TIME TRAVEL
I felt very strange when my eyes first opened, and I realized I was still in my own bed. Had I been dreaming? I felt a sensation of energy flowing out of my body, and it left me very lifeless. I had dreams like everyone else, but if this was a dream it was completely different than any previous one. I decided to stay in bed until my strength returned. As I gazed into the darkness of my bedroom, I remembered everything I had dreamed. I was floating over a small community I had grown up in. It was like I had complete control over my flying in the air. I could get as close to the ground as I wanted, and I could direct which way I would go simply by thinking of it. Everything was so real, I could even feel the hot, summer breeze softly touching my face. I felt very free and happy.
I had not been back to the place of my birth in over fifty years. I had a feeling of being home. I spotted the country store where I had bought candy as a child. The next thing I knew I was gliding toward the store and hovering just a few feet away. Miss Morris came out of the store. She was an old lady that owned the store and lived across the road in a small, white house with an iron fence that wrapped completely around the yard. She had a broom in her hands and started sweeping the dry, hard earth. I was so happy to see her that I cried out, "Hello Miss Morris, how are you? Do you remember me?" She just kept on sweeping and I realized she could not see or hear me. I did not feel sad because everything for some reason seemed right. I noticed Miss Morris looked the same as when I was a small lad. She had a dress on which almost reached her ankles, and over the dress was a white, starched apron the same lenght. Her steel, gray hair was wrapped in a bun neatly perched high on top of her head.
She had always been a proud woman over the fact she was able to work and support herself after her husband had keeled over dead from a heat stroke. My mind suddenly went back to my childhood. Miss Morris was always so good to me. Since she was childless, she treated all the children of West Robbins as her own. She would always let me do odd jobs for her so I could earn a little money. It feels so good to be able to see her again. It broke my heart when she died years and years ago.
I saw three, young boys walking toward Miss Morris's store. They looked familiar and all of a sudden I was floating above them. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was me and my two, best friends Tommy and Jeff. I had forgotten just how white my hair was and how skinny I was as a child. Tommy with a head full of coal, black hair stood a foot taller than me and Jeff even though we were all the same age. Tommy was always the kidder and pulling pranks on everyone. Jeff was a little shorter than I was, and he was on the pudgy side. His bright, red hair and his face splattered with freckles made his large, blue eyes stand out. We all had faded pants on with holes, and we were barefooted. I could see the dust swirling up from each step we would take on the red clay,dirt road parched by the mid-afternoon sun. Tommy, Jeff and I were always together. We played together from the time the sun came up until the sun went down. We grew into fine young men, and even joined the army together.
My mind suddenly went back to a horrible day in France when a bomb exploded close to the fox hole we three were in. I woke up in a hospital later and was informed Tommy and Jeff did not survive the bombing. Looking down at the three of us walking toward the store, it made me realize just how much I have missed them over the many years. I was surprised sadness did not come into me. Looking down I heard myself say, "Tommy, Jeff, you still have your dime in your pocket? Were almost at the store." I thought to myself how the times were so hard back then. Everybody was poor in West Robbins, but we sure had some good times. My mother and father always made sure I had what I needed.
The next thing I knew, I was at my old, home place. By today's standard, the house would not be considered much at all, but to me, it was the best home in all of the world. I let my tired, old eyes take everything in when my mother and father came out the front door and sat down on the porch. They looked so young and healthy. My mother was such a beautiful lady with her long, dark brown hair touching her waist, and skin so white it made her bluish, green eyes sparkle.
Father was a tall, muscular man with light, brown hair and light, brown eyes with tiny specks of gold. I watched as my father took my mother's hand and placed it between his large, strong, work-worn hands. They smiled at each other and were very much as one. My dad had died thirty years ago with 'black lung'. He had been a coal miner for most of his life. My mother was never the same after my father's death, and she joined him a few, years later. It felt so good to see them young, healthy and happy again. This scene of my father and mother made me think of my own marriage to my beautiful Rose.
I looked down and saw myself, and my beautiful Rose standing in front of the only church in West Robbins. Rose with hair the color of corn silk and eyes of light blue was an angel in my eyes. I was twenty-three and she was nineteen, and we were so much in love. This was the day I had proposed to her, and she had said yes. I watched as I said, "Rose, I love you more than anything in this world." She looked up into my eyes and whispered, "John, I will love you forever and ever." God called my beautiful Rose home a year ago today. We had sixty, wonderful years together. I looked down as Rose picked a wild daisy from the church yard and placed it in the lapel of my coat. I took her in my arms and held her close to my chest.
I reached over and turned my bedside lamp on. The dream or whatever I had experienced lelt me totally at peace. I was so happy to be able to visit my beautiful Rose and others who had already made the transition into the next phase. I had my doubts about life after death, I only had hope. I turned over on my side and what I saw made me completely alert. There on Rose's pillow was a fresh, wild daisy! I picked it up and held it to my chest. Tears came to my eyes, and I knew I would never have any doubts again. We would all be together someday!
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