DYING to LIVE
copyright © gregstensonstories 2011
(Any similarity to persons living or deceased is purely coincidental and not intentional)
Present day New York.
The Mistake.
‘Please don’t go, stay and talk, I need you?’ said Hannah.
‘I have to, I’m sorry Hannah, you can call me later, okay?’ said Jacob.
Hannah reached forward and held onto Jacob’s hand as he tried to stand up, he didn’t want to just pull his hand free, so he held hers and calmed her down.
‘Hannah, you're a beautiful woman, you’ll get over him, he wasn’t worth it, I know that’s not going to help you right now but you deserve better, and you will have another child’
‘You're so sweet Jacob, when can I see you again?’
‘I’ll try to make it back here tomorrow for lunch, I promise, text me whenever you wish, now I really have to go, be strong, you have everything to live for’
Hannah stood up and threw her arms around Jacob; she didn’t appear to want to let him go. He was the only one who understood her.
Naomi stood frozen to the spot, she leaned on the handrail, she couldn’t move, an overwhelming feeling of jealousy and rage took over her. She was walking along the upper floor of the mall and noticed her husband Jacob out of the corner of her eye, he was sitting with a beautiful blond woman, who was she? she thought. She’s holding his hands; he’s holding hers. Naomi didn’t want to believe what she was seeing, they had been married for two years, they were planning to have a baby, why is he holding her hand? A tear came to the corner of her eye. She continued to watch from above, how could he do this to me, she was distraught. Now they’re holding each other, she has her head on his chest.
‘Hannah, call me okay, don’t do anything stupid’Hannah kissed Jacob on the cheek; he broke the embrace and walked away towards the exit.
Hannah sat down again and paid the bill for their lunch.
Naomi hurried off back to her office, she couldn’t think clearly, all afternoon she just sat there at her desk, sometimes letting the phone ring and ring, she didn’t hear it, nothing made any sense to her at the moment, she had just seen her husband with another woman and it was breaking her heart.Jacob and Naomi are a young professional couple. He is a lawyer, working hard to get the best cases, hoping one day to make partner. Naomi is an editor with a top New York publishing house, she loved her job and loved Jacob so much they trusted each other implicitly.
They were lovers since college and recently married, finding time to be together is tough, their house seemed to be more like a meeting place, a place to touch base rather than a home where their love and life could flourish.... there was something missing? They were hoping to start a family. That would make them complete, they thought.
Later that evening Naomi arrived home first, she knew she should prepare a meal, she usually put things ready then watched a little TV whilst running on the treadmill in the gym, but tonight she just sat, the scene at lunch was playing over and over in her head. She heard Jacob’s car pull up on the driveway; she stood up instinctively, wringing her hands, her heart was about to explode in her chest. She rushed to the kitchen and tried to act normal, she took out the food and picked up a knife from the block on the counter but her mind was elsewhere. She heard his keys in the door. She froze.She couldn’t breathe.
‘Hi baby, God I’ve missed you today, what a day’ Jacob said.
Naomi turned to face him, all she could think about was seeing him in the arms of another woman, she saw them holding hands, they held each other and she kissed him.
‘Why Jacob, why?’ her face was set angrily, she still had the kitchen knife in her right hand.‘Baby, what do you mean’
Jacob smiled at her and walked over to kiss her as he did every evening when he came home, but she pulled away from him.
‘Stay away from me, you, you adulterer’ she said.Jacob thought she was acting, the TV was on, perhaps it was something she’d seen, any moment now she would laugh, he thought, and throw her arms around him as usual.
Jacob went to the bedroom to change for dinner, Naomi followed him, she still had the knife in her hand.
‘Where are you?’
‘Naomi, I’m in the bedroom darling’
Naomi went numb, she knew he was trying to hide something. How could he lie to her like that, how could he kiss another woman and then come home to her as if nothing had happened.
Just as she crossed the hallway Jacob’s cell phone chirped on the hall table. It was a text. She picked it up and pressed the button to see the message. It read.
‘I need you Jacob, when you came to me the other night it all made senseI now know what I want, what I need you have helped me so much. I hope I see you tomorrow’
She lost control when she saw the text. It was from that woman.She flipped completely.She put the phone back down and continued walking into the bedroom.
Jacob reached for her to kiss her again but he felt a sharp stinging sensation in his chest, it took his breath, he looked down and when he saw the blood he realised what had happened. He looked at Naomi, she was still holding the knife, it was dripping with blood, a look of horror on her face, she just stood there transfixed as if in a trance.
Jacob’s vision was becoming cloudy, blackness came over him, the knife had cut straight into his heart, a moment later he collapsed back onto the bed, he was dead. His hands still clasping at his chest, blood was oozing out of the wound onto the sheets.
Naomi was catatonic, she dropped the knife onto the bed and stood over him, she shook him calling his name, Jacob!, Jacob!, wake up come baby….I love you.She realised just what she had done, she had killed her one and only love, the boy she fell in love with at school, there had never been anyone else for her.She couldn’t live without him, strange thoughts passed through her mind, she had to be with him, she wanted to follow him wherever he had gone.
She picked up the knife, looked at the blade glinting in the light and raised it to her throat. In one movement it was over.
‘I’m coming baby, wait for me…. please’ she said, crying and slumping down on top of his body. Everything was going dark for Naomi now, the pain of losing Jacob was worse then the pain she felt as the blood drained out of her body.
Blackness. Silence.
She died next to him.
The Decision.
‘Welcome Naomi, please sit down, we want to talk with you, we wont keep you long’The voice was deep and calm and reassuring.
Naomi did as she was asked and sat down in the chair. It was the only furniture in the room. She looked around the room, but it wasn’t really a room. The floor was white, there were no walls, she couldn’t see where the room ended, it didn’t. There was light, a misty light all around her and the man that had talked to her, and asked her to sit down was a tall elderly gentleman with silver hair, a silvery beard and kind eyes. He wore long white flowing robes that touched the floor with big billowy sleeves. He had his hands clasped together in front of him. He was standing perfectly still smiling at her.
She felt warm and serene and untroubled.
‘Where am I?’ asked Naomi.
‘You're with friends, don’t worry my dear’ said the man.
‘How long have I been here?’
‘You arrived yesterday my dear, you slept all night, we waited for you to be fully rested before…’
‘Before what?’ asked Naomi.
‘Before we talk to you to find out exactly what happened’
‘Happened? Happened where?’
‘Why, to your life Naomi, and why you came here so early my dear’
Naomi was confused, she tried to think, she couldn’t remember anything, she woke up and felt fine and the last thing she remembered was being brought to see the deep voiced man.
‘We have brought you to what we call the IR, the investigation room my dear, it wont take long. We find it saves a lot of time and suffering. We all make mistakes in life and we are here to find out if there’s any chance of ‘Renewal’’
‘Investigation? Mistakes? Renewal?’ I don’t understand’
‘You will Naomi, you will. Now think back to yesterday my dear, tell me exactly what happened?’
Naomi turned away from him, she searched around the room with her eyes and fixed upon a spot somewhere near the ceiling, only there was no ceiling that she could see. She whispered to herself ‘What, what, I can’t remember…’ there was a hazy thought coming to her, she recalled shouting, crying, pain…and Jacob!
‘Jacob, Jacob, where is he, I remember now he went away’
The tall man walked slowly around letting her talk, the more she talked the more she would remember and then he could start to assess to decided which way to go. Where Naomi would go.
‘He, he, he’s gone’ she started to cry.
‘Yes, my dear he’s gone, but what else do you remember Naomi, you're doing very well, tell me what happened?’
She stood up, and put her hands to her face, it came back to her like a thunderbolt; it sent a searing pain to her heart.
‘I killed him, oh my God…. No, No, No…I killed him” she broke down and it all came back to her, the pain, the anguish, the guilt.
‘Yes, my dear, you killed him’
She looked up at him; there was a second revelation when she remembered what happened after that.
‘I, killed myself, I cut my throat’ she paused for a second ‘I’m DEAD’ she said.
‘Yes, you're dead Naomi’She looked around fervently, nervously. So this is what it is like, she thought, where will I go next, she asked herself.The Angel allowed Naomi to calm herself, it had been a big shock, most people knew exactly where they were, they faced the consequences of their actions and just got on with it, they accepted their fate. Naomi was in a halfway situation; the Angel had to decide whether she was right for ‘Renewal’ or right for the other place.
The Angel would find out the truth, it was a situation he had to deal with daily; there were two people to consider here, no wait, three.
Actually it was four. Plus the countless others that would suffer around them, family, friends, colleagues…the list goes on and on.
‘Naomi lets talk a little more about you and Jacob. You love him don’t you?’ asked Angel John.
‘Yes, yes I do with all my heart, but I’ve ruined everything, I’ll never forgive myself, I just wish I could turn back the clock?’
Angel John smiled, it was what he was waiting for, he was pleased that she had the courage to talk about the problem so early, sometimes it took days, and they were patient, in most cases there was a happy ending, he started to feel optimistic about Naomi…and Jacob.
‘So do you feel able now to tell me everything my dear?’Naomi sat down on the chair again and composed herself, she wanted to talk, she would feel better, she thought.
‘I saw him’ she began.
‘Yes, go on’
‘I saw him talking to this, this woman’
‘I see’John listened and gave Naomi the time to talk as much as she needed. He knew exactly what had happened, he always did, the facts were not at issue, it was the motives, the emotions and whether there were other people involved that would help him make the right decision.
‘They were together, holding hands, they hugged each other, and she, she kissed him’
‘And you thought what?’ asked John the Angel.
‘They’re having an affair, he’s cheating on me’
‘Are you sure Naomi? did you hear what they were talking about?’
‘Well err no’
‘So why are you so sure that the man who loves you is cheating on you, you trust each other don’t you?’
‘Yes but…’
‘You’ve been in love since school days haven’t you?’
‘Yes we have we’re…’
‘And yesterday you were so sure that it was all over, that he had forsaken your love’
Naomi was sobbing and thought the Angel was just making her suffer.
‘Let me show you something’ said John.
A glass screen lowered down from the ceiling and stopped at the floor. It was like a TV or cinema screen. First it was all black. Then Angel John clapped his hands. The screen came to life and Naomi could see a picture of the mall. People were busy shopping; she looked more closely and saw that it was the mall she visited yesterday.
She saw Jacob and that woman sitting at the same table, talking and eating, she was starting to feel uneasy again.
‘It’s Jacob’ she said, smiling and feeling anguish at the same time.
‘Yes Naomi, it’s the scene from yesterday. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, could you?’
‘No’
‘Well listen now, listen very closely for me’John raised his right hand and moved it in a slow circular motion to the right. There was sound, she could hear people talking and laughing and it was just like she was there, standing on the upper floor watching all over again. Naomi stood up and moved closer to the glass, she wished she could go to Jacob, she put her hands flat on the glass, hoping that he would see her.John raised his and hand again this time with his palm upwards and the background noise slowly quietened and Jacob and the woman’s conversation could be heard. Naomi heard Jacob’s voice loud and clear, she listened to what they were saying.She heard the whole conversation, it was not what she thought at all, he was trying to leave, she was holding onto him.
It was different.
‘The woman is called Hannah, she has lost everything dear to her and more…’ John said.
‘She did?’
‘Yes, she is alone in this world, her parents died in a car crash; she works in the same office as Jacob. One month ago she had a miscarriage, She lost her baby and felt suicidal. Two weeks ago her husband left her for another woman. She thought her life was over. Jacob has been helping her, he was the only person who took the time to listen to her’
‘He was?’
‘Yes Naomi, you see your husband did something else too’
‘What, what did he do’
‘The day before yesterday Hannah felt so low, so useless, so alone, she was very close to killing herself and had every intention to. She went to the top of the building and was standing on a ledge, she thought her life was at an end and she was just about to throw herself off. Your husband stayed with her and talked to her. He saved her life. Your husband is a hero’ said John.
‘He did, he is?’
‘Yes, he persuaded her to come down and told her how lucky she was to have life. He made her realise that she had everything to live for and she could start again and one day she would have children’
‘The text, she text him, I saw it’ said Naomi.
‘Jacob was worried about her, you heard him say she could text him when she felt depressed again. He was determined to keep her alive’Naomi sat deep in thought, she had it all wrong, she could see that now, she had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
‘So Naomi do you understand now?’
‘Yes, yes I do, I have been so stupid, someone has lost their life through my insane jealousy’ she said.
‘Two people’ said John.
‘What?’‘Yes, when Hannah heard about Jacob yesterday evening it was too much for her, she went up to the top of the building again and this time she did it, she jumped. She died on the way to hospital’‘No, no, no it’s all my fault, please God forgive me…. please forgive me’
That was the second important thing that John was hoping she would say. She never meant to do it, he was sure, she was blinded by confusion, if she had just talked to Jacob and believed in him, it would all have been resolved without any bloodshed, two people would still be alive today. No, three people.She sobbed uncontrollably and John walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
‘Will I ever be forgiven John?’ she asked.
‘You already have my dear, that is why you are here, we can help you’
‘But how, Jacob is dead. Hannah is dead. But wait, wait a minute, you said four, four people have been affected didn’t you’
‘Yes, you remembered.’ John began.
‘Jacob is waiting, Hannah is waiting and you yourself are waiting for our decision, and there’s one more’ he said.
Naomi was hanging on his every word, wondering just who it could be.
She had no idea.
‘Tell me John, who else?’
‘You are pregnant Naomi, you and Jacob were going to have a child, a boy’
Naomi couldn’t speak, she sat there, her hands went to her belly, she was so happy at the news, they had wanted a baby for so long and now she had ruined everything.Angel John left her to think about the news and he was now sure, very sure that he knew what to do. He disappeared into the mist and spoke to someone to ask for guidance.
He spoke to Angel Luke who was conducting his own Renewal discussion with a young couple who had lost their life in a car accident. The man had been speeding to the hospital with his wife who was just about to give birth when he crashed into another car and the driver of the other car had died also. Luke was struggling with the couple; it was the second day of discussions.John spoke with Luke and he agreed whole-heartedly with John about his decision for Naomi and Jacob. John returned to see Naomi and told her that he was sorry to have kept her waiting.
‘Naomi, your Renewal has been approved.’
‘It has, what does it mean John?’
‘When I clap my hands you will return and so will Jacob, neither of you will remember anything about what has happened to you both, you wont remember me or the discussion and you will both live a long and happy life together’
‘And Hannah?’
‘Yes, she too will be Renewed and she will not remember anything, she will begin a new life’
‘How can I ever thank you John, I don’t know what to say’
John clapped his hands, and she was gone.
The Renewal.
‘What are we doing here?’ asked Naomi.
They had fallen asleep on the bed; she could hear the TV blaring away in the kitchen across the hall.
‘We must have dozed off’ said Jacob, yawning.
Jacob kissed Naomi on the cheek and told her how much he loved her. They were lying on the bed.
‘I love you too buttercup, it’s nice lying here with you darling but I must finish dinner.
’Jacob was the first to stand up and held his hands out to Naomi to pull her up.
She raised herself and fell into his arms.
He squeezed her tightly.
‘Hey be careful, you don’t want to….’ She stopped; she had forgotten to tell Jacob the good news when he had come home.
‘What darling why can’t I squeeze the woman I love?’
‘Jacob?’
‘Yes darling’‘I did a test today’
‘Did you dear what kind of test?’ and then he realised what she meant, ‘You're not, oh darling are you?’
‘Yes, I am, we’re going to have a baby’
They were deliriously happy; they had waited for this moment for so long.
‘We must celebrate, we’re going to have a son!” said Jacob.
‘How do you know it will be a boy Jacob?’
‘It has to be I can feel it. What shall we name him?’
Naomi already knew exactly what she should call their new son.
‘We will call him...JOHN’ she said.
copyright © gregstensonstories 2011
(Any similarity to persons living or deceased is purely coincidental and not intentional)
Present day New York.
The Mistake.
‘Please don’t go, stay and talk, I need you?’ said Hannah.
‘I have to, I’m sorry Hannah, you can call me later, okay?’ said Jacob.
Hannah reached forward and held onto Jacob’s hand as he tried to stand up, he didn’t want to just pull his hand free, so he held hers and calmed her down.
‘Hannah, you're a beautiful woman, you’ll get over him, he wasn’t worth it, I know that’s not going to help you right now but you deserve better, and you will have another child’
‘You're so sweet Jacob, when can I see you again?’
‘I’ll try to make it back here tomorrow for lunch, I promise, text me whenever you wish, now I really have to go, be strong, you have everything to live for’
Hannah stood up and threw her arms around Jacob; she didn’t appear to want to let him go. He was the only one who understood her.
Naomi stood frozen to the spot, she leaned on the handrail, she couldn’t move, an overwhelming feeling of jealousy and rage took over her. She was walking along the upper floor of the mall and noticed her husband Jacob out of the corner of her eye, he was sitting with a beautiful blond woman, who was she? she thought. She’s holding his hands; he’s holding hers. Naomi didn’t want to believe what she was seeing, they had been married for two years, they were planning to have a baby, why is he holding her hand? A tear came to the corner of her eye. She continued to watch from above, how could he do this to me, she was distraught. Now they’re holding each other, she has her head on his chest.
‘Hannah, call me okay, don’t do anything stupid’Hannah kissed Jacob on the cheek; he broke the embrace and walked away towards the exit.
Hannah sat down again and paid the bill for their lunch.
Naomi hurried off back to her office, she couldn’t think clearly, all afternoon she just sat there at her desk, sometimes letting the phone ring and ring, she didn’t hear it, nothing made any sense to her at the moment, she had just seen her husband with another woman and it was breaking her heart.Jacob and Naomi are a young professional couple. He is a lawyer, working hard to get the best cases, hoping one day to make partner. Naomi is an editor with a top New York publishing house, she loved her job and loved Jacob so much they trusted each other implicitly.
They were lovers since college and recently married, finding time to be together is tough, their house seemed to be more like a meeting place, a place to touch base rather than a home where their love and life could flourish.... there was something missing? They were hoping to start a family. That would make them complete, they thought.
Later that evening Naomi arrived home first, she knew she should prepare a meal, she usually put things ready then watched a little TV whilst running on the treadmill in the gym, but tonight she just sat, the scene at lunch was playing over and over in her head. She heard Jacob’s car pull up on the driveway; she stood up instinctively, wringing her hands, her heart was about to explode in her chest. She rushed to the kitchen and tried to act normal, she took out the food and picked up a knife from the block on the counter but her mind was elsewhere. She heard his keys in the door. She froze.She couldn’t breathe.
‘Hi baby, God I’ve missed you today, what a day’ Jacob said.
Naomi turned to face him, all she could think about was seeing him in the arms of another woman, she saw them holding hands, they held each other and she kissed him.
‘Why Jacob, why?’ her face was set angrily, she still had the kitchen knife in her right hand.‘Baby, what do you mean’
Jacob smiled at her and walked over to kiss her as he did every evening when he came home, but she pulled away from him.
‘Stay away from me, you, you adulterer’ she said.Jacob thought she was acting, the TV was on, perhaps it was something she’d seen, any moment now she would laugh, he thought, and throw her arms around him as usual.
Jacob went to the bedroom to change for dinner, Naomi followed him, she still had the knife in her hand.
‘Where are you?’
‘Naomi, I’m in the bedroom darling’
Naomi went numb, she knew he was trying to hide something. How could he lie to her like that, how could he kiss another woman and then come home to her as if nothing had happened.
Just as she crossed the hallway Jacob’s cell phone chirped on the hall table. It was a text. She picked it up and pressed the button to see the message. It read.
‘I need you Jacob, when you came to me the other night it all made senseI now know what I want, what I need you have helped me so much. I hope I see you tomorrow’
She lost control when she saw the text. It was from that woman.She flipped completely.She put the phone back down and continued walking into the bedroom.
Jacob reached for her to kiss her again but he felt a sharp stinging sensation in his chest, it took his breath, he looked down and when he saw the blood he realised what had happened. He looked at Naomi, she was still holding the knife, it was dripping with blood, a look of horror on her face, she just stood there transfixed as if in a trance.
Jacob’s vision was becoming cloudy, blackness came over him, the knife had cut straight into his heart, a moment later he collapsed back onto the bed, he was dead. His hands still clasping at his chest, blood was oozing out of the wound onto the sheets.
Naomi was catatonic, she dropped the knife onto the bed and stood over him, she shook him calling his name, Jacob!, Jacob!, wake up come baby….I love you.She realised just what she had done, she had killed her one and only love, the boy she fell in love with at school, there had never been anyone else for her.She couldn’t live without him, strange thoughts passed through her mind, she had to be with him, she wanted to follow him wherever he had gone.
She picked up the knife, looked at the blade glinting in the light and raised it to her throat. In one movement it was over.
‘I’m coming baby, wait for me…. please’ she said, crying and slumping down on top of his body. Everything was going dark for Naomi now, the pain of losing Jacob was worse then the pain she felt as the blood drained out of her body.
Blackness. Silence.
She died next to him.
The Decision.
‘Welcome Naomi, please sit down, we want to talk with you, we wont keep you long’The voice was deep and calm and reassuring.
Naomi did as she was asked and sat down in the chair. It was the only furniture in the room. She looked around the room, but it wasn’t really a room. The floor was white, there were no walls, she couldn’t see where the room ended, it didn’t. There was light, a misty light all around her and the man that had talked to her, and asked her to sit down was a tall elderly gentleman with silver hair, a silvery beard and kind eyes. He wore long white flowing robes that touched the floor with big billowy sleeves. He had his hands clasped together in front of him. He was standing perfectly still smiling at her.
She felt warm and serene and untroubled.
‘Where am I?’ asked Naomi.
‘You're with friends, don’t worry my dear’ said the man.
‘How long have I been here?’
‘You arrived yesterday my dear, you slept all night, we waited for you to be fully rested before…’
‘Before what?’ asked Naomi.
‘Before we talk to you to find out exactly what happened’
‘Happened? Happened where?’
‘Why, to your life Naomi, and why you came here so early my dear’
Naomi was confused, she tried to think, she couldn’t remember anything, she woke up and felt fine and the last thing she remembered was being brought to see the deep voiced man.
‘We have brought you to what we call the IR, the investigation room my dear, it wont take long. We find it saves a lot of time and suffering. We all make mistakes in life and we are here to find out if there’s any chance of ‘Renewal’’
‘Investigation? Mistakes? Renewal?’ I don’t understand’
‘You will Naomi, you will. Now think back to yesterday my dear, tell me exactly what happened?’
Naomi turned away from him, she searched around the room with her eyes and fixed upon a spot somewhere near the ceiling, only there was no ceiling that she could see. She whispered to herself ‘What, what, I can’t remember…’ there was a hazy thought coming to her, she recalled shouting, crying, pain…and Jacob!
‘Jacob, Jacob, where is he, I remember now he went away’
The tall man walked slowly around letting her talk, the more she talked the more she would remember and then he could start to assess to decided which way to go. Where Naomi would go.
‘He, he, he’s gone’ she started to cry.
‘Yes, my dear he’s gone, but what else do you remember Naomi, you're doing very well, tell me what happened?’
She stood up, and put her hands to her face, it came back to her like a thunderbolt; it sent a searing pain to her heart.
‘I killed him, oh my God…. No, No, No…I killed him” she broke down and it all came back to her, the pain, the anguish, the guilt.
‘Yes, my dear, you killed him’
She looked up at him; there was a second revelation when she remembered what happened after that.
‘I, killed myself, I cut my throat’ she paused for a second ‘I’m DEAD’ she said.
‘Yes, you're dead Naomi’She looked around fervently, nervously. So this is what it is like, she thought, where will I go next, she asked herself.The Angel allowed Naomi to calm herself, it had been a big shock, most people knew exactly where they were, they faced the consequences of their actions and just got on with it, they accepted their fate. Naomi was in a halfway situation; the Angel had to decide whether she was right for ‘Renewal’ or right for the other place.
The Angel would find out the truth, it was a situation he had to deal with daily; there were two people to consider here, no wait, three.
Actually it was four. Plus the countless others that would suffer around them, family, friends, colleagues…the list goes on and on.
‘Naomi lets talk a little more about you and Jacob. You love him don’t you?’ asked Angel John.
‘Yes, yes I do with all my heart, but I’ve ruined everything, I’ll never forgive myself, I just wish I could turn back the clock?’
Angel John smiled, it was what he was waiting for, he was pleased that she had the courage to talk about the problem so early, sometimes it took days, and they were patient, in most cases there was a happy ending, he started to feel optimistic about Naomi…and Jacob.
‘So do you feel able now to tell me everything my dear?’Naomi sat down on the chair again and composed herself, she wanted to talk, she would feel better, she thought.
‘I saw him’ she began.
‘Yes, go on’
‘I saw him talking to this, this woman’
‘I see’John listened and gave Naomi the time to talk as much as she needed. He knew exactly what had happened, he always did, the facts were not at issue, it was the motives, the emotions and whether there were other people involved that would help him make the right decision.
‘They were together, holding hands, they hugged each other, and she, she kissed him’
‘And you thought what?’ asked John the Angel.
‘They’re having an affair, he’s cheating on me’
‘Are you sure Naomi? did you hear what they were talking about?’
‘Well err no’
‘So why are you so sure that the man who loves you is cheating on you, you trust each other don’t you?’
‘Yes but…’
‘You’ve been in love since school days haven’t you?’
‘Yes we have we’re…’
‘And yesterday you were so sure that it was all over, that he had forsaken your love’
Naomi was sobbing and thought the Angel was just making her suffer.
‘Let me show you something’ said John.
A glass screen lowered down from the ceiling and stopped at the floor. It was like a TV or cinema screen. First it was all black. Then Angel John clapped his hands. The screen came to life and Naomi could see a picture of the mall. People were busy shopping; she looked more closely and saw that it was the mall she visited yesterday.
She saw Jacob and that woman sitting at the same table, talking and eating, she was starting to feel uneasy again.
‘It’s Jacob’ she said, smiling and feeling anguish at the same time.
‘Yes Naomi, it’s the scene from yesterday. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, could you?’
‘No’
‘Well listen now, listen very closely for me’John raised his right hand and moved it in a slow circular motion to the right. There was sound, she could hear people talking and laughing and it was just like she was there, standing on the upper floor watching all over again. Naomi stood up and moved closer to the glass, she wished she could go to Jacob, she put her hands flat on the glass, hoping that he would see her.John raised his and hand again this time with his palm upwards and the background noise slowly quietened and Jacob and the woman’s conversation could be heard. Naomi heard Jacob’s voice loud and clear, she listened to what they were saying.She heard the whole conversation, it was not what she thought at all, he was trying to leave, she was holding onto him.
It was different.
‘The woman is called Hannah, she has lost everything dear to her and more…’ John said.
‘She did?’
‘Yes, she is alone in this world, her parents died in a car crash; she works in the same office as Jacob. One month ago she had a miscarriage, She lost her baby and felt suicidal. Two weeks ago her husband left her for another woman. She thought her life was over. Jacob has been helping her, he was the only person who took the time to listen to her’
‘He was?’
‘Yes Naomi, you see your husband did something else too’
‘What, what did he do’
‘The day before yesterday Hannah felt so low, so useless, so alone, she was very close to killing herself and had every intention to. She went to the top of the building and was standing on a ledge, she thought her life was at an end and she was just about to throw herself off. Your husband stayed with her and talked to her. He saved her life. Your husband is a hero’ said John.
‘He did, he is?’
‘Yes, he persuaded her to come down and told her how lucky she was to have life. He made her realise that she had everything to live for and she could start again and one day she would have children’
‘The text, she text him, I saw it’ said Naomi.
‘Jacob was worried about her, you heard him say she could text him when she felt depressed again. He was determined to keep her alive’Naomi sat deep in thought, she had it all wrong, she could see that now, she had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
‘So Naomi do you understand now?’
‘Yes, yes I do, I have been so stupid, someone has lost their life through my insane jealousy’ she said.
‘Two people’ said John.
‘What?’‘Yes, when Hannah heard about Jacob yesterday evening it was too much for her, she went up to the top of the building again and this time she did it, she jumped. She died on the way to hospital’‘No, no, no it’s all my fault, please God forgive me…. please forgive me’
That was the second important thing that John was hoping she would say. She never meant to do it, he was sure, she was blinded by confusion, if she had just talked to Jacob and believed in him, it would all have been resolved without any bloodshed, two people would still be alive today. No, three people.She sobbed uncontrollably and John walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
‘Will I ever be forgiven John?’ she asked.
‘You already have my dear, that is why you are here, we can help you’
‘But how, Jacob is dead. Hannah is dead. But wait, wait a minute, you said four, four people have been affected didn’t you’
‘Yes, you remembered.’ John began.
‘Jacob is waiting, Hannah is waiting and you yourself are waiting for our decision, and there’s one more’ he said.
Naomi was hanging on his every word, wondering just who it could be.
She had no idea.
‘Tell me John, who else?’
‘You are pregnant Naomi, you and Jacob were going to have a child, a boy’
Naomi couldn’t speak, she sat there, her hands went to her belly, she was so happy at the news, they had wanted a baby for so long and now she had ruined everything.Angel John left her to think about the news and he was now sure, very sure that he knew what to do. He disappeared into the mist and spoke to someone to ask for guidance.
He spoke to Angel Luke who was conducting his own Renewal discussion with a young couple who had lost their life in a car accident. The man had been speeding to the hospital with his wife who was just about to give birth when he crashed into another car and the driver of the other car had died also. Luke was struggling with the couple; it was the second day of discussions.John spoke with Luke and he agreed whole-heartedly with John about his decision for Naomi and Jacob. John returned to see Naomi and told her that he was sorry to have kept her waiting.
‘Naomi, your Renewal has been approved.’
‘It has, what does it mean John?’
‘When I clap my hands you will return and so will Jacob, neither of you will remember anything about what has happened to you both, you wont remember me or the discussion and you will both live a long and happy life together’
‘And Hannah?’
‘Yes, she too will be Renewed and she will not remember anything, she will begin a new life’
‘How can I ever thank you John, I don’t know what to say’
John clapped his hands, and she was gone.
The Renewal.
‘What are we doing here?’ asked Naomi.
They had fallen asleep on the bed; she could hear the TV blaring away in the kitchen across the hall.
‘We must have dozed off’ said Jacob, yawning.
Jacob kissed Naomi on the cheek and told her how much he loved her. They were lying on the bed.
‘I love you too buttercup, it’s nice lying here with you darling but I must finish dinner.
’Jacob was the first to stand up and held his hands out to Naomi to pull her up.
She raised herself and fell into his arms.
He squeezed her tightly.
‘Hey be careful, you don’t want to….’ She stopped; she had forgotten to tell Jacob the good news when he had come home.
‘What darling why can’t I squeeze the woman I love?’
‘Jacob?’
‘Yes darling’‘I did a test today’
‘Did you dear what kind of test?’ and then he realised what she meant, ‘You're not, oh darling are you?’
‘Yes, I am, we’re going to have a baby’
They were deliriously happy; they had waited for this moment for so long.
‘We must celebrate, we’re going to have a son!” said Jacob.
‘How do you know it will be a boy Jacob?’
‘It has to be I can feel it. What shall we name him?’
Naomi already knew exactly what she should call their new son.
‘We will call him...JOHN’ she said.
