Short Stories

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Let not
your hearts
be troubled....
In My Father's house,
are many mansions;
if it were not so,
I would have
told you.
[John 14:1-2]
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(It's a Beautiful Day,
in Heaven. Birds are singing,
and little bees are buzzing.
The Golden Streets are filled
with delightful, joyful folk.
The crowd gets thinner.....
however, as one approaches
the Throne Room Courtyard.
Only a few people can be
seen, here and there.
Up ahead,
by the Entrance Doors, are
two Big, Huge Angels. One
of the Big, Huge Angels
can be seen suddenly stepping
forward, and stopping in front
of two new visitors.)
______________________
(Angel steps forward,
Big, Huge Arms folded.
He thrusts a Big,
Huge palm out, towards
the two visitors.)

(One of the visitors,
rather plump, and
ungainly, whose halo
has now slipped again
from her rumpled head,
whispers loudly: poking
her fellow companion,
in the arm.)
"What's HE want?"

(Quiet, patient voice.)
"I don't KNOW,
Julie. It looks like
to ME, he wants us
to put something...
in his PALM?"

(Irritated, even louder
whisper.)
"YEAH! HE WANTS
A TIP!"

(Quiet, patient chuckle.)
"No........no WAY!
This is an ANGEL,
JULIE! They don't
take MONEY!"

(Sarcastic snort.)
"YEAH! RIGHT!
WOW! HEAVEN
has really made YOU,
NAIVE, Jeri! You've
been in HEAVEN,
way too long!"

(Both of the visitors
are now standing still,
and staring up at the
Big, Huge Guard Angel.
The rather plump,
ungainly visitor
has a decided squint,
in spite of the
big, thick glasses
sliding down
her shiny nose.)
(Decidedly nasal whine.)
"WHO are YOU?
And.....what do YOU WANT?"

(Quiet, patient voice interrupts.)
"Julie........he's not
a SPACE ALIEN....."

"TRUST me, Jeri!
The GUY wants at least,
a TWENTY!"

(Big, Huge Angel doesn't
say a word, but just stares,
leveled-eyed at the new
visitors, and continues
to hold his Big, Huge hand out.)

(Sudden, awkward,
feeling-about,
and patting
wrinkled folds
of long, gauzy gown,
as if searching for
something.)
"Don't these things
have POCKETS,
in 'em?"

(Quiet, serene voice.)
"I have pockets,
in MINE."

(Impatient, irritated voice.)
"I don't UNDERSTAND?
Ya mean......you have
to be Here,
for a certain amount
'a TIME?
Before, ya get POCKETS
in your GOWN?
Do you have any
MONEY,
JERI?"

"No, JULIE!
I keep TELLING you!
Nobody HAS any money,
up Here!"

"What about BILL GATES?
Ya mean.....HE doesn't
have any money up Here,
EITHER?
Then......WHAT does he
DO all DAY?"

(Quiet burst of laughter!)
(Serene shrug.)

"How come YOUR
HALO doesn't SLIP,
when you MOVE,
JERI?"

(Another serene shrug.)

"OY!
Come ON!
I wanna get in that THRONE Room!
And.......COMPLAIN!
How are we gonna get
RID, 'a this angel-GUY?"

(Quiet, patient pause.)
"Hm.......maybe,
he wants our.....
SHOES,
Julie."

(Slightly forward movement,
of Big Huge Angelic arm:
Big Huge palm comes level-
to-level with both eyes of
the waiting visitors.)

"WHY?
Cuz, HE doesn't have ANY?
I don't think my sneakers
would FIT his BIG FEET!"

(Serene sigh.)
"Come on.......
let's sit down,
and take off our shoes...
otherwise, we're just
going to be STANDING
here, all day."

(Mumble!)
"How come there aren't
any BENCHES,
around HERE?
Where are we gonna SIT?"

(Big, Huge Angel points
down at the ground. The
ground right in front of
the Throne Room isn't
the usual Gold. Oddly,
it's a rough, dirt path.)

(Mumbled whisper.)
"This guy's really startin'
to get on my NERVES."

(Few moments pass,
as both visitors plop
down on the ground,
to untie their shoe-laces.
They can't stand up,
to do it,
cuz of their too-long-
gauzy-floaty-gowns.)

(Two pairs of arms
hold out two pairs
of tennis shoes. One
pair is decidedly much
wider, than the other.)
"HERE!
Can we go IN,
NOW?"

(Slow, Big, Huge shake of the
Angelic head.)
(Level gaze.)

(Quiet, patient whisper.)
"I think he wants our
SOX, TOO,
Julie."

"Uh, UH!
The floor's MARBLE,
in THERE! My FEET
are gonna get COLD!"

(Quiet, patient whisper.)
"I don't think....
uh....
the Angel... CARES,
Julie."

"Why are we WHISPERING?
The LORD probably already
KNOWS,
we're HERE!"

(Long, whispered sigh.)
"I think I'm going to
go home now,
Julie."
(Sigh.)
"Choir practice starts
at 7....and, I want to
go hear SANDY sing;
she's got a SOLO,
tonight."

"Come ON, JERI!
We got THIS FAR!
Where's that SPUNK,
you used to have,
down on EARTH?
Let's just TOSS him
our SOX, and get on
IN THERE!"

(Deep sigh.)

(Loud, whiny whisper.)
"How long do we have to
WAIT? Ya think,
we have to take a NUMBER?"
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And,
if I go
and
prepare
a place
for you,
I will come
again,
and receive you
to Myself;
that
where I am,
there you
may be,
also.
[John 14:3]


_______________________
To my two good friends:
Sandy and Jeri.

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