CHAPTER 7
LIKE FOLLOWING THE LIGHT of a guiding star, Jasper was careful not to let the Angels escape his sight. Following their lead, Jasper had to walk fast to keep up. As he marched, near road ways the Angels worked diligently to keep him safe from near vehicle misses or from running into street lights or other pedestrians and their pets.
“So, I’m just trying to figure you Angels out still. You’re Elana?” He pointed to the cowgirl with the lasso.
“That’s correct.”
Jasper began pointing to each one, “You’re Wilson the Angel of Wisdom; Taila who has a connection to nature and even the future. And you’re Roger, with the water sword?” Each of the Angels nodded in turn.
“You are pretty close, but we still have a lot to learn from one another.” Wilson told him.
“You like my water sword?” Roger asked.
“It’s kind’a cool.” Jasper answered honestly.
“Kind’a?” Roger cock an eyebrow.
Jasper turned from Roger to change the subject. Looking at Joel he asked, “You’re Joel, right?”
“Well done, young Jasper.” Joel answered with a smile. He was rather amused with Jasper.
“You and Starr are an item?” He asked, smiling with a nod toward Starr.
“An item?” Joel questioned.
Jasper raised his eyebrows three times in a row, “You know what I mean.”
“No, I…” Joel began to say, when Starr caught on immediately.
“We know what you mean.” Starr told Jasper, “And the answer is, no. We aren’t an item. We are all just really close friends. In Heaven, you will understand.”
“Oh, I got it.” Jasper answered with his hands and eyebrows up. “I didn’t mean to imply anything. Doesn’t matter to me who’s with who anyway.”
Moving on, engaging one another in deep philosophical conversations, other people thought Jasper was delusional and blind. The way he wandered and stepped just a little too close to traffic, they thought he was a man with a death wish. When Jasper stopped to rest, he recalled the marvelous things the Angels shared with him.
For instance, he asked them, “How are you able to move things? I mean, I’ve seen you pass through solid objects, yet your swords clash and a Demon’s claws can scratch.”
“It takes a combination of strong emotion and concentration for us.” Roger said critically. “Though we are immortal, we can still get hurt. We feel pain but what you see as physical pain, we feel as emotional pain.”
Joel poked Jasper’s shoulder and to Jasper it felt like a slight muscle spasm. Then Jasper wondered, “If you are spirit then are there other Angels who are with bodies?”
“You cannot see the age of an Angel, we all appear young, but some of the elder Angels have mastered the ability to disguise themselves so they can become human-like; with flesh and all. Minus the wings of course. Now, don’t worry. We won’t complicate things this way. We can only make ourselves visible, but even that is only possible when our Father in Heaven allows it. We cannot become like a human of flesh.” Joel explained.
“Well not yet, anyway. Jasper, you are now stepping into a much larger world of understanding than you otherwise knew.” Wilson said.
Wandering here and there throughout the small town of Princeton, the Angels rarely led Jasper in a straight path. Before he knew it, the Angels had directed him a long distance from town along a windy old country road. Directed to a Gated drive-way with an old red mail box that leaned slightly to the roadside, Jasper could only guess what the Angels were getting him into.
The heavily wooded property with its thick maple trees made it impossible to know what secrets hid therein. The Angels told Jasper to climb the locked wooden Gate and venture down the windy dirt drive-way. The evening sun splayed through the trees with long shards of light. When the leaves caught the sunlight they turned to gold. At a distance the road crossed over a brook by means of a quaint little arched bridge made entirely of stone. The fall leaves that littered the road rustled under Jasper’s feet.
Rounding a bend which opened up from the forest to a private farm, Jasper saw a two story, country household. It was painted a soft yellow with white trim, but to Jasper’s cloudy vision, it might as well have just been white.
The settlement was to the right of Jasper as the road widened to a spacious parking area. A few old trucks and some farm equipment was stationed around the open area. At the far end was a large brown barn with bales of wheat straw stacked both inside of it and out.
A covered deck surrounded the country home and a black dog awoke on the porch. The dog sniffed the air, then it caught sight of Jasper and sprung to its feet barking. It alerted the entire farm to Jasper’s presence.
Jasper was getting nervous, as the black lab ran at him from the house. It’s barking; so loud and vicious caused him to freeze up with fear. This worked out well because if he turned and took off in a blind run the dog would hunt him down and maul him. And that would likely be after he ran into something that he couldn’t see.
“Hold out your hands Jasper, and stand your ground.” Joel instructed. “Don’t run or do anything at all or the dog will surely chase you down and bite until you give up your ghost!”
Starr thought Joel’s comment was just a little too much information. She shook her head at him but he clearly didn’t understand her.
Jasper firmly planted his feet on the ground and closed his eyes. Slowly, he held his hands out at his sides as he could hear the pattering of the dog’s paws approach rapidly.
Though the barking was loud and threatening, the dog didn’t attempt to bite. Jasper opened his left eye just enough to peek. He saw the black dog jumping around him, barking and baring its sharp white canine teeth.
At the loud sound of a rifle’s thunderous discharge, Jasper’s eyes popped open. The old farmer had fired his shot into the air. Jasper dropped his Bible and the dog paused for a moment to sniff it. The dog picked up the Bible with its mouth and trotted off to its master, who held his smoking shot gun, tightly.
“You’re trespassing!” Shouted the farmer as he pointed his shot gun at Jasper and began to walk toward him.
“Yes, sir! I know, sir!” Jasper answered nervously with his empty hands lifted high.
“All right, out with it! Why are you here?” The farmer demanded, “Car broken down?”
“No, sir. I am here for you.” Jasper responded.
The anger and frustration left the farmer. He lowered the shot gun and raised his bushy eye brows.
“Huh? How so? What business do you have with me?” The farmer’s voice changed and he was no longer so hard. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Jasper, sir.” Though the two men didn’t say anything for a moment, they were communicating in the sense of body language.
Taking the book from his loyal companion, the farmer thumbed through the pages a little with one hand. Eyeing Jasper critically, it didn’t take long for the farmer to realize, Jasper wasn’t dangerous.
“Can we talk, sir?” Jasper asked.
Fingering his shirt pocket, the farmer drew out his glasses. Placing his bi-focals on the bridge of his nose, he took a closer look at Jasper. Then he leaned forward for a closer look at his eyes. “What happened to your peepers? Drink too much milk? Are you one of them strange door to door preachy folk?” asked the farmer with a shrewd tone.
“No sir, least I don’t think so, sir.” Jasper was so nervous, he wasn’t sure if he would say something to provoke the threatening farmer.
With a huff which almost sounded like a chuckle the farmer eased up, “Yes, yes, let’s talk.” The farmer said as he flicked the safety switch of his rifle on with his thumb. “You can call me, Jim.” He handed the bible back to Jasper.
Jasper had a long conversation with the farmer who went on well into the night. Jasper ended up telling Jim all the events that happened to him and how Angels had directed him to his farm. The farmer had compassion for Jasper and he liked his story. Later, he led him
to his kitchen where he prepared a large meal.
Jim warmed up chicken left overs, potatoes, gravy, salad and a basket of dinner rolls. Jasper tried to stop Jim but Jim only insisted all the more for Jasper to accept the generous offer.
The savory smell of the chicken slapped Jasper in the face. He was so hungry. Jasper smiled and thanked Jim. Taking hold of a dinner roll Jasper lifted it to his mouth. Jim slapped the roll out from Jasper’s hand before he could take a bite. The roll fell to the hard wood floor and the black lab lifted its head where it lay and looked at the roll.
“For a guy who claims he can associate with Heavenly folk, you lack respect for God.” Jim scowled.
“I-I don’t understand.” Jasper said, rather puzzled by Jim’s behavior.
“Just follow my lead.” Jim pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. Jasper was careful to do exactly as the farmer did. The food smelled so good and Jasper was so hungry.
Jim nudged his chair in to sit closer to the table. Jasper did the same. Then Jim folded his hands together, bowed his head and gave thanks for the food. Jasper felt like a fool.
“Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you this day for all of your many blessings. I thank you especially for the opportunity to prepare this meal for your servant, Jasper. Thank you for this bounty and bless this table of food and drink. May we be blessed as we take part in this meal and make it one with our bodies, in the name of health, love, peace and your perfect name, amen.”
“Amen.” Jasper echoed. The black lab stood up from the floor.
“Go ahead, Rusty. Eat.” Jim said. The dog seemed to nod its head before it ate the dinner roll which had fallen to the floor earlier.
Jasper put his hand out to the table of food and paused. His eyes shifted to the side to look at Jim. Jim looked back at Jasper with a stone cold expression.
All Jasper wished was for Jim to let him know if he was permitted to eat as he had done for the dog. Slowly, Jasper took another roll, but his eyes didn’t leave Jim’s until he took a bite and Jim made no objection.
“This is soooooo, good.” Jasper let him know.
As Jasper ate, Jim told him his story. He told Jasper about his two daughters who grew up and were married before they left the farm. Jim’s wife had become very ill and no one from the town of Princeton was responding to his ads to hire a farm hand. “Every day that goes by brings me another day behind schedule no matter how hard I work. I simply can’t keep up, all on my own.” Jim said. “My wife has been very worried about me. She knows how hard I work. Too hard; too many hours.” Poor old Jim had already suffered two heart attacks. “Every day I pray to the Good Lord to have mercy on us and send us someone who can help. No one has ever come, until now.”
“You think I’m here to help you put your farm back on track?” Jasper asked in disbelief.
“I know it. Not only because I prayed for it, but because when I asked you, ‘Why are you here?’ you told me, you were, ‘here for me.’
Jasper stopped eating and took a sip of water. He remembered well that the only reason he said, ‘I’m here for you.’ was because the Angels told him to say it. Jasper lifted his napkin to his mouth and cleaned himself up. The Angels continued to speak even at this moment. “Is your wife here?” Jasper asked.
“Yes, she’s upstairs with one of our daughters.” He lowered his head in thought and his voice became much softer. “She’s likely sleeping.”
“Please,” Jasper said, “If they cannot make it to dinner, take me to them.”
“Jasper.” Life seemed to drain from Jim’s face as he leaned his elbow to the table. “There’s more. The problems between my wife and I have deep roots. She won’t let me care for her. She despises me. I want to fix things, but I don’t know how to have a relationship with her anymore. We’ve just grown too distant with age, so forgive me if I seem like a grumpy, crusty old man. I’m sorry to dump on you, boy, but I am drowning in sorrow.”
“What’s her name?” Jasper asked.
Jim seemed so broken, “Her name is Rose.”
Joel glided in close to Jasper and spoke, “The life of Rose grows drastically short.”
Jasper stood up from the table, “Would you introduce me to her?”
Jim shook his head, “I will take you to her, but she will have no respect for you, if you show up with me.”
Jasper scooped his Bible up from off the table and followed Jim who led him through the big house. They went up some stairs to a hall. A short distance down the hall, Jim pointed to a door.
Jasper twisted the door knob and opened the door just a crack to peek inside. There, he saw the old lady sleeping in her bed. A young lady sat at her bedside reading a novel. The title of the book was, ‘The Coalmont Legend.’ She looked up and noticed someone was watching. She stood up, thinking it was her father, but a spooky feeling came over her when she realized it wasn’t.
The young lady went to the door quickly and pulled it open. She held her breath with a start when she couldn’t recognize Jasper. His ghostly eyes and the way he stood, gave her chills like no other.
“Who are you? Get out!” She demanded. She looked past Jasper and noticed her father there. “Pa-pa? Who’s this stranger?”
“He’s no stranger, Darling. He’s my guest.” Jim explained comfortingly.
The young lady glanced back at Jasper. She looked him up and down, then she shot a worried frown back at her father.
“Oh, pa-pa, no.” She said in defiance of her father’s decision to accept Jasper into their home.
“He’s here to help out with the farm, dear. I was just showing him around.” Jim explained.
“Wh-who is it?” Rose spoke from the bed as she awoke. Her voice was course and slow.
“Ma-ma, don’t worry yourself. It’s nothing at all.” The young lady spoke warm soothing words as she hurried back into the room to her mother’s bed side aid.
“I heard voices.” Rose said, “Is it your fool of a father? You know I don’t want him up here causing trouble. The idiot!”
“No ma-ma. Don’t talk that way about him. You know Pa loves you.” The young lady defended her father.
Rose began to get upset, “I’m dying. He knows that. He wants me to die. You tell your Pa not to bother me anymore!”
Outside the room, Roger suggested Jasper should read something from his Bible. Flipping through the pages like a lost child, Jasper had no idea what he was looking for. His eyes caught sight of a flash of light from between one of the pages. Searching to find it again it did reappear in the book of Psalms, Chapter six, Verse two. There Jasper found words that were written in ink that was all lit up. These words were particularly easier for Jasper’s special eyes to see. Believing the sparks of words were illuminated just for him to see, he read, “Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony.”
“Who said that?!” Demanded Rose, but no reply came soon enough for her, “I am in agony, but there is no mercy!” Rose began to yell as she let her frustration give way to hysterics. She began to stretch out her arms and kick her feet to push her daughter away. Jasper could see she was being controlled like a puppet. A Demon laughed and then Jasper could see it. It appeared to be part bull, and hid under her bed where it could pull strings that made her arms and legs lash out.
Unable to remain sitting on the bed, the young lady stood up, “Stop it, ma-ma. There is a man in the house with Pa.” She told her mother.
With that new insight, the Angels signaled Jasper to enter Rose’s room. When Jasper stepped through the door, it was as though time froze completely. Rose was captivated by Jasper’s presence. Behind Jasper came six shimmering Heavenly entities. It seemed like Rose stopped breathing, but her eyes were locked on Jasper.
“Who is this man?” Rose asked in wonderment.
“He’s just the new farm hand, ma-ma. You won’t even know he’s here.” The young lady answered.
“No, Patricia. He cannot be just a farm hand. Angels are with him
.” Rose surprisingly confessed her gift of spiritual sight.
Jim came to the door and looked in. Rose didn’t notice him at all.
“I am Jasper, ma’am.” He smiled to her warmly, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
The Angels knew the identity of their glory was uncovered from the eyes of Rose as it was for Jasper.
Due to Rose’s condition, the daughter, Patricia, decided it was time for some professional help. “I’ll call a doctor,” she said before hustling out of the room.
Taila stayed with Jasper and she instructed him on what to say as he began to openly pray for her.
“Heavenly Father,” Jasper began, “I speak to You now for the health, safety and well-being of Rose, her family, her farm and all of the loved ones she holds dear to her heart. Reveal to her Your great Love, O Father. You are Love. You are light. You are good. There is great comfort in knowing You, Lord. Grant comfort to Rose now. May Your comfort and peace bless her. Amen.”
Starr knelt down at the right of Rose’s bedside and Elana knelt down at the left. Stretching out their wings over the bed, until their wing tips touched, they created a feathered canopy over Rose. Roger stood behind Elana without stretched arms and prayed in a strange language while Joel stood behind Starr in the same manner and also prayed in the same odd way.
Wilson stood at the foot of the bed with his arms stretched out wide. His ghostly form began to illuminate as the girl’s wings opened.
Rose’s guardian Angel descended from above and it lowered its great wings to cover over her frail body. Next, the guardian Angel used its authority to drive the dark spirit from Rose. The dark spirit had separated her from her husband for too long. It was an over opinionated spirit of stubbornness. The dark spirit screamed psychotically before it fled the room.
Enlightenment and freedom came to Rose’s eyes as her entire character brightened. She looked around the room and saw all of the Angels. They were radiant with light, and the light from each one grew brighter and brighter. Jim walked into the bedroom like a child about to be punished. His concern for his wife directed his steps.
Rose looked at Jim with love in her eyes. It was as though all of the good memories throughout their marriage were reawakened. Jim saw Rose as she was when they first met; so beautiful. “Oh, Jim, Jim. Do you see the Angels?” she asked. “They’re so magnificent.”
“Yes, Rose. Like you, they’re beautiful.” He agreed with his wife because he loved her but he was unable to see as she could. Jim unknowingly walked through Roger and Elana to get closer to Rose.
“The love, Jim. Do you feel it? Oh, I love you, Jim.” Rose said. She put her arms around Jim’s shoulders.
Patricia dived through Joel and Starr as she collapsed to the bed next to her mother. Tears streamed down Patricia’s cheeks. “I’m here ma-ma, I’m here, too.” She slid her arm in between her parents and held onto her mother along with her father.
“And I love you.” Rose told her daughter. Her breath grew short and her words weakened. Rose’s expressive enlightenment ceased. Her loving and exuberant character drew short, as her guardian Angel disappeared and a way was opened to Heaven; a window, if you will.
Taila told Jasper to close his eyes. Though Jasper was reluctant to do so, he obeyed. Jasper didn’t want to miss anything. Here he was given a rare gift of spiritual sight, and he was told to look away?
The glory of the Lord shone in upon Rose, and she looked upon the face of her Creator.
Jasper risked a final peek and opened one eye. In an instant, he saw, she was taken in a quick whoosh of light.
For a moment, in the stead of the light hung the dark shadowy form of Death. Its red fuming eyes looked directly at Jasper from the deep darkness of its hood. He knew he’d been spotted. It was a terrifying sight, but it didn’t last. Like a puff of smoke the shadowy remains dissipated and Death was gone.
Jim and Patricia held onto the last heartbeat of Rose’s thin and frail body.
While Jim and Patricia hugged and grieved over the passing of Rose, Jasper quietly side stepped out of the room with his eyes shut tightly. Led by Roger and Wilson, Jasper went a few steps down the hall to the next room over. It was likely one of the daughter’s bedrooms at one time, but it had been turned into an office since.
Jasper didn’t turn on a light, he just knelt to the floor and prayed in the dark while he grieved by himself.
Later that night, Jasper saw red flashing lights pan across the room. He looked out the window to see an ambulance had arrived. Jasper needed rest and he wanted to stay out of everyone’s way. He fell asleep on the floor of the strange room.
The rain came down like a cold shower. Jasper noticed a black umbrella covered every head but his own. No one offered shelter to him because no one knew who he was and he seemed rather rough around the edges.
His Angelic friends stood around him. Each one stretched one wing up over Jasper’s head. It was a kind gesture, but not even one rain drop was deflected by their efforts.
Jim sat between his two daughters. All who attended wore black. A wreath of white orchids was placed on Rose’s casket. All ears listened to the preacher, but all eyes were on the mahogany and brass casket.
“On this day, as we reflect on the wonderful life of Rose, we remember good times. Though she has passed on to a greater existence, she wouldn’t want for any of us to grieve and be sad. Perhaps she is here with us now, dancing amongst us as she did in her youth.”
Jasper wiped the rain from his face and looked around. No, Rose was surely not with them. The minister was right the first time. She had passed on into Heaven.
Jasper was amazed, however, with how many ghosts of the dead took interest in funerals. Roger thought they were foolishly trying to find a way back to the living, for people tend to think life and death matter most at a funeral.
No less than the day after the funeral, Jim was up and at it before the sun. Jasper saw a new person in Jim. Though he was an old man, the hard working German blood within him was recharged.
Jasper had no idea what he’d gotten himself into. The complexity of the chores were like nothing he’d ever experienced before. Tedious jobs like laundry, window washing and sweeping up floors was added to all of the other farm responsibilities. Trained to tend to goats, sheep, horses, pigs, cows, geese, chickens and a donkey, Jasper also learned to run the farm equipment.
Through multiple repairs and regular general maintenance, Jasper learned a great deal. Irrigation was also very critical to the entire process of the farm, but Jasper had to become an expert with the cultivation of various crops along with the small vineyard.
Jim worked closely with Jasper, teaching him the basics, but Jasper’s real training happened when Jim went off to work on his own. At those moments, the Angels began to instruct him.
Jim was regularly surprised by the results he saw in Jasper. If Jasper completed a job, the job was fruitful and the entire farm profited. Mysteriously, Jasper would say or do something spiritually unique and Jim would learn something new. Of course, it was the Angels who were actually impressing Jim, only he couldn’t see them speaking and working through Jasper.
Over the next few months, Jasper became close friends with Roger, Taila and Elana who appreciated life on a farm. Joel contributed with the assistance of Starr. They taught Jasper the importance of maintaining a balance between the body, mind and spirit. Other than intense exercise training and the practice of self-defense, they also enforced the importance of resting in the spirit. Wilson took particular care and time, exercising Jasper’s spiritual awareness. He also explained difficult questions about the spiritual realm.
Reserving time each day, the Angels called upon Jasper to read to them from his Bible. “No one here on earth seems to understand just how important this Book is.” Roger said. “The history behind it is deep. Kings fought battles to attain and protect it. Many lives were lost to preserve it. Lives are still being lost today for standing up for it. Lo, this is more than just a Bo
ok. More than a depiction of the stars. Much more for it contains the living word of God and truth.”