawning. Nan could tell he’d run his fingers through his jet black died hair but not actually combed it. But she didn’t have time to fuss at him about it.

“What’s with you this morning,” asked Nan as she pulled her petite-self up into the front of the crew-cab with Rob. She looks down frustrated because she can’t reach the pedals. The driver’s seat isn’t in the position she left it in. “What the hell,” she said frustrated.

“What’s wrong Nanny,” asked Coral from the back seat.

“My seat’s pushed too far back,” she explained as she readjusted the seat. “I guess your parents needed something and pushed it back before they left for the airport… There. That’s better.”

She pushed the start button. The engine made an attempt to turn over. The sick woo-woo sound it made caused Nan to slump in her seat. She looked up at the sky and asked, “Why me, Lord? Why me?”

“What’s wrong now Nanny,” asked Coral concerned.

Nan checked the gages in front of her. “Dead,” she said in disbelief. “How can it be dead? It still had more than half a charge when I came in last night. I shouldn’t have needed to plug it in to charge again until tonight.”

“Maybe you read it wrong,” suggested Rob hunching down in his seat.

Nan took a deep breath and blew it out. “Looks like we’re walking.”

“Why,” asks Rob. “Why can’t we just stay home? And isn’t it like a ten mile walk?”

“It’s not ten miles,” responded Nan as she got Coral from the back seat. “It’s not even five. I can walk ten miles in about an hour. I’ll call your schools and let them know your each going to be about a half hour late, but we’re on our way. I’m going to miss my class. After you’re both safely at school I’ll just stop at the farm on my way back to the house and take care of the errands I promised your father I’ld do after my class. Then I’ll call Charlie’s to come get the truck. They’re not open yet.”

Nan held Coral’s hand as they walked. Rob lagged behind them several paces.

“I hate this old bridge,” complained Nan as they walked across it.

“Why,” asked Coral.

“It’s too narrow and there’s no side walk for pedestrians,” answered Nan. “It’s way overdue for being replaced.”

“Why haven’t they replaced it,” asked Coral.

Nan shrugs, “They’re having trouble deciding the best time of year to work on it. Plus, while it’s out creates a long drive the long way around to get to town. They’ll get to it eventually.”

“Nanny,” Coral informs her, “Darla Dumas said you’re a dirty, mixed, nagger hoe. But I told her you’re not dirty. You take a shower every day. Rob always tries to peek at you while you’re showering.”

Nan looked back at Rob and gave him a sour look. Rob didn’t try to deny it. It was best not to tell a lie anywhere near Nan. Nan seemed to have a built in lie detector. It was best to keep your mouth shut. So he looked away like he didn’t hear his little sister tell on him.

Nan told Coral, “Don’t pay any attention to Darla or any of the other Dumas’s when they’re saying mean ugly things about people.” She’s sure the word Darla used wasn’t nagger. But Coral having never heard the ugly word before didn’t hear it correctly. “Besides, Darla doesn’t really know what she’s talking about. She’s just repeating the bad things she’s heard the grown-ups in her family say.” Then Nan muttered angrily to herself, “They’re not called Dumbasses for nothing.”

Rob caught Nan’s muttering and smiled amused. Nan tried to be kind and understanding to everyone. He knew she wasn’t mad at little Darla. She was just a seven year old like Coral. He knew Nan was irritated with the adults little Darla was stuck with as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Most towns had a town drunk. But the Dumas’s were their town’s drunks. They made their own moonshine because they were usually too broke to buy beer. Occasionally someone would give one of them a chance and hire one. But then have to fire them because they either showed up to work drunk, didn’t show up to work at all because they had gotten drunk or stole something from work or from someone else at work.

“Mrs. Carter, it’s Nan. Our truck is dead so I’m walking the children to school. I’m so sorry we’re running late. Do you need me to walk Rob all the way into the office… No… Thank you because I need to walk Coral all the way to her school. We’re at the end of the road now. Rob should be there in about five to ten minutes… Thank you, Mrs. Carter.”

Nan reaches out and slaps Rob in the back of his head as he walks past her and Coral. She can see the high school from where they’re standing.

“Ow,” exclaimed Rob as he grabbed his head. “What was that for?”

“For peeping at my while I’m showing.”

“But I’ve never managed to see anything,” responded Rob feeling like he didn’t deserve the slap because he never managed to get a good look at her goodies.

“And what would your uncle Harper do if he caught you trying to peek at me in the shower,” asked Nan.

“Rip my head off and pound me into non-existence,” answered Rob.

“Don’t do it anymore,” ordered Nan.

“I won’t,” answered Rob in a defeated tone. Then he headed for his high school.

Coral asked Nan, “Should I tell Uncle Harper Rob peaks at you in the shower?”

Nan shook her head, “As long as he doesn’t do it again no. If you see him doing again, then tell your Uncle Harper.”

About ten minutes later, Nan walked Coral into the office of the elementary school and announced, “Here we are. So sorry we’re late.”

The office attendant quickly checked Coral in, “Alright, all checked in Coral. You can go to class.”

Nan kissed Coral’s cheek. “Have a good day sweetie. See you after school.”

“Love you, Nan,” called Coral.

“Love you too, sweetheart,” called back Nan.

“Ruff morning Nan,” inquired the office attendant concerned.

Nan nodded, “My truck is dead. It didn’t hold its charge overnight. I’m missing my class at the university. I could try to catch the last ten to fifteen minutes of it but what would be the point in that. Rob’s being a brat because he thinks we should have all gone to the Science and Technology Conference together. He doesn’t get that just because it’s in a fancy hotel doesn’t mean there’s going to be time for fun. His parents and Harper will be stuck in conferences for the next two days. And some of it will be interesting, but a lot of it will be boring as hell.”

“Isn’t Mrs. Collins an attorney,” asked the attendant.

“Yes,” confirmed Nan. “Some kind of Amendment review coincides with the conference so she was able to travel with her husband and after they’ve both spent a boring day listening to law and science lectures, they’ll get to meet up for dinner and spend the night together. Harper will feel like he’s crashing their couple’s time at dinner, call me and give me all the boring details.”

“And your big day with Harper is coming up soon, right,” asked the attendant excited for Nan.

Nan smiled happily, “Yes, in two more months I will officially be Mrs. Harper Collins. Oh, and someone needs to go check on Darla Dumas at her home. She told Coral I’m a ‘dirty, mixed, nagger hoe.’ I’m afraid her father’s on a drunken bender again. I don’t know why when her mother left Daryl she didn’t take Darla with her.”

“Nagger hoe,” questioned the attendant.

“I don’t think the word Darla used was nagger, but that’s what Coral heard,” shares Nan.

“I’ll call family services and have someone check on them,” agrees the attendant. She knew just as well as Nan that when Darla began saying nasty things to other children things weren’t right at home.

Nan walked to the university farm to check on things like she promised her future brother-in-law. There were several different growing experiments taking place on the farm. The Amish and Mennonites that worked on the farm for extra money kept their distance from her at first. But now they smile and wave. After taking care of morning chores on their own farms, they come to the university farm to help out and earn extra cash for their families.

Nan grabbed a digital pad that Professor Collins left for her from the farm’s small front office and started to go through the items. She pulled out her phone.

“Cheryl? ... Cheryl, it’s Nan… I survived the morning. But my truck is dead. I had to walk the kids to school. Rob acted like he was dying the whole way. Could you send someone for my truck? … Thank you, Cheryl. I’ll be waiting to hear back from you… Yes, talk to you later.”

Nan continued to check the items on the list for her future brother-in-law. About half way through the list she saw something strange out of the corner of her eye.

“Are you alright Nandellei,” asked an Amish farmer concerned. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I feel like I just saw one,” responded Nan as she stared at the tiny house that sat in the middle of the farm. “No, one’s in the house, right Mr. Engle?”

“Nope,” answered Mr. Engle. “No one’s gone in for anything that I’ve seen. But a couple of the fellas think it’s haunted. One says he saw a woman. Another says he saw a man. I think it was just a trick of the light.”

Nan nodded agreeingly, “You’re right. I’ve just had a stressful morning and my eyes are playing tricks on me.”

“Where’s your truck, Nandellei,” asked Mr. Engle concerned.

Nan took a deep breath. “It didn’t hold its charge last night and was dead this morning. I had to walk the kids to school. Rob trudged the whole way like it was killing him. And we had to walk over that spooky old bridge. I’ll be glad when they replace that old thing. I always get a chill when I cross it.”

“But you made it here,” points out Mr. Engle.

Nan smiled at him, “Yes, thank goodness I did. I just hope whatever is wrong with my truck isn’t serious. Serious always equals expensive.”

“Aye-ya,” agreed Mr. Engle, “that’s always true.”

Nan got back to work. That strange trick of the light happened again. She stopped in the tiny house which mostly held supplies but was also set up for someone to stay in as an example of how little space a person actually needed. She got a chill.

“Nan,” said an old man’s voice.

Nan turned in the direction of the voice and saw Harper’s deceased father standing there. She opened her mouth to scream but he disappeared. Nan had helped care for him the last year of his life. She knew he was very dead.

“Nan, get a grip,” she told herself. “It’s a hot bath, chocolate ice cream and pajamas for you tonight. If my truck isn’t running in the morning, we’re not going anywhere.”

On her walk home, Nan came across the Wells’ boy, Tommy. The chubby ten year old was crying and covered in mud. Nan rushed to him and asked wide eyed, “Tommy, what happened?”

“I was walking to school and some older boys beat me up and shoved me into a mud puddle. Slapped mud on top of my head and threw mud balls at me. Called me names and stuff. Said I was soft like a girl. I finally got away and managed to hide from them. I guess they finally went to school.”

“Is your mother home,” asked Nan.

Tommy nodded, “She should be.”

“Come on I’ll walk you home.” Nan tried his home number but there was no answer. She hoped his mother had only stepped out briefly. She’ld take him home with her if she had to. But they would come to the little dirt road that led to his house before they came to her home.

They pause at the old bridge. Tommy told her, “I don’t like this bridge.”

“Me neither,” confessed Nan. “But we have to cross it to get home.”

About half way across the bridge, Nan heard a car coming. The curve and the trees kept her from seeing it right away. “Get behind me Tommy. A car is coming.”

Tommy let Nan guide him behind her. Then the rusty old El Camino came into view. Nan recognized everyone in it: Dale, Clyde and Daryl Dumas.

“Ten points,” she heard Dale yell to Clyde behind the steering wheel. Then the car sped up and swerved toward her and Tommy. Nan threw Tommy out of the way.

Nan found herself staring down at the old El Camino that seemed to be standing on its front end in the river. Water up to where the bottom of the windshield used to be. But the windshield is gone. The tail end of the vehicle is leaning on the bridge keeping it from falling down. The steering wheel is keeping Clyde’s head above water.

Nan rushed to Tommy in the center of the bridge where she tossed him. “Are you alright Tommy?”

Tommy nodded as he stood up, “Yeah, I think so. Are you alright Nan?”

“I don’t know how,” answered Nan, “But I’m fine. I was sure they were coming right at me.” She pulls out her mobile phone, “Better get some help,” and calls nine-one-one.

Nan answered all the dispatcher’s questions and soon heard sirens approaching. Tommy pointed and said, “Look.”

Nan looked and saw Daryl Dumas’s body floating face down, down the river. She hugged Tommy as she said softly, “Sweet Jesus have mercy.”

Soon there was an ambulance and police cruisers. Nan was answering questions as an EMT gave Tommy the once over. Tommy told the sheriff, “A body floated down the river.”

The sheriff looked at Nan who nodded and informed him, “It was Daryl Dumas.”

The sheriff shook his head sadly. He called to his deputy, “Mike, get a tow truck here ASAP. We need to get this heap out of the river. Once we have it out of the river we can see if Dale and Clyde are still alive.”

Nan informed the sheriff, “I think they were trying to run us over. One of them shouted, ‘ten points.’ Then the vehicle sped up and came straight at us. I tossed Tommy out of the way. But I was right here and I didn’t have time to get out of the way. I was sure it was going to hit me. I don’t know how they missed me. But then I was looking down at their vehicle sticking out of the river like you see it.”

The sheriff called to a couple of officers, “I need one of ya’ to walk down each side of the river a ways. See if you can spot Daryl’s body. Hopefully it’s gotten caught up on something and not gotten far.”

Each officer started down each side of the river. One stopped not very far away from where the sheriff was talking with Tommy and Nan. He called, “Sheriff?”

“What is it,” asked the sheriff.

“I found someone,” answered the officer.

“Daryl,” questioned the sheriff not expecting it to be Daryl.

“No,” answered the officer.

“What,” asked the sheriff, “Don’t tell me you found some random body.”

“Not exactly,” responded the officer.

“Is it recognizable,” asked the sheriff.

“Yes,” answered the officer.

“Do you know who it is,” asked the sheriff.

“Yes,” answered the officer, “but you’re not going to believe it.”

“Well who is it,” asked the sheriff.

The officer looked spooked as he answered, “It’s Nan.”

“What,” Nan and the sheriff both asked in disbelief.

The sheriff headed to take a look at what couldn’t possibly be Nan because he was talking to her. Nan told Tommy to stay with the EMTs and followed the sheriff.

The sheriff stood there with his mouth agape as he stared at Nan’s body. The Dumas brothers hadn’t missed her. They hit her straight on and sent her body flying across the river where it landed here on the other side amongst some trees and bushes.

Nan shook her head in disbelief as she looked at her own body. “No,” she said as she stared at her lifeless body. She began to cry, “No. This can’t be happening. Harper and I are getting married. No.” Then she disappeared right before their eyes.

The years passed quickly. Tommy Wells became a man, married and had a family of his own. His son TJ told him, “But she’s a ghost. Right Dad?”

Tommy tried to think how to explain, “I don’t think she’s a ghost the way most people think of. She saved my life. And now she watches over the bridge here to make sure children make it safely across it. She’s a good person that still tries to help others when she can.”

“Why didn’t you tell mom the lady she saw was a ghost,” asked TJ.

“Your mother doesn’t believe in such things,” answered Tommy. “And not everyone can handle meeting Nan.”

“Is that you, Tommy Wells,” asked Nan.

Tommy smiled at her, “Yes, Nan. It’s me.” She looked just the same as the day she died. Same clothes and everything. “And this is my boy, TJ.”

Nan smiled at TJ, “It’s good to meet you TJ.”

“You don’t look dead,” stated TJ.

Nan shrugged, “But I died.”

“Can I touch you,” asked TJ.

“Sure,” answered Nan.

TJ touched her hand. “You’re warm like you’re alive.”

Nan sighs, “I feel like I’m still alive. But I know I’m not.”

“What happened,” asked TJ. “Why are you here? Why didn’t you go to heaven?”

Nan shrugs, “I’m not sure. I seem to be stuck here. I’ve tried walking home. But I don’t get very far. Then I’m suddenly back in the middle of the bridge. Doesn’t matter which direction I go. I can only go so far then I’m back on the bridge. I’ve even jumped off it a couple of times only to find myself right back on it.”

“Do you get cold and hungry,” asked TJ.

Nan shook her head, “No. I’m never cold now. And I don’t get hungry either. I don’t get wet when it rains or anything like that.”

“So where are you when no one can see you,” asked TJ.

“Sometimes I’m just watching,” answered Nan. “I can see into the park they built here and I like to watch the children play. But usually I’m sleeping. Or at least it feels like sleeping to me. And when someone needs help, I come help them. And when I feel someone who loves me is here, I come see them. Then I go back to sleep until I’m needed or wanted again.”

Nan spotted a car coming across the bridge. It’s not the same one she died on. That bridge had to be replaced after she died. The Dumas brothers’ vehicle did a lot of damage to the old bridge that was already in need of replacing. The new bridge is at least twice as wide as the old one. It has a sidewalk on both sides and a bike lane on both sides of the two lane bridge. Before it barely qualified as a two lane bridge. The car parked across the street from where Nan is talking with Tommy and his son. She lights up at the sight of the driver who’s getting out. It’s her Harper. Harper is no longer a young man, but he’s still a beautiful blond Adonis to Nan. He has a cane and Nan rushes to help him to her side of the street where there’s a very nice bench that he had placed there in her honor. It has an image of her and her name on it.

“Harper,” says Tommy concerned. “You look like hell man. Should you be out and about like this?”

Harper responds, “Cancer will do that to you. I assure you I feel just as bad as I look. And if Coral had her way I would do nothing but lay in bed waiting to die. But Rob’s not the only one that can sneak out, steal a car and go for a joy ride. Of course it’s my car, so it’s technically not stealing. And I always come here so it’s not like she won’t be able to find me when she realizes I’m not in my room waiting to die.”

Harper was nearly 6’6” in his prime. He played football and had been nicked named The Blond Adonis. Nan had initially tried to shoo him away when he tried to talk to her. She couldn’t imagine what such a tall gorgeous man would want to do with her. And she had been sure he was probably nothing but shallow and in love with himself. But they had a few classes together and Nan learned he was nothing but gentle, kind and intelligent. He wasn’t full of himself at all and quickly stole her heart. To Harper, Nandellei Nelson was the most beautifully exotic woman he had ever met. She was seriously studious and the one person he was sure was actually more intelligent than his older brother. And when she smiled, her whole face lit up and Harper knew she was the one the first time he saw her smile and that no one else would due.

“Harper,” Nan told him as they sat together on the bench, “you should probably be resting. You should have at least accepted treatment.” Cancer has taken its toll on Harper. He’s severely hunched over. His hair is completely grey and he’s extremely thin because he’s terribly underweight.

“Nan, that would only postpone the inevitable,” reminded Harper. “I have the same incurable cancer as my mother. Beside, I’m ready to be with you.”

Nan huffs frustrated, “You should have at least them try. They may have discovered something that would help someone else. You should have stopped coming here to me. You should have met someone else gotten married and had a family. You don’t know what’s going to happen when you die. We don’t know why I’m stuck here like this.”

Harper smiled at her lovingly, “I love you too Nan. You’re my soulmate. My life has been incomplete without you there everyday to boss me around.”

“I’m not bossy,” denied Nan.

Harper smiled even wider at her as he leaned into her arms, “Sometimes I tell myself things like, ‘Harper, your dirty clothes don’t belong on the floor. What do you think we have laundry baskets and hampers for,’ just because I miss you. So since I didn’t get to spend my life properly with my soulmate, the powers that be better let me spend eternity with her. If they don’t, they’re not going to like me. You know what a pain in the ass I can be sometimes.”

Nan smiled lovingly at him as a tear ran down her round tan cheek, “A suborn pain in the ass when you set your mind to it… I love you Harper.”

Harper wiped the tear from her cheek, “My beautiful Nan.” He closed his eyes contentedly. Then his head slumped forward.

“Dad,” questioned TJ scared.

Silent tears started to leak from Tommy’s eyes. Then his eyes grew wide with amazement as Nan stood up from the bench. And as she stood, Harper stood up from his body holding her petite hands. He was free of that frail sick body and back in his prime like he was when he met Nan. Sparkles and butterflies rained down over them and they weren’t in normal clothes anymore. Nan’s wavy black hair cascaded down her back. The clothing she was wearing the day she died were replaced by a long white gown. And Harper’s clothes were replaced by similar style white clothing.

Harper asked, “Nan, when did you get wings?”

Nan answered smiling, “The same time you got yours.”

Harper looked over his shoulder and said surprised, “Oh.”

“What’s happening Dad,” asked TJ.

“I’m not sure son,” answered Tommy.

Then a bright light in the shape of a door appeared. Tommy questioned, “You’re both going home now?”

Harper nodded, “Yes, we’re going together.”

Tommy asked, “Do you know why Nan was stuck here like she was?”

Harper and Nan both nodded as he answered, “We both know now.”

“Why,” asked Tommy. “What went wrong?”

Nan answered, “I wasn’t supposed to die that day. We all come into the world with an approximate expiration date. It wasn’t my time. Our free will caused a mix up. And I got stuck in a sort of limbo because I was supposed to have a long life with Harper. But we can both go home now. Take care Tommy Wells. We’ll meet again.”

As they passed through the light door, there was a blinding flash and they were gone. It was something you could actually feel. They were gone.

A little girl lost and afraid in the woods looks up at a man and woman hiker. The woman ask her, “Are you lost Reba?”

The little nods and asks, “How do you know my name?”

The woman smiles. “I’m Nan. I know the names of all the children who live around here. I know your father TJ Wells. And your grandfather Tommy and I are very old friends.”

“Are you sure you’re not bad people trying to trick me,” asks the little girl.

Nan smiles amused, “Do my husband and I feel bad to you?”

“No,” answers the little girl.

“Come Reba Wells,” says Nan as she picks her up. “Let’s get you back to your family.”

They walk for a while and finally step out of the woods by Nan’s old bench. Nan sits little Reba Wells on the bench. Then she and Harper sit on the bench too.

Reba touches the image of Nan and tells her, “You look like her.”

Nan and Harper both smile amused as Nan says, “Do I?”

Reba nods. “Grandpa says she was a really nice lady. That she saved his life when he was a little boy.”

Nan nods, “She did.”

“Are you her ghost,” asks Reba suspiciously.

Nan and Harper both giggle a little. But Nan shakes her head, “I’m not a ghost. I was never a ghost. But that’s what some people thought. I even thought that for a little while. Now I’m just an old friend who drops by when I’m needed.”

“Who needed you today,” asks Reba.

“You did,” answers Nan smiling brightly with Harper.

They hear family, friends and searchers calling Reba’s name. Harper stands and calls out to them, “She’s here! … She’s here at Nan’s bench!”

The first one to come bursting out of the forest is Tommy Wells. Relief covers his face. “Reba, thank goodness you’re safe.”

Reba hugs Tommy around his neck tightly, “This nice lady and her husband found me.”

Tommy looks at the man and woman who at first just appear to be hikers. But then he realizes he knows them. Tommy questions in disbelief, “Nan? … Harper? … Is that really you?”

Nan and Harper both nod as Harper confirms, “Yes, Tommy Wells, it’s really us.”

“It’s been so long,” says Tommy. “No one has seen you in years except the occasional small child who says you helped them find their way out of the woods.”

“We’re not needed here often,” responds Nan happy to see Tommy. “But we do come when we’re needed.”

“Dad,” questions TJ looking at Tommy as if he’s sprouted a second head.

“Look Daddy,” directs Reba, “Grandpa’s friends found me.”

“Who the hell are you people,” asks TJ concerned.

“I know it’s been a long time,” acknowledges Nan. “But we did meet when you were a little boy. I’m Nan and this is my husband, Harper.”

“It’s good to see you again TJ,” acknowledges Harper. “I’m sorry we weren’t properly introduced the first time we met. But I was just a little preoccupied at that time.”

“You were dying,” states TJ with feeling as other friends, family and searchers reach them. “I was nine. And I watched you sit right there and die.”

“I’m sorry if that was traumatic for you TJ,” apologizes Harper sincerely. “I just wanted to be with my Nan. I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be here. And I was so exhausted from the cancer. But what you may perceive as the end of life here is the beginning elsewhere.”

“You go to heaven after you die right,” questions Reba.

“Heaven isn’t exactly the right way to describe it,” shares Nan. “But upon finishing life here, good people relocate to where we now exist and bad people are elsewhere. And it is very beautiful, but it is not work free. This small area is ours to look after. It was originally part of a larger area that was overseen by another being. But when I was stuck here, the being couldn’t gain access to this area. I was in the way. But Harper and I have been allowed to continue to oversee this area.”

“Being,” questions a woman. “What do you mean ‘being’? Like God?”

Nan shakes her head, “There is no God the way it is taught here. But there are great spirits, great intelligences, that watch over lesser beings here and on other worlds. They cannot interfere in your free will, but they watch and they guide by giving good feelings about things to those that are sensitive to them to help them make the right choice. But they can’t do anything about those who always choose selfishly.”

“Are you saying there’s no plan for us,” ask a man. “That it doesn’t matter. That everything is just random shit and it’s hopeless?”

Nan shakes her head, “Not at all. There is a plan and that is for lesser beings to grow into good beings and move to the next plain of existence as we have. And what you think of as heaven we simply call home.”

“For most of us,” adds Harper, “Dying isn’t losing someone we love because they will be home waiting for you to arrive.”

TJ points out, “You said for most of us. That means we all don’t make it to where you are. What happens to them? Are those the people that go to hell?”

“Technically,” explains Harper, “there’s not a hell the way you think of it. But bad people, evil people, cannot come home. They’re not ready.”

“So what happens to them,” asks TJ. “What happens to the ones that aren’t ready?”

“That depends,” responds Nan. “For evil people, they find themselves in a prison of their own making. And they will remain in that prison until they are truly remorseful and come to see the error of their ways. Then they are sent back here or another world for another chance to get it right. For those who are not ready because they simply died young and hadn’t gained enough life experience, they return here or arrive on another planet to continue their growth. But sometimes the very young are ready.”

“What makes one ready,” asks Tommy.

“Acceptance of self is one,” explains Nan. “Some people think one’s soul for lack of a better term is a certain gender or a certain race when it’s more accurate to say that a soul is clear, genderless and formless. So when people get hung up on a physical trait or traits, they are failing to accept their present self. Acceptance of others no matter what their present form is the next requirement. There are no bigots where we exist. There’s no room for those with that mental disorder because there are more than just human beings as you know them where we exist now. And most importantly, selflessness. You have to be able to put others before yourself willingly and without reservation or hesitation.”

“Like you did for me when you saved my life,” notes Tommy. “But you got stuck. You were stuck here for nearly thirty years. You said the last time I saw you that you were stuck. And you got stuck because you weren’t supposed to die that day.”

Nan nods, “Someone else was supposed to die that day. I was supposed to be here with Harper and discover a cure for the type of cancer he had. Now it will be several more generations before someone discovers that cure. But it will still be discovered.”

“Someone else was supposed to die,” states Tommy wondering. “Who was supposed to die that day instead of you?”

Nan informs him, “You were supposes to die that day Tommy Wells. You were ready. You had fully accepted yourself. You were fully accepting of others. And you were a generous selfless little boy.”

Tommy feels guilty, “But when you sacrificed yourself for me, you got cheated out of a happy life with Harper. Harper wasn’t the same without you. And you were studying to be a doctor. How many people have suffered and died because you saved me and you weren’t available to help them?”

Nan informs him, “That’s not important Tommy Wells. No one’s time here is unlimited. Everyone’s time here has to end. Some just sooner than others. Some go so quickly like I did that they don’t even realized they passed at first, not until they see their own body. Some not so quickly and are grateful when it’s time to go home. Some will get a redo because they’re not ready. And some will be stuck in a prison of their own making until they are ready for a redo. And they will likely be very different from the person they were before. Their ties to their previous family are lost. They basically have to start all over again. And while they are unable to remember their previous life, some fundamental lessons will stick with them. They often get referred to as old souls.”

“And now you’re going to take my father away from us,” states TJ upset.

“TJ,” Tommy tells his oldest, “they came to help Reba.”

“Dad,” insist TJ, “look at yourself.”

“What’s wrong,” asks Tommy. “Do I have a flagger hanging out of my nose?”

Reba informs Tommy, “Grandpa, your grey hair and wrinkles are all gone.”

“What,” asks Tommy who starts by looking at his hands and finds they aren’t the hands of an old man anymore. And he realizes he has no aches nor pains of any kind. He feels better than he’s ever felt before in his life. He looks at Nan and Harper and ask, “What’s happening to me?”

Harper points as he informs Tommy, “You passed away over there a few minutes ago. But you were so intent on getting to Reba and it happened so fast, you didn’t even realize it happened.”

 “Am I going to be stuck here like you were Nan,” ask Tommy concerned.

Nan shakes her head, “Not at all. You were ready a long time ago. And your wife Sylvia is waiting for you to come home.” She looks at his oldest, “I’m sorry this upsets you TJ. But look at it this way, your father was ready as a boy and got an unintended extension that gave you the blessing of having him for a father. He’s more than earned his place at home where your mother is waiting for him. And they’ll be waiting for you along with many other loved ones when it’s your time to come home.”

TJ complains, “It just doesn’t seem fair.”

Nan informs him, “That’s because you’re not quite ready yet yourself. When your time comes you’ll realize that the end of this existence is the beginning of a new existence and that transition is something that should be celebrated, not mourned.”

The doorway of light appears. Tommy is unafraid. He can feel his Sylvia on the other side waiting for him. He doesn’t look back. There’s a blinding flash of light as Nan and Harper follow him through the door.

Many claim the bridge is haunted. They say a woman and a man come when someone is lost to help them find their way home. But no one is afraid because it’s just Nan with her husband Harper. And few believe the stories about the door of light. They just know when a child gets lost near that bridge, they always say Nan helped them find their way back.