Roses that Bloom

Where am I? Joshua thought to himself, unable to open his eyes. How long had it been since the crash? A few hours? Days? Lifetimes? It didn’t seem to matter, all that mattered was getting up the courage to open his eyes. But he didn’t feel as if he could, or if it were even possible.

Ages seem to pass as he laid there in elements he couldn’t describe. It was definitely soft, but didn’t feel like some kind of plant nor did it feel like any kind of mattress material. In some ways what he lay on seemed to move, seemed to somehow—massage his skin in a way that he couldn’t lay a description on. It sure didn’t feel like any kind of hospital bed he had mis-privilege to lay on in his time, but then again, how could he know? The truth is he didn’t. He had no idea laying there if what he was laying on actually was some other worldly material or if his head was just playing sick games with him. The truth is, it didn’t seem to matter. None at all.

The worst and most difficult part though, was indeed opening his eyes. The fear set in after remembering the crash, but a new fear had dawned soon after. There was a bright light, or so it seemed. But no light at the end of a tunnel. Just a solitary blinding light which made him question whether his eyes were even truly closed. The Light of God thoughts kept creeping into his mind, but the attempts to brush them off was becoming increasingly difficult. Was it? Couldn’t be? But if it were, would that mean that he was . . .

Joshua
Joshua
Follow.

What was that? He thought to himself, still unable to open his eyes though he realized that he had just tried without thought. It’s time, time to see whatever’s going on. I can’t be crazy . . . am I? Gotta do it. Gotta try! On the count of three. One . . . two . . . thr . . .!

“Welcome Sweetheart,” a unfamiliar voice called out. Though he was unable to place where he was, nor was he able to see yet for that matter. The blinding light still shown everywhere, it was like starring straight at the sun, only worse, but the light was everywhere and for some reason it didn’t hurt.

“Who . . .who are you? Where am I?”, he asked still trying to focus in on anything his mind would allow him.

“Open your eyes, dear.”

“They are!”

“No, no they are not. Not truly. Open your heart, see now what things are.”

One more time he tried to open his eyes, but failed. Open with your heart, easier said than done he thought. But he really thought about it, and it all became inevitably clear to him. He took one final deep breath, until he realized that he wasn’t even breathing at all, then attempted to open his eyes once more. Finally, giving into this realm and his own spirit, he pushed and pushed until he felt that his whole inner being would crumble inside of him . . . his eyes opened and the light dissipated.

Outside of his mind, and truly wonderful presents preceded him. Joshua was now in a remarkably vibrant world, definitely not of the one he’d left behind in his memory. He awoke in the open country, but once more . . . not of the world he had left behind. As far as his eyes would take him, he saw no grass nor any other kind of vegetation of that sort. Instead all he could see were flowers, beautiful carnations—and behind him were he had laid and for the better part of the fields, were decadent violet lilacs and turquoise roses. As his eyes focused it appeared that he was in a valley, and surrounding the meadows appeared to be sky-tall mountains, who’s slopes were covered in packed snow. Around him at the baseline of the mountains were magnificently beastly oak trees. The tree canopy seemed to move as one, as they danced side to side, but that brought upon another funny notion. Wind seemed to be blowing, but it wasn’t. In one way he could feel nothing, but in another it felt as if it were a slight massage.

Now as his eyes focused more clearly, his apparent benefactor stand just a few feet in front of him, back turned. She was slightly shorter than Joshua, probably by five or six inches, and she was a white woman—slightly tanned. She appeared to be beautiful from behind, with wavy brunette hair reaching down to her shoulders. A wedding dress seemed to be her apparent dress for this particular day. It, in itself, was beautiful, with a long draping following her. It also appeared as if the flowers lying down on the grounded appendage were not just lying there but were apart of the dress. She was beautiful.

“Who are you?”, he asked walking towards her, still amazed by his surroundings. It was when he got only a few feet behind her that he realized that she had some sort of wonderful aura about her. Something about her, made him feel calm and safe and sane when merely feet behind her. Another feature became apparent as well when he neared closer to her: There were several apparent butterflies landing and taking off of her. It was then, as well, that he realized there were no sounds in this place. No loons howling, no animals barking or growling. Only perfect calm, perfect serenity. “What’s going on here, where am I?”

“This is the after-time, the place of rest. The place of meeting. The place of new beginnings, “ she said never turned or moving for the matter past simple hand gestures. But there was that calm in her voice, that certain peace which was alien to him that made him believe her. Even respect her. “This place is your reward Sweetheart.”

“Reward? Reward for what? What have I ever done to deserve a paradise like this?”, he asked now moving to her side, but still unable to see her face. It was at this time that he also began to realize that his gut wasn’t working as it used to. Nor his mind. It seemed that he had no worries, but only felt peace and, well, happiness. Until . . . “Where’s Rachel?”

She pointed away from her exactly in the direction in which she was facing. “This place is your reward, your reward for following in the footsteps of the one who created it. This is your spoils of war from life, for having hope and giving out hope when times were dark and when I could not watch over you.”

Joshua looked down at his feet, then towards the sky, then towards the direction in which she was facing then he said, “But where’s Rachel? You didn’t answer that.”

He moved a few steps in that direction and gave out a deep sigh, then said, “I have to find her. You know this . . . I can feel it from you.”

“She’s here, she’s waiting for you,” she said then looked down, then back up again and smiled. “She has been here sometime waiting for you, you took too long! You fought well, but eventually your soul embraced it’s destiny.”

“Your not making any sense, will you please just tell me what’s going on. If not, then please just tell me how to get to Rachel?”

When he looked back, she was turned away from him. Now, once more, he could only see her back . . . and somehow that was ok. “Sweetheart this is paradise, you are home now. The pain you had felt is over now, your old life is over now. Go now, and find your love. Go now and embrace eternity.”

With a quick glance back in the direction she had once pointed, then back again to were she stood, she was gone. It was apparent what the next step was, to find Rachel and try to reclaim anything from the past that he could.

“Thank you mom,” he said moving slowly in the direction she had told him. He traveled for a good while, then he realized another interesting fact. There was no apparent time here, no matter how hard he tried to estimate his time spent here he could not. His body felt now weariness, no tiredness. But most of all, beyond any other thought he had towards the place, was his abundant happiness. It seemed the more he thought about this new land the more he just smiled. Embrace eternity. Sounds good.

It wasn’t long before overlooking a knoll, he came across a very large tree over looking a brook. It appeared to be a Weeping willow, but it couldn’t have been because the abundance of fruit on it. And very large didn’t quite suffice given a second look. It was the largest tree he had ever witnessed in person. It appeared to be a solid acre in width judging by his estimates. It was probably much larger though, remember, estimating doesn’t work here. Upon the tree were a massive variety of fruits, both domestic and exotic from the old world. There were apparently the normals: Large, lush apples, pears, citrus fruits, melons, figs, even bananas. But at a second look there were many, many others. Most of which were only of this world. He betted they tasted delicious, if they even had taste at all. He had no appetite though.

And there standing by the stream, underneath the much too large tree, was who appeared to be Rachel. Had to of been. Joshua began running down the hillside, with effortless ease, until he was only a few yards behind her. And once more was that overwhelming feeling of peace and calm.

The woman with long sandy-blonde hair, was wearing a red dress. The dress was a one piece, lengthening from just above her knees to her chest. Her shoulders lay bear and seemed to glycine as if slightly damp from dew from the fruit or tree. Her long beautiful blonde hair blew to her right in the non-wind.

Joshua couldn’t help but give a happy sigh and smile when he heard her singing. A happy nursery rhyme he had always told her his mother had sung him before she died, and how beautiful it sounded this day! Hush little baby don’t say a word . . .

Embrace eternity. Yea I think that’ll be okay, paradise seems alright.

Joshua
Joshua
Follow

He walked up slowly behind her, and she looked slightly over her shoulder and he could see the sweet smile he’d grown to love in past lives. He put his hands on her shoulders, then around her chest in a soft hug. “I’m here now. I’m home,” he said.