Wednesday's Words on a Friday

 

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words.

This month the words/prompts are supplied by Lissa and can be found here

This week's words/prompts are: 

1. tomorrow 2. coffee 3. direction 4. echo 5. sunshine

Here is my story:

God's Observation Deck #11

God leaned on the gleaming gold railing of his observation deck and watched the scene below. Mary was preparing the welcome area while Peter was putting a final shine on the Pearly Gates.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…there had been so many of them, but today was Wayne Solomon’s final tomorrow. His chest barely moved as his final breaths came more and more shallow and less frequent. Dr Patterson noted the final breath and listened carefully through his stethoscope for any sign of a heartbeat. There was none. Not even the faint echo he had heard earlier this morning.

He noted the time of death on his chart as Nurse Walker drew the sheet up over Wayne’s face. It had been a quiet, peaceful death for this very old man, she thought. The very last of his family, with no living kin anywhere in the world, there would be no one to arrange a funeral. The hospital would arrange a cremation instead.

Not too long after, Mary was welcoming Wayne’s soul through the Pearly Gates. “We’re very glad to see you finally,” she said to Wayne as he looked about with pleasure. “You are the only one of your family that made it here.” “I know,” said Wayne. “They were a bad lot, alcoholics and criminals, always fighting and escaping from jails. I was pretty sure they’d be headed in the other direction. It’s why I never married and had children. I thought the world would be better off without this particular set of genes in the pool.”

Peter closed the gates as they walked towards the area Mary had prepared. A large vegetable garden very much like the one Wayne had tended on Earth, with a seating area that would always be in sunshine. She helped him fit his wings and then led him towards the kitchen where the best coffee available was waiting for him. She placed cups and plates of cakes on a small wheeled trolley and led Wayne out onto God’s deck.

“Wow!” said Wayne. “This is amazing!” God walked towards him and shook hands. “Welcome Wayne,” God said. “I’m not sure if you ever miss any of your family, but there is a window I can show you where you can look down into Lucifer’s territory and see them if you ever want to.”  “That would be nice,” said Wayne. “I’d like to see my mum now and again, she did try quite hard later in life to stay on the straight path. Just never quite managed it.”