‘Seán must be in a deep state of shock,’ Nole thought to himself, and decided not to say anything that might be detrimental to his friend’s recovery.
“I don’t seem to be able to recall anythin’ at the moment, Seán. It must be due to the severe knock I suffered,” Nole excused himself.
“Well, I can remember everything vividly and yet you have no recollection of it!” Seán mused.
“I think my brain’s all shook up by the bang on my head and it might have caused a memory loss for a while.” Nole offered the possibility.
“Well, yes, I suppose that could account for it,” Seán agreed. And after a momentary pause he asked, “Where’s Tom? He was in the back!”
“I’m not sure, Seán. He could be unconscious on the sofa in the back of the van, but I have a feelin’ that he wasn’t injured and he has gone to get help,” Nole suggested.
“Yes, that’s exactly what Tom would do. He is a good friend,” Seán acknowledged, and remarked, “I’m trapped here too and can’t free myself.”
“Yeah, but don’t worry, Seán, Tom will bring help - I’m prayin’ he will anyway. The main thing is I don’t think we’re seriously injured... well, I hope not. How do you feel, Seán?”
“I have a pounding, drumbeat headache, cuts and bruises and nothing more than that I’m hoping too,” Seán positively speculated.
“I thought you were a goner Seán. I was prayin’ you weren’t, but you had me worried for several minutes.”
“I was on the brink Nole and so were you. The clone of my spiritual self met Brother Peter in the Serene Palace of Heavenly Justice and he informed me that he had decided to send our spiritual clones back here to our physical bodies. I remember everything he said,” Seán stated and then on hearing a sound he said, “I wonder what that noise is?”
“It’ll be Tom, I hope,” Nole responded expectantly.
“Seán, Nole,” Tom’s voice echoed, “can you hear me? Are you all right? Oh, please answer if you can.” And his concern was obvious in his voice.
“Yeah, Tom, we can hear you. We’re OK, I think, but we’re trapped here unable to move,” Nole informed.
“Oh thank God you’re both alive. You are not badly injured, are you?” Tom worriedly enquired.
“We don’t think so, Tom, but we’ve got throbbing headaches at least and feel sore all over,” Nole reported.
Tom scrambled down into the ditch and through the open side door of the transit van and stood upright on the tilted sofa behind the partition of the cab to look down on his two friends trapped in their seats and partially illuminated by the reflected light from the van’s headlamps.
“Don’t worry boys, help will be arrivin’ soon. When I saw you both unconscious after comin’ round myself I feared the worst. I only suffered a few bruises and I managed to get my bike out of the van. Then I pedalled like billy-o to home, where I arrived a sober man. I’ve never sobered up as quick in my life before and I don’t know how many prayers I recited on your behalf, but thank God they were heard anyway.”
“Well Tom, I’ve learned something of interest to you - something good, that is,” Seán remarked.
“You have!” Tom exclaimed, surprised and with his curiosity asked, “What is that, Seán?”
“The fox you said crossed your path on the lane several times recently was definitely spiritual, as I suggested it might possibly have been earlier this evening.”
“It was!” Tom was stunned. “And how do you know that, Seán?” Tom pressed, eager to hear more.
“It was the same fox that caused our accident this evening,” Seán revealed.
“The same fox!” Tom repeated, bewildered and asked, “But how could you be sure of that, Seán?”
“Brother Peter told me during my interview with him in the Serene Palace of Heavenly Justice next to the pearly-white gates of heaven,” Seán disclosed much to the amazement of both Nole and Tom.
The latter could only reply, “I don’t understand that Seán. It’s beyond me - a spiritual fox that causes accidents! I’m not saying that it didn’t cause the accident, but it must surely have been by chance. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“It wasn’t a chance happening Tom, but quite the opposite,” Seán assured.
“And do you believe that the same spiritual fox deliberately caused my mishaps with my bicycle?” Tom quizzed his curiosity in full flow.
“Yes I do, Tom. It was the same spiritual fox that suddenly appeared in front of the van, causing me to instantly steer it on to the verge and into the ditch before I could even brake. There was no other way to avoid running over the fox and it’s in my nature not to injure or kill any creature if I can at all avoid it, hence our present predicament.” Seán explained.
“I still don’t understand why a fox alive or spiritual would want to deliberately cause accidents.” Tom mentally wrestled with the mystery.
“I understand how you feel Tom. I will explain in detail and then you will have a full picture of the complexity, even if you still find it strange and maybe unbelievable. Nole and I have been on a spiritual journey whilst you were doing your good deed, but Nole can’t remember it at the moment, due I expect, to temporary memory loss in the wake of the accident,” Seán explained.
Nole agreed stating, “I can’t remember a thing about it.”
Seán then related in detail their spiritual journey along the crooked road to heaven, beginning with meeting Azrael, the Angel of Death, and culminating in Seán’s spiritual interview with Brother Peter in the Serene Palace of Heavenly Justice, where he was assessed for acceptance into the kingdom of heaven and where he also learned the truth about the fox and the reason why it crossed the path of Tom’s wobbling bike rides home in the dark under the influence of alcohol and for the same reason crossed Seán’s path whilst driving Tom home, resulting in the accident. Seán ended by informing Tom that Brother Peter had said the fox was successful in its quest as he, Seán, would later discover.
“I interpreted that to mean that you, Tom, either had committed yourself or were about to commit yourself to some commendable decision in your life. Am I right Tom?” Seán asked.
Tom looked stunned by the revelation and after a ponderous moment replied, “I find your story fascinatin’, but impossible Seán. I would have liked to have experienced it. Yet what Brother Peter is supposed to have told you is true. I wasn’t goin’ to tell you and Nole until after you have both recovered from your ordeal, but now after your divine-intervention knowledge I will tell you. When I came round after the accident and saw you two unconscious in the cab I panicked, but managed to get my bike out of the van. I rushed the short distance to home in a state of shock and blurted out to my wife, Nora, what had happened. Then I phoned for an ambulance. After a while I calmed down and made a sober, solemn vow to Nora and my sleeping children upstairs in bed and to God that if you Seán and Nole survived I would never in my lifetime thereafter allow alcohol to pass my lips again, and I will never break that vow,” Tom stated with sincere conviction.
“Well, that is truly commendable of you Tom, and I will say this and I’m sure Nole will agree with me, the pain of our discomfort is a price worth paying for your self-denying lifetime pledge.”
Nole added, “And I absolutely agree.”
After a short pause Seán remarked, “There is one loose string concerning the spiritual fox that I’m trying to tie up. Was there ever any member of your family, now passed on, who was involved with foxes during their lifetime Tom?”
“No, not that I can remember,” Tom answered and he pondered on the subject for a prolonged moment before suddenly recalling something. “When I was about nine years old I had a cousin called Kevin, the same age, and we both had a keen interest in nature - birdwatching, discovering wildflowers and watching animals, including foxes. Kevin loved foxes and we would go anywhere
to see them when the opportunity presented itself. He was out one day alone, riding his bike not far from home, when he was hit by an drunk driver and sadly he died from his injuries. I remember being devastated by his loss and it took me a long time to get over it. He is the only one I can associate with foxes,” Tom forlornly reminisced.
“Well, that I think, clears up that piece of the mystery. The fox was your cousin, Kevin, in spiritual disguise trying to warn you of the danger of riding a bike home in the dark under the influence of alcohol,” Seán reasoned.
“Yeah, I see what you mean, Seán, and I believe you are right, because when I look back on my childhood years I remember Kevin always showed his teeth when he smiled, just like the fox did when I fell off my bike on one occasion and ended up in a pile of brambles,” Tom recollected.
“Yeah, he must’ve been trying to jog your memory,” Nole suggested.
Tom silently reminisced, bent his head and spilled some tears. Then looking upwards he said, “Forgive my blindness Cousin Kevin up there in heaven and thanks for your efforts to make me see the light. I’ll never forget you and I swear to you that I’ll never break my vow.” When he recovered his composure he remarked, “What I can’t mentally work out is how did you two manage to spiritually walk the crooked road to heaven, learn about the fox and what it really was and also know about my good act and yet you haven’t moved from here and only about forty-five minutes have passed since the accident happened.”
“Well, I’ll tell you now Tom in all honesty,” Nole chipped in, “I can’t remember any of it. I’m as much in the dark about it as you are, but if Seán insists I was there then I must have been there. Maybe I’ll remember tomorrow after a good night’s rest,” he concluded.
Seán stared thoughtfully through the broken windscreen, and after a lengthy moment he posed a question aloud: “I couldn’t have been dreaming, could I?” And before either of the other two could formulate a reply he answered his own question: “Too much happened for it to be a dream... and yet... do you think it was a dream, Tom?”
“Strange things take place in the mind when a man’s unconscious. He isn’t in control of his mentality... and... well... who am I to say what might have unfolded?” Tom conceded defeat about the mystery.
“The same goes for me,” Nole agreed and added, “the mind is a strange world. It looks after the body, but at the same time it seems to have a mind of its own as well, if you know what I mean. That’s the only way I can explain it.”
“Listen now Seán, don’t worry yourself about it. Just be thankful that you are alive - and not badly injured I hope,” Tom thoughtfully advised.
“Yes Tom, that’s true. I’m glad I’m alive, no doubt. I am aware of how precious life is and I’m looking forward to marrying my sweetheart Maura in a few months’ time. And if you’ll take my advice, Nole, I think you should ask that young lady out - the one who lives a bit further along your street and who you have strong feelings for: Mary - Mary Finnigan. Have I got the name right?”
Nole looked stunned as he asked, “How did you know I had feelin’s for her Seán, seein’ as I have never confided that information to anyone?”
“You mentioned your admiration for her to me on the crooked road to heaven.” Seán was adamant.
“I did!” Nole exclaimed, and continued: “Maybe our spiritual selves did go on a walk when we were unconscious. There’s no other way you could have known my feelings for Mary Finnigan. Nevertheless Seán, now that the cat’s out of the bag, I’ll do as you suggested and pluck up the courage to ask her out when we have recovered from our present predicament.”
“I wish you the best of luck Nole,” Seán ended.
“Now listen fellas,” Tom interrupted, “I think you two ought to relax and take it easy until the ambulance arrives. And after your recovery I’d love to hear about the journey along the crooked road to heaven again if you don’t forget it Seán!” Tom commented, and added, “I’m still trying to come to terms with the strange, fascinating story and, as I’ve already said, I’ll be looking forward to hearing it again. I’ll be hoping it doesn’t fade from your memory Seán.”
“And seein’ as I was part of it I’ll be even more interested in hearin’ it again. Hopefully it might just jog my memory,” Nole enthused.
“I must say it was the most wonderful out-of-body experience I’ve had - if indeed that’s what it was. It was so realistic that I can’t believe it didn’t happen,” Seán stated, convinced.
“Well, I just hope that I will feel the same about it as you Seán, if I ever do remember it,” Nole wished.
“I can hear the ambulance siren in the distance, so it will soon be here,” Tom informed. Then he suggested, “Let’s sing an old favourite together while we wait.”
“You swiped the words out of my mouth, Tom,” Nole agreed and asked, “any special requests, Seán?”
“Yes, what about that old-time favourite ‘Show Me the Way to Go Home’?”
“That’s fine with me. It was my granny’s favourite,” Tom seconded.
“You couldn’t have picked a better one Seán - it’s right up my street. All together now.” Nole began and a few minutes later the ambulance and accompanying police car converged on the scene with flashing blue lights.
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The Crooked Road to Heaven Page 9
