Chapter 2 - The Awakening
I cannot recall anything afterwards, except that I found myself lying on a bed, stupefied and totally disoriented. It felt like I had just woken up from a long and very deep sleep. I recalled something about death, but only as a vague and distant dream. Then, as the drowsiness decreased, the memories flooded back. My God, had I been really shot? Instinctively, I grasped my chest only to discover, to my great relief, that there was neither pain nor wound. It was only then that I noticed the familiar surroundings of our bedroom at Morningside Heights. I laughed aloud at my own stupidity. My God, of course, it was all just a dream!
Or was it? The morning light filtered through the already drawn drapes as I pondered over this. Dream or no dream, this was surely the most bizarre experience I had ever had. I tried to think logically through the entire nightmare, from the moment we ran out of gas, to the time I had seemingly died. Everything now seemed so very real, the vicious youth with his gun, the searing pain, Jenny's screams, and my life flashing before me like some fantastic film. Yet, there was more. What? Through the recesses of my mind, I recalled a light, a huge all embracing light, and then...well nothing.
Hey, snap out of it! I told myself. Then, with all the resolve I could muster, I flung myself out of the bed. Only then did I realize the strange, white robe I wore. Odd. I never owned such a garment. And where was Jenny? Obviously not in the bedroom. Maybe she was in the bathroom, or the kitchen downstairs. I stepped into my slippers and made my way to the door. I reached for the handle, flung it open and shrieked in horror at what I saw. Instead of finding our familiar hallway, I stared into a strange white-marbled room.
"My God, this is impossible!" I bellowed. I turned my gaze back to our bedroom, and there it still was, exactly as I knew it, as welcoming as an old friend. Yet, in front of me, was something so bizarre that I even began to question my sanity. For several seconds I just stood there, not knowing what to do. Finally, I mustered enough courage and stepped into this bizarre, marble room. At the far end, I saw a wooden door, and slowly, hesitatingly, I made my way towards it. Then, for several moments, I just stood there, too afraid to open it, too afraid of what I might see.
I screamed, "No! I didn't die! This is only just a dream!"
I ran from the door, away from the marble room and towards the old familiar surroundings of our bedroom. Slamming the door behind me, I flung myself onto the bed. For several minutes I just laid there, too shocked to face the idea that perhaps I might not be dreaming after all, but that I had really died. I was still only thirty-five, with so much life still in front of me: time I wanted to spend with my beloved Jenny, time I needed to further my musical career, and perhaps of even becoming a father some day. Then, out of sheer desperation, I began to pray. Suddenly, a faint glow of light fell upon me, instilling me with a peace and serenity I had never known before. All fear had vaporized as I thought back to my religious upbringing, which literally had accepted Armageddon, Christ's Second Coming, the Millennium and a corporeal resurrection of the dead. Therefore, if I had really died, I must be then in Paradise, I reasoned to myself. If that was so, then Jenny might already be here waiting for me. Also my parents. Yes, surely, that must be so.
The light had vanished, yet the ecstasy remained. I launched myself from the bed and stared out of our back window. Instead of seeing the old familiar roads and buildings, I now saw a beautiful garden surrounded by majestic trees. My heart pounded wildly, and I was about to open the window to jump when I suddenly stopped myself, realizing that our bedroom was still on the second floor. This one cautious thought led me to doubt again. Could I still be dreaming, or sleepwalking, or something like that? I really did not know. However, I could not just stay in this room. I had to find out. But not through the window. Instead, I again went to our bedroom door and opened it, only this time, instead of seeing just an empty marble room, I now saw a marble room miraculously furnished with beautiful, antique furniture, including a large round wooden table, on top of which was a golden bowl ladened with beautiful ripe fruit. I walked towards the table and stared at the bananas, papayas, strawberries, grapes, slices of coconuts, cantaloupes, and many other species of fruit I had never known.
Also, on the table, was a hand-held silver mirror. It was lying face-down. Instinctively, I picked it up and saw a reflection of myself as I had never seen before. Not only did I look younger, but gone was the pale pallor of my face, my weak chin profile, and my rather longish nose. However, it still was me, only now a more handsome me, without the physical defects and blemishes.
I placed the mirror reverentially back onto the table and returned my attention back to the fruit. They were all flawless, with a vividness of color that was nothing short of extraordinary. I picked up a massive red strawberry and, after only a slight hesitation, bit into it. It was sheer ecstasy. Never had I tasted a strawberry like this before. I tried a grape and similarly reveled in its perfectly juicy and seedless flesh. Next, I bit into an unknown star-shaped fruit. It had a soft, velvety texture, not sweet like the strawberry or grape, but more of a bitter/sweet taste that was also very pleasant indeed. I could easily have reveled in yet more fruit, however, I was eager to explore this strange new world, to find out whether it was real or merely a dream.
Again I walked towards the opposite end of this strange, marble room, but this time opened the door.
I first glanced at the veranda bedecked by wooden lattices and grapevines, overflowing with succulent grapes. However, far more spectacular to me was the park-like garden beyond the veranda's archway. As if in a daze, I walked towards the edge of the veranda and simply stared at it, mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the scene. I had always enjoyed gardens and parks, and oftentimes Jenny and I had strolled through New York's Central Park. Yet, what was Central Park compared to this? Here truly was a horticultural masterpiece of luscious green lawn, manicured hedges, shrubs, trees, and scented flowers of every kind. In fact, the multiplicity of scents was staggering. Magnolias, frangipani, jasmine, and countless other exotic and exquisitely perfumed flowers wafted over me, their combined aromas intoxicating me to the very depth of my being.
Still mesmerized, I stepped through the veranda's archway and down the marble-like stairs that led into the garden. Here I gazed upon a glassy pond and a magnificent fountain, whose sprays and splashes were a delight to see and hear. I stretched my hand into the crystal clear water, feeling its coolness on my skin. I scooped some of it into my mouth, and was truly amazed at how beautiful plain water could taste.
I then continued down the pebbled path, exploring this natural wonderland, this Garden of Eden, my senses filled with delight with every step I took. An array of shimmering red roses caught my attention, and I stooped down towards the closest one. I felt its soft petals tingle my nose as its aroma wafted over me like exquisite perfume. I took a few more whiffs, then felt the smooth, thornless stem between my fingers.
Yet, nearby to where I crouched, there were not just roses, but flowers of every kind: geraniums, lilies, daisies, begonias, tulips, buttercups, violets, carnations, primroses, morning glories, bluebells, and many, many more, all in perfect bloom. Further down the track, I discovered fruit trees: apple, plum, guava, avocado, orange, and many others besides. Here in this incredible garden, not only were there all types of plants growing perfectly together, but fruiting and flowering together at the same time that was utterly impossible in the world I had known. Here, in this dreamlike world I now stood, symbiosis operated on a scale that was nothing short of divine.
I continued walking through this enchanting orchard, all full of ripe fruit, with not a rotten one to be seen. At its outer edge was a cluster of trees like none other I had ever known. They were perhaps thirty feet in height, and covered with large, crimson fruits. I walked towards the trees and plucked the nearest fruit. It had a sweet, rich creamy taste, not unlike vanilla custard. I was already on my third bite when I noticed, high up in the branches, a couple of golden-colored spider monkeys. For several
seconds, I stared at them as they also fed on this delicious fruit. I made some soft cooing sounds to attract their attention. Not only did they notice me, but to my utter amazement, one of them actually climbed down towards my outstretched hand and allowed itself to be stroked.
As I patted this tame creature, I involuntarily wondered again whether this place was indeed truly real, or only just a strange but beautiful dream.
"Well, monkey, what sort of world is this, real or illusionary?" I asked, as if addressing a young child.
However, the monkey only stared blankly at me before it slowly ascended up the tree to be once more with its mate. Seeing them together, I once again became acutely aware of my solitude. Then, for some reason, I gazed behind me and noticed for the first time a shaft of white light beaming down onto the mysterious building I had awoken. The light was not very bright, in fact, barely discernible, yet it stretched high into the sky. Stranger still, it had that otherworldly glow that reminded me back to the time of my supposed death, and then again when it miraculously comforted me after my awakening. Now here it was again, rising ever so slightly above the house and back into the sky, becoming ever fainter, ever harder to see, until it finally vanished before my eyes.
I just stood there, staring into the empty, clear blue sky, more than ever mystified by what I had just beheld. However, soon thereafter, I again mustered my courage and determination to explore this strange new world I was in. I therefore left the confounds of this enchanted garden and walked along a hilly path that traversed a thick forest of pines. Here I encountered several other animals, raccoons, foxes, badgers, all seemingly as docile as the monkeys I had previously seen. I even saw a deer coming up towards me, then nudge its nose playfully into my outstretched hand. However, I soon ignored its friendly advances and continued on with my search. I was now desperate to find my family, and if not my family, then at least somebody. Anybody! I was beginning to feel ever more like Robinson Crusoe stranded alone in Paradise.
For perhaps another thirty minutes or so I walked down along a gently sloping trail. Finally, I reached an open grassy plateau. I went towards its edge and gasped audibly at the scene before me. Not even in my home state of Oregon had I ever seen such spectacular and pristine scenery as this. At the bottom of the valley, a crystal clear river, tinged red by a setting sun, lazily meandered between its golden, sandy banks. Here there were more deer, in the water and out, but looking as majestic as the scenery surrounding them.
On the opposite side of the river's bank, acting as a gigantic backdrop, was another mountain range, even higher and more majestic than where I was, with some peaks almost scraping the puffs of clouds that dotted the sky above.
From where I stood, a clearly marked path led down the valley, where it eventually joined to yet another one along the river's bank. And then I saw it, the greatest sight of all. Next to the river, about a mile away to my left, scattered and partially hidden amongst the trees, I saw a small settlement of perhaps twenty or thirty homes. I whooped for joy, then with all the alacrity of a young child, I scampered down the track. I somehow instinctively knew that down below were not only people like myself, but my family as well.
Then, just as my excitement had reached fever pitch, something so incredible happened that I stopped dead in my tracks as surely as if I had been shot. There, less than thirty feet down the track, a ghostly form suddenly appeared, which eerily drifted up towards me. Closer, ever closer it came, and as it did, it slowly materialized itself into human form. A second or two later, I saw the features of an old man with a long, silver beard. He somehow reminded me of a biblical prophet. A gentle smile appeared from his lips, and out of them came the equally gentle words:
"Don't be afraid, my friend. Welcome to Paradise!"
As he said this, he fully materialized, and appeared as solid and real as any other flesh and blood mortal would.