A Grand New Age2
E Rocco Caldwell

 


The angels reacted by grabbing their swords as the doors swung in but when the saw Judah they released them and allowed Charlette and the lion to passed. The angels stared in to the blackness that had contained the evil of the universe but only stars met them. The universe ended where the Kingdom began.
"We must find Daniel," Charlette said.
"Do you realize what has happened, wish-maker?" Judah asked. "On your world all hate and abuse no longer exist. No more wars or crimes, and here in the kingdom there is much rejoicing. You have kept your part of the covenant and God will keep His."
"Kelsey is safe?" Charlette asked.
"Yes, child. The universe's children are all safe. No more will arrive on the planets of Cure or Lamb because all humankind sees that the evil and danger to humankind rest in them selves as do the solutions. Remember what the supreme evil said, it takes one to recognize the truth in order to end the abuse?"
There was much celebration in the kingdom just as Judah said. Charlette couldn't believe how happy everyone was. Daniel came upon her and wrapped his arms around her.
"You did it, Charlette! Look at all of the joy," Daniel said his eye full of tears. "There is a person who wants to speak with you. He heard you where going on the journey and has waited patiently for your return."
"Where is he?" Charlette asked.
"Follow me."
Daniel said the man insisted on seeing Charlette. He was in the sector of the kingdom for those who had lost their lives trying to help others. A most honored place, Daniel said. It was a blissful place full of light and gold and stars. It held marble columns that went up forever into space. Small ponds full of lily pads, fish and fountains. The way was narrow and not many had traveled it. Daniel knew the way leading Charlette the narrow way into an opened courtyard with people sitting about in debate, reading books or pondering things. They wore earthly clothes of each of their times: roman togas, priestly gowns, or plain suits or dresses.
"This is the place of Blue," Judah said. The place Justin spoke of."
"He's over there by the young man in the suit," Daniel said. Charlette saw the tall lean man. He looked familiar to Charlette. "He has been waiting to speak with you."
"Why?" Charlette asked.
"Only he can answer that, wish-maker," Daniel said smiling.
She found the courage as she so often had and walked over to the two men. They stopped talking (both had been admiring each other's works performed on earth) and the tall man smiled at seeing Charlette. He held his hand out to her.
"You are Charlette?" he asked. "Excuse us, John." The young man nodded. She though the young man favored the likeness on a fifty cent piece. The tall man led Charlette to a stone bench on a patch of aqua-blue grass. He asked her to sit down with him and she did so. He seemed a little bashful and rubbed his black beard.
"Daniel said you wanted to speak to me," Charlette said.
"Yes, I do." His eyes revealed he was a deep thinker. His face was rugged and weary. On earth he had probably lost much sleep. "I wanted to tell you about my wish. It was made sometime ago when a nation was at war with itself. You have caused it to come pass this very moment."
"What wish is that, sir?"
"That my nation would not perish from the earth." He managed a smile. "One nation full of diversity on the verge of hate could have easily been consumed by that hate. I had, as had John, Martin, Bobby and Medger and others all hoped our nation would recognize the truth in its own constitution that all men are created equal in the sight of God." He thought deeply again. "I have seen what disagreement and hate can do."
"Don't I know you, mister?" Charlette asked.
"I'm just a dead man who is grateful that his wish has finally come to pass. I had to thank you personally."
"I have a feeling you have paved the way for what I have done. A wish that is true and pure with commitment shall come to pass. It isn't enough for it to be true and pure. It must have the commitment behind it." Charlette was surprised how much sense that made to her. She was the wish-maker, and all the pure and true wishes that had been made over centuries of years were pending on her commitment in seeing them to come to pass. They did come to pass when she defeated the thing that kept them from coming to being.
"It was nice talking with you. Make I ask you your name?"
"Abraham. My friends call me Abe."
"You must have had lots of friends," Charlette said.
"More after I had died then when I was alive." He stood his long lanky body up from the bench, shoved his hands in his pants pockets and walked back to the young man he had called John. Daniel came upon Charlette who stared at the two men.
"They had a lot in common on earth, wish-maker. For one, the ways they died."
"Do all good people have to die?"
"People, no matter if they are good or bad must die. It is not that they died that matters but what they lived for. Those two were a lot like you."
Charlette returned to where Judah waited. It was time for her to return to earth and live out her days. She would never be allowed to come back to the kingdom of God while still in human form. The news made her cry.
"You will return though," Judah said. Everyone had surrounded them to see her off. Daniel smiled and waved as did Abe and John.
"I will wait each passing day with expected hope. I will think of each of you everyday until I return."
"No, wish-maker, for when you return to earth you shall forget everything that has happened here. It is the way things must be."
"But, Judah, I want to remember Daniel and Blue-wave, Sable and the others but most of all, I want to remember you!" She tightened her arms around his mighty neck.
"There are something better forgotten in order for you to live out your childhood the way a child should live it out."
She didn't understand any longer because the belt had been removed.
"Let me take one last look before I say good bye in hopes that a small piece of all this in stored in my heart."
The lion said nothing for a few moments he too had been overcome by emotions. "One thing will remain, dear girl, for your teacher's sake." Then in one great leap Judah and Charlette headed for the new earth.
It still snowed in Tacoma and morning hadn't arrived yet. In fact very little time had passed. The roof of her house was still gone. Judah placed her gently on her bed and licked her face once more. The roof of the house materialized. Then as she reached out for Judah he faded like the way sunspots did when you closed your eyes after staring at the sun and Charlette fell immediately into a deep sleep.
Her father awakened her from the sound sleep. He was concerned because her sister had been up for over an hour. It was Saturday, not a day to waste away by sleeping.
"Dad, I had the strangest dream, but I can't remember it all now," Charlette said.
"That's the way dreams are sometimes, Char," he said flinging her to his shoulders.
"Oh, daddy, I'm riding you like a lion," Charlette said giggling.
"You ride horses not lions," Cana said standing at the foot of the stairs.
"You are right, sister, I wonder why I thought of that."
The television was on and cartoons flashed about on the screen. Charlette flopped down on the couch. "Dad, I'm starving." "Charlette, there's no hunger in the world. What sort of thing to say." He smiled at her and poured her some corn flakes in a bowl. A news-brief appeared on the television as a global reminder that said Monday was international ethnicity day. That seemed normal to Charlette. It was the day everyone appreciated all the skin colors of the world. Throughout the world every child had a family, a place to live, and food to eat. No one harmed children. Great discoveries were being made and great understandings reached. Money was used for the betterment of humankind instead of building bombs. Charlette embraced the safety of her world. Everything was right in the world. That very night as the snow stopped falling, the starry evening was visible. One star lit up the vastness of space as if it was the promise of God's answered covenant. No more hate, or pain or need. Humankind had defeated its own selfishness and learned to live as a people.
And wouldn't that be nice.

 

 

Copyright © 2004 E Rocco Caldwell
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"