When Angels Play Poker

by Maura O'Leary

  Jimmy picked up the file eagerly, wondering how their relationship would survive, considering the commitment Bob had already made, which he took very seriously. Still it was evident to Jimmy, and other people who knew Bob, how miserable he was over the years. Jimmy quickly realized that he was reading a romance novel spanning the next several years of Maura’s life.

  When she finally realized that there was no way Bob was going to give in to their love for one another and change things in his life to be with her, Maura moved on. But moving on wasn’t easy, and over the years she met a string of loser men who did not accomplishing anything other than capturing her heart and breaking it to pieces. And during those years of hurt, she lost more and more confidence in herself and eventually let her model figure fall apart. She became a plain-looking overweight woman. Maura just didn’t care anymore, and she resigned herself to the fact that she might be alone for the rest of her life.

  Then one night, while depressed, Maura decided to pick up the phone and call Bob. She had not talked to him in ten years, yet when they reconnected, it was like it had only been ten days. And the best part of all was that Bob was single and so was Maura.

  Jimmy continued to read in earnest about how Maura had changed residences, men, and careers over the years but had come out a successful business woman and had overcome all the obstacles thrown at her.

  When he finished reading the second installment, he had a much better understanding of the relationship between his brother and Maura. How deep the connection was, how much they had survived separately and together, and most importantly, how much they still loved one another.

  Jimmy found himself more than envious as he read about their reunion, because he realized what they had together was more special than most people encountered in an entire lifetime. He certainly hadn’t found his soulmate; that had eluded him more than a few times. He had looked all his life for someone like Maura. And to think my brother had this woman right under my nose all these years!

  But one thing that Jimmy could see from reading Maura’s file was that from the start, she understood her relationship with Bob was a special gift. Even at eighteen, she had the insight to know that in her lifetime she would never meet or love anyone more completely than Bob.

  Just then Norm appeared out of nowhere at the entrance to Jimmy’s cloud cube. “So, Jimmy, have you finished the second installment?”

  “Yes.” Jimmy nodded quickly.

  “So, what do you think now?”

  “I’ve never known for all those years that my brother had a relationship with Maura and that she loved him so much.”

  Norm smiled gently and said, “Well, it’s a testament to the strength of their love that they just picked up where they left off years ago, as if nothing had changed or happened. Unfortunately your death has deeply affected your brother, and he has decided to tell Maura he wants to put their relationship on hold for a while.” “No! He can’t do that to Maura! Does she even know I’ve died?”

  “No, not yet. They were supposed to go out the night you died, and Maura thinks that he stood her up, especially when she called him recently, and he said he needed his space.”

  Jimmy sighed, exasperated. “What Bob needs now is Maura!”

  Norm nodded in quick agreement “Unfortunately Bob doesn’t have the time to see her, even if he wanted to right now. The family is pulling him in fifty directions.”

  “So, Norm, when am I actually going to see Maura myself?” Jimmy asked eagerly.

  “Actually, right now. Follow me,” Norm said, smiling.

  They glided down a few hallways and finally came to a comfy area that looked like a large den, and it was much nicer than the cloud cube Jimmy had been cooped up in.

  Norm stated, “This is where you will be spending a lot of your time now, studying Maura, and getting used to her daily routine. Now close your eyes again, and focus on an image of Maura, based on the description you read in her file.” Norm waited a couple of minutes and said, “Okay, Jimmy, open your eyes and look at the wall across the room.”

  When he opened his eyes and looked at the space where there had been a white wall, he couldn’t believe what he was now seeing: Maura, live on earth, sitting on her bed, reading a book.

  Norm was watching his reaction and quickly explained, “This place is calling a viewing room. There are several all over heaven; they are used by angels constantly to view those they guard. This is the closest one to your cloud cube. Now, Jimmy, I have to say I am highly impressed that you were able to create such a strong image of Maura on your first try. And you’re able to see her live now, though I have to admit I helped out a bit.” Norm added with a wink.

  “Now your assignment is to watch over Maura, and as boring as this may get at times, you’ll be studying her through this viewing screen for now. Soon, when I feel you’re ready, I’ll send you down to be with her. Okay?”

  “Sure!” Jimmy responded, happy to be moving along with his assignment and to hang in a much nicer room.

  Thus, from that day onward, Jimmy hung out in the viewing room to study Maura. What surprised him was how many spirit guides and angel would drop in to watch Maura with him. When he asked why, they just smiled and said nothing or replied, “Because she’s a special earth angel.”

  Jimmy found this earth angel worshiping” annoying because

  A.so far Maura’s life, in his eyes, was very boring and in no need of watching over;

  B.he’d rather be watching with another powerful angel, like his sister, Pat, who he missed; and

  C.these angel visitors never came to check in or hang out with him or give him any tips on Heaven.

  Jimmy was also finding out something that really surprised him: being in Heaven could get really lonely. He thought maybe it was because he was a Level 1 spirit guide or because he needed to adjust overall, but it felt like solitary confinement. And the more he thought about it, the more he decided to complain to Norm the next time he saw him. If he was going to spend day after day just watching Maura live an ordinary, sometimes boring life, that wasn’t going to work. He was determined to push to be assigned to someone else.Norm periodically checked in briefly on him during the first couple of weeks to see how things were progressing. And finally, on one of those visits, Jimmy decided to lay it all out on the line. He told Norm how bored and frustrated he was, how he felt like he was accomplishing nothing watching over Maura. “Why waste my time on her when I could be helping my family or other people who really need help?”

  Norm listened to his tirade patiently and finally replied, “Look, Jimmy, I know it’s a bit of an adjustment to be in heaven now, and yes, at the moment Maura is not leading a very exciting life, but things will get more interesting shortly.”

  Jimmy let out a loud sigh and said firmly, “I don’t know how much more I can take of this. I don’t think I’m cut out for this spirit guide stuff!”

  “Well, this IS what we do up here—some more than others,” Norm quickly retorted and then left the viewing room.

  Jimmy watched him leave and realized he had no idea what Norm really did. He had never asked him. All he knew was that Norm seemed very important, everyone seemed to know him, and he was always very busy as well. Jimmy made a mental note that he needed to ask more questions when he saw Norm again.

  As he was reflecting on this, a warm light engulfed the viewing room. Jimmy felt the warmth surround him, and he had to close his eyes because of the glare. When he opened them, his sister was standing right in front of him.

  Smiling, she said, “Hello, Jimmy!”

  “Pat! It’s so good to see you,” Jimmy exclaimed.

  “I know. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit you sooner.”

  “Well,” Jimmy replied with a sulking look on his face, “I haven’t been doing anything, so I have all the time in the world to chat and visit with you.”

/>   “Oh, Jimmy, don’t say that! It’s truly so amazing to be here compared to earth. It just takes time to adjust. Soon you’ll be fine.”

  “So, where have you been? What have you been doing?” Jimmy quickly asked.

  “I’ve been watching over our big family since you’ve died. Been really busy with that.” Pat sighed.

  “How’s everyone doing? How was the funeral?” Jimmy said, looking concerned.

  “Badly unfortunately—especially Mom, Bobby, and your kids. Quite honestly, I was so busy watching over them at the funeral that I paid no attention to your most recent ex-wife.”

  “Good,” Jimmy retorted. “She’s a total piece of work—and a waste of time and energy anyways.”

  “Well, had I been paying attention, I could have tried to prevent her scoffing over a thousand dollars you had in your wallet when you died,” Pat said annoyed. “Can you believe that on the day of the funeral she took it?”

  “No way! You’re kidding me. That total lowlife.” Jimmy started pacing around the viewing room. “Had I been there, like I wanted to be, I would have made sure that never happened. Damn it!”

  “Jimmy, calm down!” Pat stated firmly. “You weren’t allowed to be there, per Norm, so get over it.”

  “Okay, okay” Jimmy stopped pacing and turned to Pat. “So, seriously, how is everyone else doing?”

  “Everyone is still in shock overall, but that’s not why I’m here visiting you.”

  “Really? Okay, why then?”

  “I’m here to take you on your first angel journey,” Pat said excitedly and clapped her hands quickly together.

  “Wow, coolio! Where are we going?”

  “Well, Jimmy, where is Maura going tonight?” Pat quickly asked.

  “Nowhere, Pat. Trust me on that,” Jimmy replied in a flat tone.

  “Okay then, let’s change that right now,” Pat stated with a twinkle in her eye as she turned toward the viewing screen.

  At that exact moment, Maura’s phone rang. It was Bob on the other end, whom she hadn’t heard from in weeks. By the end of the conversation, they had agreed to get together that night and go out somewhere fun.

  When the conversation was done, which Jimmy had been listening to intently, he jumped up and down. “Hot damn! Now we’re talking!” Then he quickly turned to his sister in amazement. “Did you make that all happen?”

  Pat laughed and said, “Oh, Jimmy, it’s just angel magic. So are you ready for your first angel adventure with me?”

  Jimmy quickly replied with a grin, “I’d go anywhere with you, kid!”

  CHAPTER 5

  The First Connection

  Over the next hour, Pat showed Jimmy how to slide down to Earth and get back to Heaven. Though they didn’t have much time to go through the rules of engagement, and how to get back to Heaven quickly if he needed to, Pat did the best she could to give him a crash course. She wished she could teach him to fly, but since he was a Level 1 Spirit Guide, he didn’t have wings. And Pat wasn’t sure she wanted him to know that she did, so she kept them hidden as best she could from him—in the knapsack on her back.

  Jimmy was beyond excited to be learning how to leave Heaven. Essentially, the plan was to go down a long, narrow tunnel to earth. Or, as Pat said, “Think of it as a huge slide.” Once there, they would find Bob and Maura and hang out with them for the night. The coolest part for Jimmy was that once they were on Earth, they were invisible. So he could be hanging out next to Bob, and Bob would never even know he was there.

  Finally Pat felt Jimmy was ready and—if nothing else—very eager to get going. So she let Jimmy go down the tunnel slide first, and she hung on from behind. When they landed, it was right outside Bob’s house—just as he was coming out of it and getting into his car.

  Pat whispered, “Hurry, Jimmy! Slip into the back seat of the car before he shuts the door!” Jimmy moved quickly and slid into the back with Pat right behind him, just as Bob shut the door and started the engine.

  Jimmy was so ecstatic he was almost speechless. He could not believe he was back on earth, and most importantly, seeing his brother again. He turned to Pat and whispered, “Can Bobby hear, see, or sense us?”

  Pat shook her head. “As I told you upstairs, no—he can’t. You have no idea how frustrating it’s been for me. So many times I have been right at Bob’s side when he needed me most or missed me terribly, and he never knew or sensed it.”

  Jimmy looked at his brother and then back to Pat with a stunned expression and stated, “I never ever thought I’d see my brother again. Thank you so much for making this happen!”

  Pat smiled. “I’m glad I could make you happy. I’ve watch over Bob every day since I died. Thus when you’re with me, you can see Bob, and that’s why we’re here. Actually that’s one of the reasons. The other reason is Maura.”

  Pat continued, “Now Maura, on the other hand, senses everything! You have no idea how lucky you are to be assigned to her. And hopefully you’ll see why tonight.”

  Jimmy snorted and said, “Huh, we’ll see about that. So far I’m not impressed.”

  “That’s because you haven’t seen her magic, Jimmy. She and I were like twins in Heaven. We had the same level of magic up there, and when you combine our magic together, there’s no stopping us,” Pat said with a laugh.

  “So you know Maura?” Jimmy asked incredulously,

  “Not on Earth this time. But we’ve been in Heaven at the same time in the past, between lives. We had a lot of good times together, since we were at the same level. And we were both brought down to earth this time as earth angels and as a test to see how long we could last on earth without being unconditionally loved by one person. Sadly Maura has really struggled with that over the years.”

  By this point Bob had driven to the meeting place to wait for Maura. When Maura arrived a few minutes later, she was glowing with happiness. She leaped out of her car and ran into Bob’s arms to give him a big hug and kiss. But immediately upon seeing Bob close up, Maura sensed something was different. There was a strained look on his face, and he seemed slow to smile, to react to her affectionate greeting, and to see her overall. He did tell Maura that she looked great, which made her happy, but her instincts told her something was off.

  As they drove away, Bob seemed quiet and very subdued, so Maura decided she would chat up a storm with him, to see if that would lighten his mood and get him to laugh.

  Jimmy turned to his sister at this point and burst out, “Why hasn’t Bob told her about me?”

  “You know your brother,” Pat sighed. “The great communicator! It’s always been his downfall.”

  “But it’s Maura we’re talking about here.”

  Pat shook her head sadly and said, “It doesn’t matter. It will take him most of the night to tell her. That’s why you have to help Maura. She’s going to need it.”

  As Jimmy turned to watch Maura more closely, he could sense that she was starting to panic. She realized something was very wrong at that point, and naturally she thought it had to do with her. She assumed that Bob’s distant and distracted actions during the night meant that he wanted to break up with her. He was definitely acting odd—pulling off the side of the road and having her walk with him to an abandon railroad track stop that had no lights.

  Even Jimmy thought this was a bit weird, and he started to worry for her.

  But all Bob wanted to do once he got her there was to hold her for a long time and not say anything. It was then, as this happened, that Maura could feel waves of immense sadness going through him. And she thought, Oh no, he wants to break up with me and doesn’t know how to tell me!

  When they got back into the car, she was fighting back tears, trying not to cry in front of him.

  Jimmy looked at Pat and said, “Whoa! She’s spiraling into a big-time depression out of nowhere. And she thinks Bob doesn’t love
her anymore, but that’s not the case! What can I do to help her?”’

  “You’re on, Jimmy!” Pat said. “Here’s your first assignment: connect with Maura—right now.”

  “But how?” Jimmy responded, confused.

  His sister smiled and said, “Never forget this: through music.”

  “Through music?” Jimmy asked

  “Yes! It’s how all of us in Heaven, including God, communicate with Maura. It works. And the key is, she knows this.” Pat stated quite factually.

  Jimmy looked at her stupefied. “Come on.”

  “I told you how special Maura is, and now you’re going to see a glimpse, first hand, of what I’m talking about,” Pat said with a grand gesture of her hand toward Maura.

  “You’re gonna help me, right?” Jimmy quickly asked.

  “Nope. It’s all you, buddy. All you need to do is channel into a radio station in Bob’s car, and turn one of the stations into a jukebox of your musical choices. But remember this: pick songs that will have meaning to Bob and some that Maura will like as well.”

  Having said this, she turned and focused on Maura in the car, and Jimmy watched in amazement as Maura said, as if on cue, “Gee, Bob, let’s find some good tunes to listen to.” Then he stared in disbelief as his sister guided Maura’s hand to a station and stopped.

  Pat turned to Jimmy, smiling. “Here’s a totally clear, open channel. So go ahead, bro. Knock yourself out and fill it up with some good tunes! Anything you can think of will instantly go in there and start playing.”

  Instantly Jimmy thought of a song from the sixties, and it came on the radio—right then and there. From then on, he couldn’t stop thinking of different songs, ones that he and his brother grew up listening to and ones Maura knew of as well. Before long, Bob was singing along to the songs, telling Maura they were his favorites, and he hadn’t heard them in years. She smiled and started singing too.