Paradise World

by Dan Edmund

Chapter 4 - Paradise At Home

  My parent's home was on a small hill near the river's bank. Being on the furthest western limits of the village, we walked along the river trail leading away from Mount Anastasis. From a distance, my parent's home appeared like a beautiful silhouette drawn against the sparkling blue backdrop that was the night sky of Paradise. Upon getting closer, I noticed their home was also constructed from wood, which likewise blended beautifully into its environment. And just as environmentally friendly was my mother's nearby garden, where I saw basketball size cauliflower heads jutting out of the ground, and behind them, lines of leafy carrot tops standing upright like miniature sentries of the night.

  "Everything grows so wonderfully here," my mother explained, "and there're no pests, frosts or storms to destroy what you planted. Neither do we need to weed."

  I chuckled and looked around me. "Nor does it seem to get truly dark. And the stars. Wow! I've never seen so many before. Is it always like this at nights?"

  "Always," my father replied. "Plus, our eyesight is probably as good as owls."

  "Incredible!" Then noticing my mother's garden again, I asked, "But why bother with a vegetable garden when so many exotic fruits and vegetables grow naturally by themselves, or even seemingly appear miraculously out of thin air?"

  Mum laughed. "Oh, David, food does not appear out of thin air, it grows naturally, with God's help. However, certain crops still need to be planted, like these carrots and cauliflowers. You also have to remember that we find pleasure in working with our hands, and seeing the fruitage of our own labors."

  "Yeah, and the work here doesn't break your back either!" my father added. He chuckled. "In fact, it's kinda fun, as you'll soon find out."

  I nodded, despite the fact that I had never considered physical work as being fun.

  As we neared the house, Cory came bounding from out of the bushes, barking and jumping excitedly around us. I once again played with him and thought back to my own childhood, feeling how wonderful it was to be as carefree as a child once more. A short while later, we reached the front veranda and entered into my new home. In the darkness, I saw my father reaching out to some round object that hung from the ceiling near the entrance of the door. "Wait for this, son, you'll get a real kick out of this!" He gently rubbed the small round object and amazingly it began to glow. He rubbed a little harder and miraculously the room lit up to a warm and gentle glow. "If you need more light, you just rub a little harder. However, it slowly fades out after a little while. So, to keep it going, you just put the 'light crystal,' as we call them, and place it inside this glass bowl and then hang it up, or place it on the table, or anywhere else you like. The light now won't go out until the light crystal is removed." He again chuckled. "Neat, ain't it?"

  "Yeah, sure, but how on earth does it work? I suppose it's just another miracle!"

  "We've been told that there's limitless energy all around us. How that works, we don't rightly know. But I guess the power must come from God somehow."

  I nodded and examined the house's interior. The living room was simply and tastefully furnished. A large red rug covered much of the smoothly polished wooden floor. In the center were three rocking chairs and a small coffee table. On the far side stood a massive handcrafted cabinet filled with an assortment of crockery, figurines, and other paraphernalia. On one side of the pine paneled walls hung two canvas paintings, one a beautiful landscape, the other a life-like portrait of my parents. Nearby was a table on which were two bowls ladened with fruit, a full carafe of what seemed red wine, along with three wine glasses, plates and cutlery.

  Seeing my surprised look, Mum laughed. "Oh, David, we knew you were coming one day soon. So, for the last several Divine Light appearances, we've set the table for the three of us."

  I smiled appreciatively and then told them of the table and food that had miraculously appeared upon my resurrection. "However, just as incredible was the bedroom. It looked exactly like our bedroom in New York!" I added excitedly.

  My father nodded. "Yeah, those kind of miracles can happen upon Mount Anastasis during a resurrection. The same thing happened to me. I guess being resurrected in what appears to be your bedroom, or some other familiar surroundings, makes the transition somewhat easier for some. It did with me. But here's your real home now, son. Do you like it?"

  "Yeah, I do," I replied. "It all looks very rustic but charming."

  Dad then tapped me on the shoulder. "Come on, son, have a closer look at these paintings."

  I examined the portrait of my parents first, and was impressed by how lifelike they appeared. They were in each other's arms, beaming radiant smiles at each other.

  "That one was done by one of the brethren here in this village," my father said.

  "And this one?" I pointed to the landscape.

  "That's the Deer River here in this valley." Dad chuckled. "Your ma painted that."

  "Mum!" I exclaimed in disbelief. I vividly recalled Mum's attempts at painting, which even to me as a teenager had seemed rather amateurish. Yet, here in front of me was, well, not quite a masterpiece, or an Albert Bierstadt, but good nonetheless. "Mum really painted that?"

  "Yes, I did!" she said, trying to sound indignant. "I know my paintings weren't any good when you saw them, but here in Paradise, we seem to be able to develop skills that we could only have dreamt about."

  My father chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I sure agree. I could cut trees down all right, but making things from them, well, I never could take to that. But now I learnt to love it. It's all so easy here. There's also all types of lumber and other materials which never existed in the old world, which makes work so much easier."

  "Yes, it all seems incredible!" I agreed.

  "Anyway, son, how about some good old-fashioned dinner? But Paradise style!" He gave a cheeky grin. "Hey, son, do you like roast beef?"

  "Yes, sure, but I'm surprised to hear that we still eat meat here, I mean, that animals are still slaughtered!"

  Dad shook his head and chuckled. "No, son, no animals are killed. They live just as peacefully as we do. Believe it or not, animals here don't even get sick, nor do they get old and die."

  This again surprised me. "Really! So how is it possible to have roast beef?"

  "No, it isn't really roast beef. It's what we call 'Roast Leaf,' which is a very thick leaf-like plant that tastes every bit like beef, and when roasted, it tastes like the best roast beef you've ever had. No foolin! Follow me and I'll show you."

  Mum and I followed Dad as he walked to the far end of the room. He opened a door and drolly announced: "That's our kitchen! Kinda looks plain, don't it? But don't let that fool you. Here we can cook the grandest dinner you could imagine."

  "Oh, indeed we can, David!" Mum heartily agreed.

  I stared into the rustic looking kitchen, which was totally bare except for a wooden bench, a sink, a cupboard, and a large silvery colored box at the side of the wall.

  "What's that?" I asked, pointing to the box.

  "Our stove. That's where we're going to cook our roast leaf, or roast beef if you like. Here, I'll show you. This you also gotta see." My father opened the cupboard, took out a large earthenware pot, and opened the lid. "These here carrots were grown by your ma." He picked one up and handed it to me. It was large, bright orange, and perfectly smooth. "Go ahead, try it!" he urged.

  Carrots had always been just plain old carrots to me. I never thought of them as anything special. However, to humor him, I nonchalantly bit into it. "Hey, you're right, not bad for carrots. Not bad at all!"

  "All fruit and vegetables grow absolutely perfectly here," my mother reminded me, "and they never rot nor do they need refrigeration because there simply isn't any harmful bacteria or things like that around." She then entwined her arm into mine. "Also, because we don't have any insects or other pests, we don't even need to cover the food." To prove her point, my mother then brought out a lidless clay pot from out of the cupboard. "These are cauliflower and potatoes, also from
our garden. Do you want to try these?"

  I did and was similarly surprised.

  Dad then opened the oven door and took out what looked to me to be a piece of cooked meat. "Although it ain't been heated up yet," he said, "it already tastes great. Here, have a taste!"

  He sliced off a piece and handed it to me. Again I took a bite. Although a plant, it really did taste like a cold piece of prime roast beef. "Now, watch this!" he added eagerly. He rubbed the inside walls of the oven with the palm of his hand. "It works on the same principle as the lamp. It somehow absorbs energy from the surrounding area and converts this into heat. And get this!" he then nudged me with his elbow. "This oven only heats the roast leaf, or any other food for that matter, but can't burn anything that's human or animal. The heat only affects plants, but only to the point of heating it, but never burning it!" He then gave me a wink and chuckled. "Even a hopeless cook like me can now cook up a storm!"

  I again shook my head incredulously. "It all seems so impossible, I mean, it all goes so contrary to the laws of science," I said.

  Dad laughed. "Yeah, it does. All that old science stuff means nothing here. Zilch!"

  "I know it does. But how can that be?" I asked, mystified. "We were always taught by our religion that God's laws were immutable! Sort of anyway, except for the miracles, of course. However, in school we were taught there were scientific laws which always held true and...." I let the rest of my sentence fade into silence when I thought back to all the things I had just experienced: my resurrection from the dead, standing here talking with my formerly deceased parents, that strange, enchanted house on top of the mountain, seeing and talking to angels, then, most incredible of all, that mysterious Light! I combed my fingers through my hair and sighed. "Yeah, I can see what you mean!"

  Mum, seeing my sudden confusion at the culture shock I was undergoing, held my hand and gently replied, "Don't worry, David, it will just take a little while for you to get adjusted. But it doesn't take long, especially when everything is just so wonderful and easy here." She then playfully pulled my hand and added, "Come, we'll let your father do the cooking and I'll show you your bedroom. Perhaps you may want to lie down for a while."

  We returned to the living room and on into a hallway that led to three bedrooms, one of which was mine. Once in the room, Mum rubbed a light crystal and again there was light. I saw a single bed, a wardrobe, writing table, chair, small dresser, and another landscape by Mum. On the far side, dark brown curtains draped the window.

  "Why don't you lie down a bit and rest," she suggested. "I'm sure you've never had a bed as soft as this."

  Although not the least bit tired, for the sake of Mum, I tried the bed and was surprised at its softness. "What's inside the mattress? Eiderdown?"

  "Eiderdown? Oh!" My mother then giggled like a little girl. "No, here we don't pluck feathers from birds. It's made from a special plant material that's even softer, and gives better support for the back."

  As comfortable and inviting as the bed was, I nonetheless got up.

  "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

  I returned a reassuring smile. "Yes, sure. I'm fine! So, where's the bathroom?"

  Mum smiled coyly and then again held my hand. "All right, but be ready for another surprise." Then, like a little child, she led me to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. Here I saw a large wooden bath and a hand basin fitted with hand pumps instead of taps, a hand towel rack with a couple of towels, a small round table and a mirror.

  "Very quaint. Makes you think back to the early pioneer days. But wooden bathtubs and washbasins, with hand pumps! Isn't that going a bit far with all that nature stuff?"

  My mother shook her head. "Oh, no! This is not the old world you knew, but rather where we're at one with God's now perfect nature. There are no steelworks, mass production, and things like that. All things are now crafted by hand. That's why we use wood so much."

  "But does not the water affect the wood, you know, rot or warp, or that sort of thing?" I already knew it was a stupid question even before I finished asking.

  "No, here in Paradise nothing breaks, nor needs any maintenance. It's like the food and everything else, you know, no bacteria or fungus. That's why nothing ever rots."

  "Nothing? Mum, then what about the food you eat, and what comes out?" I paused and chuckled mischievously. "I'll be polite and use the word 'excreta.' Besides, where is the lavatory in this house? Is there an outhouse or something? If there is," I flashed a cheeky grin, "I hope it's at least private!"

  Mum returned the smile, then laughed. "Oh, David, of course not. There're no lavatories, or outhouses, or things like that."

  "What! You just do it in the -"

  "No! No! No!" My mother seemed genuinely shocked. "We don't need one."

  "What do you mean, you don't need one?"

  "No, we don't, although I can understand what you mean. However, in Paradise we don't have the need for these things."

  "Mum, what on earth do you mean?"

  "Well, our whole metabolism has changed. Internally, we're no longer quite the same."

  I shook my head in bewilderment. "Yeah, I should have guessed as much."

  Mum then held both my hands and said softly, "As I already told you, don't worry. In a very short while everything will seem very normal to you, and you'll wonder how it was ever possible to have lived any other way." She then led me back into the living room where Dad was just in the process of serving dinner. "Come, take a seat, son. Just wait till you try this food!"

  "Yeah, it sure smells great!"

  Once the food was prepared and served, my father gave grace for the meal, as well as heartily thanked God for my resurrection and the blessings of Paradise.

  "Amen to that!" I added in all sincerity. Then, for just a second or two, I thought of Jenny. How I wished she were here now at this family reunion.

  Noticing, my sudden sullen look, my mother asked, "David, what's wrong?"

  "Oh, it's just...no, I'm okay. But I was just thinking how nice it would be to have Jenny here as well."

  "But she will be!" my mother reminded me.

  "Yeah, I know." Then smiling, I added, "But it's sure great to see you two again."

  Dad flashed a huge smile. "Yeah, it's also great to see you, son."

  "Oh, it is!" Mum added whilst clasping my hand.

  "Well, son, how about trying the food I cooked up?"

  I stared at the cauliflower and carrots, and at the vegetarian roast beef smothered in sauce. I carved off a slice, placed it in my mouth and savored the taste.

  "Well, how do you like the roast leaf?" Dad asked.

  "Yeah, it tastes great!" I exclaimed. I had not been exaggerating. Never in my former life had roast beef tasted so good before.

  Seeing Cory next to me, eyeing me as I ate, my father suddenly exclaimed, "I'm sorry, boy. Because of all the excitement, I forgot about you." He got up, went to the kitchen and carved up a generous serving of roast leaf for Cory.

  "That dog just loves my roast leaf. Always cleans out his bowl so that nothing is left!" my father said, chuckling as he came back. He then poured us all a glass of wine. "Take one glass and you feel fine. Take two, you feel even better, but take ten, and you're still the same. You simply can't get drunk, no matter how much you drink of that stuff!"

  However, the thing Dad called 'stuff' was a special type of red grape juice, although it tasted like a very good claret. Upon my second glass, I related the details of my death and suddenly not the best wine, nor even Paradise itself, could stop me from becoming glum. The room became silent, the mood distinctly somber as I relived those horrible last few moments of my previous life. "It was seeing Jenny sobbing like that which was the hardest part, knowing how much she must have suffered," I added, fighting back the tears.

  Mum's hand reached out to mine. "You know, David, of course the painful memory is still there on the first day of your resurrection. But no pain lasts long in Paradise!" I solemnly nodded my head. Mum
then held me close to her breast, trying to comfort me only the way mothers could. "And you'll see, soon she'll be here as well."

  I brushed back the tears. "Yes, I know. But how soon?"

  "All in God's good time," she replied. "Meanwhile, enjoy Paradise."

  Dad then drew himself towards us and entwined his massive arms around us both. "Yeah, son, this is sure one incredible world. Yes, sir, one incredible world!"

  I knew they were right. After dinner, the three of us sat in our rocking chairs and quickly my joy returned. Once again, we laughed and talked until finally, after our final embrace, we all went off to bed. Minutes later, I was peacefully asleep, dreaming of Jenny here with me in Paradise.