A Gift or A Curse
Chapter 29
What the fuck?! I was talking to that kid! Why do you always take me away, God? Lord? Whoever it is up there?!
"It's nice to see you finally believe in God."
Jimmy sprang apart; he was so shocked by the sudden barge from the voice behind him. He scanned around, he was in a pediatric ward again, but different hospital this time. The scenario was still the same though. Babies wailing, nurses rushing and heart monitors beeping.
His head twisted and turned, searching for the owner of that mysterious voice. Third time he twirled, he found a man dressed in black suit and tie stood calmly beside him, watching those babies from the gazing window.
"Holy shit! Where did you come from?!"
The man smiled. Jimmy studied his look. His hair was copper colored, he had dimples on his stubbly cheek and his eyes – were electric blue.
"I was here all along. Watching you."
"That's creepy dude."
He laughed aloud. "James Owen Sullivan. You have always been the brightest among others. Always the funniest and bringing life to the party."
Jimmy smirked. "You damn right I am. Wait, how did you know me again?"
"You don't remember me?"
Jimmy stood up straight. His eyes rolled up, thinking hard, and searching for a face in his memories. He only recalled concerts, booze, pills, Leana and Zoey, the band, thousands of faces in crowds, Matt's dimple, Valerie in a wedding dress, Brian's spiky hair, Johnny’s little hands, Zacky’s green eyes, Michelle’s charmbracelet and Blake.
He glared at the man again. Slowly he shook his head in denial.
"Think really hard. We saw each other once. Once only."
Jimmy couldn't help but frown. His forehead creased into multiple layers of skin until a flock of nurses and doctors passed by, pushing a wheeled bed in such rush that he had to give ways for them. There was a body of a boy on it. Laid stiff and not moving.
At that moment, His mind curled back to a year ago.
“260, clear!”
Jimmy watched as his own stiff body was being pumped by people dressed in dark blue jumpsuit. His body laid there, limped and not moving. He heard a crying voice behind him, it was Brian. He couldn’t bear to watch him broke down to his feet, so he turned away and just watched the paramedic did their job.
“Date and time of death, 28th December 2009, 8.45 am.”
Jimmy turned around. He wanted to say something to Brian so bad, but he was apart from his body first thing when he woke up this morning.
“How can you commit suicide Jim? How can you not see that all the people around you, love you so fucking much?”
He heard Brian muttered under his breath after the paramedic gave him his condolences speech.
“No, Brian! Fuck, I didn’t commit suicide! I was…suffering.”
“JIMMY? JIMMY?!”
A voice of Michelle came into the room and Jimmy can only afford to watch them embraced in full of regret upon his passing. Later came in Zacky and Johnny, and the four of them cried together in a group hug.
“James Owen Sullivan.”
Jimmy turned around so quickly that he might snap his neck off. A man wearing a black suit and tie with a white crisp linen shirt inside it smiled at him with his welcoming blue eyes.
“What? Who are you?!”
The man chuckled slightly. “Let’s just say that I am your guardian angel. To be called a reaper is a bit too harsh.”
“Reaper? Oh shit. You’re gonna take me away now?”
“What do you think?”
“No! Not yet! I don’t wanna leave them yet!”
“But you’re suffering in life, James.”
Jimmy shook his head in denial. “I love them too fucking much. I can’t just leave!”
“You wanna say goodbye to them?”
Jimmy glanced intently at the reaper. He looked too handsome to be a reaper. None of his features really resembled a scary reaper that he’d always imagine.
“Yes. A last chance. Please?”
The reaper smiled. “Good. Then I’ll hand you your purpose.”
“Purpose? What?”
The reaper then took his palm and wrote something using his finger and Jimmy felt a burning sensation travelling through his veins and went straight to his unbeaten heart.
“You’ll meet her soon enough. She’s your purpose. Don’t waste your time. You don’t have much.”
The reaper then faded away into thin air, leaving Jimmy alone with his five crying best friends.
“Ring any bell now?”
Jimmy snapped back to reality and they were still standing in the middle of pediatric ward. He remembered vaguely of what had happened on his death day, but this guy, he definitely remembered clear.
“You’re my reaper?”
“I prefer to be called a guardian angel.”
Jimmy sighed deeply. “I still have time, don’t I?”
“Barely.”
“Tell me, guardian angel. Why does Blake has to be my purpose? Why not Brian? Or Michelle? Or Matt for that matter?”
The reaper folded his arms across his chest. “Because I want you to do me a favor.”
Jimmy blinked once. “What kind of favor?”
The reaper smiled and took a seat on the bench nearby. Jimmy followed suit, still staring at him. For a moment they watched the hectic wave of this hospital without saying anything.
“She’s my only sister.”
Jimmy jumped from his seat and stood up straight. “You’re JUDE?!?”
The reaper – Jude, nodded.
“How?? I mean, a reaper! That is a fucking cool job! How can I apply?”
Jude laughed. At these times Jimmy can still joke about the afterlife deal when what he should be worried about is his own ticking clock.
“Have you ever killed a man in your life?”
Jimmy pursed his lips and shook his head. “I almost killed Johnny once. For fun. We beat him up like shit, I wasn’t even sure whether he would come back up or not. Thank God he did.”
“No, James. Nothing like that. That was friendship. I’ve killed men more than I can even count. When I got shot on duty, I can’t even stay and linger around my wife and daughter. I discovered that most reapers are war veterans.”
Jimmy listened carefully. A bit of guilty feeling emerged from his deep within because he once loved Jude’s ex-wife and daughter.
“That’s the price that we have to pay. For killings. We can never cross over. Yet we can’t stay either.”
“I’ve dated Lea after you died, dude. I’m sorry.”
Jude laughed again, showing his dimpled toothy grin. “Don’t be. Lea was a mess when I met her. When she got pregnant with Zoey I decided to just marry her but I warned her so many times. That my line of job is dangerous. But she didn’t listen.”
“She was strong. I’ve seen her deal with your loss so many times.”
Jude smiled to the floor. “I know. She can handle herself just well. It’s Blake that I’m worried about.”
“Yeah, why did you send me to her?”
“That’s for you to find out, James.”
Jimmy groaned. “Why are you so fucking secretive? It’s my life! Well, my afterlife! I have the right to know damn it. And why are my tattoos all missing? Is this a prank God played on me or what?”
Jude chuckled and rose up to his feet. “You’re fading slowly. It reminds you that your time is ticking.”
Jimmy narrowed his eyes to him. “Are you here to take me, Jude?”
Jude shook his head and turned to his right. A little boy came towards him and reached for his hand. Jimmy frowned hard, that boy sure looked familiar.
“Is that..? The boy from the hospital bed earlier? The one they rushed over?”
Jude smiled down at the boy. “I’m here to take him. Hey, there little buddy. Do you have any last request?”
The boy shook his head.
“Good. Then you’re ready.”
Jimmy watched as they approached the gazing window slowly, hand in hand. Was it because that he needed to say goodbye to his friends that Jude allowed him to stay?
“See you around, James.”
A newborn entered the baby room and cried her lungs out but when she finally stopped crying, both Jude and the boy disappeared into thin air. Jimmy couldn’t help but feel scared. He wished to be back beside Blake right now. He’d give anything.
"It's nice to see you finally believe in God."
Jimmy sprang apart; he was so shocked by the sudden barge from the voice behind him. He scanned around, he was in a pediatric ward again, but different hospital this time. The scenario was still the same though. Babies wailing, nurses rushing and heart monitors beeping.
His head twisted and turned, searching for the owner of that mysterious voice. Third time he twirled, he found a man dressed in black suit and tie stood calmly beside him, watching those babies from the gazing window.
"Holy shit! Where did you come from?!"
The man smiled. Jimmy studied his look. His hair was copper colored, he had dimples on his stubbly cheek and his eyes – were electric blue.
"I was here all along. Watching you."
"That's creepy dude."
He laughed aloud. "James Owen Sullivan. You have always been the brightest among others. Always the funniest and bringing life to the party."
Jimmy smirked. "You damn right I am. Wait, how did you know me again?"
"You don't remember me?"
Jimmy stood up straight. His eyes rolled up, thinking hard, and searching for a face in his memories. He only recalled concerts, booze, pills, Leana and Zoey, the band, thousands of faces in crowds, Matt's dimple, Valerie in a wedding dress, Brian's spiky hair, Johnny’s little hands, Zacky’s green eyes, Michelle’s charmbracelet and Blake.
He glared at the man again. Slowly he shook his head in denial.
"Think really hard. We saw each other once. Once only."
Jimmy couldn't help but frown. His forehead creased into multiple layers of skin until a flock of nurses and doctors passed by, pushing a wheeled bed in such rush that he had to give ways for them. There was a body of a boy on it. Laid stiff and not moving.
At that moment, His mind curled back to a year ago.
“260, clear!”
Jimmy watched as his own stiff body was being pumped by people dressed in dark blue jumpsuit. His body laid there, limped and not moving. He heard a crying voice behind him, it was Brian. He couldn’t bear to watch him broke down to his feet, so he turned away and just watched the paramedic did their job.
“Date and time of death, 28th December 2009, 8.45 am.”
Jimmy turned around. He wanted to say something to Brian so bad, but he was apart from his body first thing when he woke up this morning.
“How can you commit suicide Jim? How can you not see that all the people around you, love you so fucking much?”
He heard Brian muttered under his breath after the paramedic gave him his condolences speech.
“No, Brian! Fuck, I didn’t commit suicide! I was…suffering.”
“JIMMY? JIMMY?!”
A voice of Michelle came into the room and Jimmy can only afford to watch them embraced in full of regret upon his passing. Later came in Zacky and Johnny, and the four of them cried together in a group hug.
“James Owen Sullivan.”
Jimmy turned around so quickly that he might snap his neck off. A man wearing a black suit and tie with a white crisp linen shirt inside it smiled at him with his welcoming blue eyes.
“What? Who are you?!”
The man chuckled slightly. “Let’s just say that I am your guardian angel. To be called a reaper is a bit too harsh.”
“Reaper? Oh shit. You’re gonna take me away now?”
“What do you think?”
“No! Not yet! I don’t wanna leave them yet!”
“But you’re suffering in life, James.”
Jimmy shook his head in denial. “I love them too fucking much. I can’t just leave!”
“You wanna say goodbye to them?”
Jimmy glanced intently at the reaper. He looked too handsome to be a reaper. None of his features really resembled a scary reaper that he’d always imagine.
“Yes. A last chance. Please?”
The reaper smiled. “Good. Then I’ll hand you your purpose.”
“Purpose? What?”
The reaper then took his palm and wrote something using his finger and Jimmy felt a burning sensation travelling through his veins and went straight to his unbeaten heart.
“You’ll meet her soon enough. She’s your purpose. Don’t waste your time. You don’t have much.”
The reaper then faded away into thin air, leaving Jimmy alone with his five crying best friends.
“Ring any bell now?”
Jimmy snapped back to reality and they were still standing in the middle of pediatric ward. He remembered vaguely of what had happened on his death day, but this guy, he definitely remembered clear.
“You’re my reaper?”
“I prefer to be called a guardian angel.”
Jimmy sighed deeply. “I still have time, don’t I?”
“Barely.”
“Tell me, guardian angel. Why does Blake has to be my purpose? Why not Brian? Or Michelle? Or Matt for that matter?”
The reaper folded his arms across his chest. “Because I want you to do me a favor.”
Jimmy blinked once. “What kind of favor?”
The reaper smiled and took a seat on the bench nearby. Jimmy followed suit, still staring at him. For a moment they watched the hectic wave of this hospital without saying anything.
“She’s my only sister.”
Jimmy jumped from his seat and stood up straight. “You’re JUDE?!?”
The reaper – Jude, nodded.
“How?? I mean, a reaper! That is a fucking cool job! How can I apply?”
Jude laughed. At these times Jimmy can still joke about the afterlife deal when what he should be worried about is his own ticking clock.
“Have you ever killed a man in your life?”
Jimmy pursed his lips and shook his head. “I almost killed Johnny once. For fun. We beat him up like shit, I wasn’t even sure whether he would come back up or not. Thank God he did.”
“No, James. Nothing like that. That was friendship. I’ve killed men more than I can even count. When I got shot on duty, I can’t even stay and linger around my wife and daughter. I discovered that most reapers are war veterans.”
Jimmy listened carefully. A bit of guilty feeling emerged from his deep within because he once loved Jude’s ex-wife and daughter.
“That’s the price that we have to pay. For killings. We can never cross over. Yet we can’t stay either.”
“I’ve dated Lea after you died, dude. I’m sorry.”
Jude laughed again, showing his dimpled toothy grin. “Don’t be. Lea was a mess when I met her. When she got pregnant with Zoey I decided to just marry her but I warned her so many times. That my line of job is dangerous. But she didn’t listen.”
“She was strong. I’ve seen her deal with your loss so many times.”
Jude smiled to the floor. “I know. She can handle herself just well. It’s Blake that I’m worried about.”
“Yeah, why did you send me to her?”
“That’s for you to find out, James.”
Jimmy groaned. “Why are you so fucking secretive? It’s my life! Well, my afterlife! I have the right to know damn it. And why are my tattoos all missing? Is this a prank God played on me or what?”
Jude chuckled and rose up to his feet. “You’re fading slowly. It reminds you that your time is ticking.”
Jimmy narrowed his eyes to him. “Are you here to take me, Jude?”
Jude shook his head and turned to his right. A little boy came towards him and reached for his hand. Jimmy frowned hard, that boy sure looked familiar.
“Is that..? The boy from the hospital bed earlier? The one they rushed over?”
Jude smiled down at the boy. “I’m here to take him. Hey, there little buddy. Do you have any last request?”
The boy shook his head.
“Good. Then you’re ready.”
Jimmy watched as they approached the gazing window slowly, hand in hand. Was it because that he needed to say goodbye to his friends that Jude allowed him to stay?
“See you around, James.”
A newborn entered the baby room and cried her lungs out but when she finally stopped crying, both Jude and the boy disappeared into thin air. Jimmy couldn’t help but feel scared. He wished to be back beside Blake right now. He’d give anything.
Oh and by the way...I needed to see that talk between Jimmy and Hendrix so baaaadddd hahahha epic moment of the heavens! <3
7/30/14