Nevaeh is Back

Just as she was about to say "I miss you…" she heard him take a breath and sensed a pressure against her lips. She reached up and gently touched his cheek as he deepened the kiss, letting his fingers rest at the back of her neck and the other on her hips. She kissed back, slowly at first, then gradually with more need and passion. She felt the wonder of his mouth; his tongue slid easily past her teeth, the tip touching the ridges along the roof of her mouth. She tasted him and it ignited a fire in her soul. He broke the kiss when she prayed that it would last forever, but he held her close. Rather, she placed her head on his chest as he embraced her.

This must be heaven, she said to herself in his embrace. That is the only explanation that made sense. However, that is not feasible. How did a murderer like her make heaven? Heaven is for good Christians, not the likes of her.

"David," she called out without letting go.

"Hmmm."

"Is this heaven?"

"That's not really what we call it, but for your sake, let's agree it is…"

"Do you know whether my sister is here?"

"Yes, she is..."

"My father?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah…"

Compassion mixed with joy suddenly washed over her. Warm tears gathered in her eyes. "So… so they both made Heaven… after everything…" she began sobbing in a pitiful manner.

Giving her feather-soft taps on her back, he whispered. "Come on… don't cry on me.".

She forced a giggle and released herself from his hug, wiped away her tears and asked, "Can I see them?"

He whispered, "They are coming," took her by the shoulders, and slowly spun her around.

Suddenly, she was in the most beautiful garden there is. The grasses and flowers that covered the entire landscape were so vivid, clear, and colourful that they were beyond description. There was a shimmering lake to the left with a distinct type of water—clear, golden, glowing, and seductive. To the right was a grove of large, luxuriant trees, composed of the same clear material that seemed to make up everything. A celestial symphony filled the air with a psalm of oneness, played on unseen instruments of peace.

Beyond the first trees, two figures were approaching. They were transparent, yet so glorious in their appearance that no words can be used fully to describe them. She saw that they were wearing a loose-fitting white gown as they approached. Their body appeared nearly weightless, and she was both enthralled and in awe of the elegance and beauty of their movements. She recognised her father as a young man in his prime, as well as Heaven, her twin.

In a reachable distance, the two women fell into each other's arms, bursting into tears.

"Ne-va-eh!" her sister whispered excitedly with a broad smile between her lips. In the warm arms of Heaven, she was awake and more alive than she had been in a very long time. Her father joined, spreading his large arms around both of them. The scent of his favourite "Nivea body spray" filled her nostrils. She felt safe and protected, akin to a butterfly in a cocoon.

"I have missed you…" Heaven gave her a warm peck on her left cheek.

"We have missed you," her father added in a smoothening tone.

"I have missed the both of you," she responded, pressing and holding on to the hug. This was perfect, all she has ever wanted, to have all the people she loves in one place and not to be seen as a misfit or an outcast but to belong. It was unbelievable to her that she would be able to live here in such comfort and completeness for eternity.

"We would love to remain here and catch up but we can't," her father said.

"How do you mean?" She broke free from the hug and her eyelid went up in surprise. They can't be serious. They can't be thinking about leaving her here to be alone. She has been alone since their death and now they want to leave her once more. That won't happen.

"You won't be alone because you won't be here," her father responded.

"How? Where will I go?" She wondered if she was starting to feel anxious.

"You will be going back..."

"Back to where?"

"Back to earth, where you belong..."

"No!" she refused. Her shoulders pulled close to her body and she shook her head. "I don't belong on earth. I belong here with you guys. I have nothing back there. People there think I am crazy…"

"You have a lot to learn back there and a job to finish."

"No…" she ran her hand through her hair. "I don't want to go back there. I hate it down there. Down there, people despise me.

"Nevaeh, believe me, you are not yet ready to be here," her twin stepped in.

"Heaven, please." She knelt down and grasped her sister's flowing gown. "Don't allow them to send me back there… I want to be here with you."

"Go back and do something with your life. "Seek justice for those who ruined your life!" her father and sister chanted into a rhyme while averting their eyes.

At that moment, the tunnel resurfaced, and she was drawn back into it at the same rapid speed from which she had emerged. Nevaeh tried to stop herself from passing through the dark tunnel by kicking, screaming, fighting back, and grabbing onto the edges, but the pull was stronger than anything she could resist.

She zoomed back into a body as a ball of light and crashed into the solar plexus with such force it jolted the body back to life. Her heart began knocking rapidly and her eyes popped open to meet complete darkness with a strange light from a distance. Raindrops drumming off the tarmac. She was so shocked that she whispered, "What the fuck just happened?"