Reservations (ONC24)

Prologue

"Hi, do you have a reservation? That's my opening line to pretty much everyone that arrives.

"Everyone knows they have a booking but very few people know when it actually is.

"Sorry I should've introduced myself, I'm Pete, now don't get me wrong I'm a great guy but I'm no saint. I'll make your stay here comfortable, whether that be minutes, hours, days or decades. Yeah some people stick around.

"When you work here, in the place between life and the thereafter, you see a lot. It's not easy, you guys don't travel light.

"My job is not to judge, despite what you're told. I don't sit here waiting with a large list of your indiscretions. I'm not one of two angels who will interrogate you while you're in Barzakh.

"Nor do I decide if you've made enough progress over your lives to achieve moksha and liberation from samsara.

"No, I'll let you figure it out and choose your own path.

"While you're here, why don't you stay a while. See what we do here at the cafe at the end of the day. Table 11 has just checked in, her companion he's been waiting years. He's met a lot of passers through in that time. But I'm pretty sure this is the one he's been waiting for."