Ready to Take on the World

Chapter 34: The end

When I wake up, everything is white. Whiteness. I'm dead. Or am I?

I am barefoot and dressed in a long white dress.

'Where am I?' I think to myself.

''Is this heaven?'' I ask out loud, not knowing why or to whom I'm saying it or if anyone will respond. No one does, but I can see someone from far away. A small figure in the whiteness. It's closing in on me. It's getting closer and closer. I can't see who it is, but I can see it's a woman. Also dressed in a long white dress.

I don't recognise her, until she's standing an arm's length away from me. My mother.

Her beautiful long dress has sparkles on it, while mine is plain. Her hair is made in a bundle and she has amazing make up on, but no too much. Her face looks rested and she doesn't look tired at all. She looks young and full of energy. She looks like an angel. The only thing that's missing are wings.

''Mum!'' I say and hug her. I am so happy to see her. Just the person I needed.

She smiles at me and says:''Oh, my beautiful girl. Look how gorgeous you've become.''

I smile and hug her again.

Than I ask the inevitable question:''Where are we? Am I dead? Is this heaven?''

''Slow down, baby. So many questions.'' She looks at me and her eyes reassure me that everything is gonna be alright no matter where we are and no matter what.

She says:''Walk with me.''

She's different from the last time I saw her. She's even more beautiful and stronger, but most importantly she's more... alive, real.

As we walk along the whiteness, probably with no goal, she reaches for my hand and says:''You've grown into an amazing woman. Your brothers did it right. I am proud of them. But I am so much much more proud of you. You are the heart of our family. You always were and always will be. Your rebellious brothers will get together on occasions only because of you.''

She laughs and I laugh along because maybe that truly will be the case in the future. Even if they fight or argue, I will always connect them all. I will always be the link between them.

We get to a TV in front of which are two seats. Mum motions for me to sit and I do it.

The TV opens and I am shocked by what I see. Me in a hospital bed and all my brothers around me. Ian praying at the edge of the bed even though our family isn't really religious. Dalton sitting in a chair with his head down, looking at his hands. Peter sleeping in a chair in the corner of the room. Brian with his watery eyes, staring at my face, like he is trying to wake me up with his gaze.

I look at my closed eyes and say:''What is this?''

''This ... is reality. This is happening right now. You're in a coma. So you see, this is not heaven, or hell for that matter. It's a place between life and death where you can make the decision to leave or to stay.''

''Wait, so everyone who's in a coma comes here?'' I ask, curious.

Mum shakes her head calmly and answers:''No, this is the place you come to. Everybody has their own space. Not just when they're in a coma, whenever they're between life and death. This place isn't real. It's in your imagination.''

Mum strokes my cheek and I say:''So you aren't real?''

''I didn't say that.'' She says and smiles.

At this point I don't understand. She explains:''I'm an angel.''

'And my theory is confirmed,' I think.

''My existence is relative. I exist, but not in your world. I exist here in the spiritual world. But that doesn't matter now, baby. What matters is, that you are OK.''