Death

Longing

I left Andre then, but not before caressing his face. He shivered, then glared. He knew who I was, but he did not understand me, and so, he hated me with all of the brightness of his soul. I heard a human saying somewhere that hate was just a few steps away from love, but I think that was just one of the many things that humans were wrong about.
I didn't see him again for many years after that. But finally, the time came for me to collect his soul. When I came for him, he was a withered man, mostly bald, a little blind, and his mind long gone. His soul had many, many holes in it, some bigger than others, but they all shined with the same golden light that emanated from within. Age had made him more beautiful than ever.
When entered his hospice room, he noticed me right away. His three children, now fully grown and then some, thought that it was his dementia that made him say, "So, we finally meet, you bastard."
Unfortunately, his last words alive would be a curse to me. Gently, I finally took him in my grasp. He jiggled, not because of me, but because he could already sense his long-lost wife within me. I let him go to her. And although he was now a part of me, I knew that he would never truly be mine. As I held Andre's soul within me, I could feel the mix of emotions swirling inside him - joy at being reunited with his wife, but also lingering resentment and hatred towards me. It pained me that someone whose soul shone so brightly could have such disdain for my role in this world. I realized then that I needed to make him understand, even if it took the span of eternity. So I made a choice to keep Andre's soul separate from the others for a while, giving him his own space within the folds of my cloak. The other souls jumped with curiosity at this new arrangement, but knew to give us privacy.
"Andre," I spoke directly to his soul. "I know you see me as a bastard, as the one who stole your loved ones from you over the years. But can't you see that I was simply ushering them to their next journey?"
His soul pulsed defiantly. "You robbed me of my wife in her prime, leaving me and my children devastated."
I sighed, if I had lungs. "Her cancer was terminally ravaging her body. Keeping her soul tethered to that bodily prison would have been true cruelty. I freed her to find peace."
Andre's light flashed, but dimmed slightly as he processed this perspective. Over the eons, I've learned that lack of understanding breeds fear and hatred of my role.
"What about the many holes in my soul?" he asked, calmer now. "Were those all created by your taking?"
"Not at all," I replied. "The holes come from the pain and suffering you experienced in your life, before I stepped in. My role is actually to collect you when that suffering becomes too much for your soul to withstand while alive."
Realization seemed to dawn on Andre's soul as he remembered all the turmoil he'd endured - the losses, illnesses, heartbreaks. How they had chipped away at him over time.
"If I had not taken you when I did, your soul would have decayed until there was nothing left but emptiness," I explained soberly. "By bringing you into my embrace, I preserve your essence, your memories, and the legacy you've led. Including the scars that made you who you are."
Andre's soul pulsed contemplatively as I gave him an eternity to ponder my words. The other souls around us hummed in reassuring harmony.
"So this...this is the afterlife? Not oblivion, but safety within you?" he asked eventually.
I metaphorically smiled. "Indeed. I am not the end, but the gateway. With me, you'll never be lost or forgotten."
As understanding bridged the divide between us, I felt Andre's hatred dissipate like a morning mist. In its place, a warmth emanated from his soul that made my formless consciousness bask in joy.
From that day on, Andre and I were at peace. His soul became a comforting companion who helped guide other souls into my cloak with empathy and wisdom. No longer fearing me, but seeing me as Life's caring counterpart.