It's a Wonderful Death

by Sarah J. Schmitt

  “Death Himself showed me a clip from the girl’s life review so I could have an idea of what was going to happen. That was when I realized it was RJ.”

  Now I get it. That’s why she was so mad at me when I first met her. She already knew I left Abby alone with those girls.

  Angelica is staring at her hands and Sal moves to her side. “When you found out it was RJ, did you have any second thoughts about assisting her?”

  “Yes.”

  I know she can only tell the truth but the word still hurts and I wish there was something I could do to erase that moment from all timelines.

  “But only for a second,” she adds quickly.

  “And what made you change your mind?”

  “Because they were only children and children make mistakes. I could see RJ was scared, though I wasn’t sure if it was the physical threats or the social ones that motivated her behavior.”

  Sal nods. “Is that the only reason? Because you thought she deserved a second chance?”

  She smiles sadly. “No. I wanted her to stand by my daughter instead of running away.”

  “Why?” Sal asks.

  “I’m sorry?” she asks.

  Sal looks at her with tenderness. “Why did you want RJ to change the past so badly?”

  Angelica looks down at her hands. “After my death, my daughter stopped smiling. She stopped being the little girl who would gather up dandelions and present them to me as if they were the finest roses Mother Nature ever created. She became a shell of the girl she should have been. She was lost, sad, and afraid.” She looks at me and I sink low in my chair. “I wanted my daughter’s life to be better. If RJ could change Abby’s future, then I could finally stop worrying about her and find peace in my death.”

  Azbaugh interrupts, “That’s very sentimental, Angelica. You are such a devoted mother. I imagine you would do anything to help your daughter, wouldn’t you?”

  Angelica’s head snaps up. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re implying.” I can see the fire in her eyes. Azbaugh has awoken the mama bear.

  He doesn’t seem to care. “Did you attempt to influence Ms. Jones’s decisions?”

  “No. I didn’t think that was possible. Since I was her first guide, Death Himself had given me very detailed instructions on what she needed to know before the first test began. I couldn’t change them, even if I wanted to.”

  “And you refrained from lecturing or shaming her into making a choice that would better serve Abigail?”

  Angelica looks guilty. “Not exactly,” she begins. “I thought I would be able to talk to her like any other soul. I’ve done some work with the counselors, especially when mothers of young children arrive. I thought I was prepared for what I was going to see.”

  “But you weren’t, were you?” Azbaugh continues to question.

  “Do something,” I hiss at Sal. “Isn’t he badgering the witness or something?”

  “He can’t do anything, Ms. Jones,” Azbaugh says. “As a member of the Tribunal, I am entitled to ask any question I see fit. It would serve you well to remember that.” He turns back to Angelica and while his voice softens ever so slightly, he is still doing his best to intimidate her. “Please, answer the question.”

  “No, I was not.”

  “And you did lead her.”

  “A little,” Angelica admits.

  “Thank you,” Azbaugh says, sitting back in triumph.

  Shepard clears his throat. “If I may, Brother, I would like to follow up with a question of my own.” Azbaugh says nothing so Shepard continues. “Angelica, did you explicitly tell RJ that she needed to protect your daughter?”

  She shakes her head. “No, I did not.”

  “Then what did you tell her?” Azbaugh interjects.

  “I reminded her that all choices have consequences and that her challenge was to make better ones than she did her first go around. I told her that everyone has regrets and she’s been given a gift to go back to the moments where she was the most selfish and do the right thing.”

  I sink down low in my chair. I can feel the stares of everyone in the room burning a hole in the back of my neck.

  “Did you tell her what she needed to do in order to, as you said, ‘do the right thing’?”

  Angelica shakes her head emphatically. “Absolutely not.”

  Azbaugh looks like he’s going to push this line of questioning even further, but Shepard smiles at Angelica and says, “Thank you. Unless there are other questions from the Tribunal, Sal, I believe you may continue.”

  A heartbeat passes before Sal speaks. “Before her first test, did RJ know how she was connected to you?”

  “I don’t believe so.”

  “And during your observation, what did you see?” Sal inquires.

  “I saw RJ struggle at first. But there was also a point where she looked at Abby and it was as if a lightbulb clicked on. She sacrificed herself in order to buy time for Abby to go get help,” Angelica explains.

  “Why didn’t she run for help?”

  Angelica looks thoughtful. “I don’t know. I believe that is a question only RJ can answer.”

  “We can retrieve that answer during the memory evaluation,” Zachriel offers. Azbaugh nods his approval.

  “I have one last question,” Sal says. “What impact did RJ’s decision have on your family?”

  “I will not allow that question,” Azbaugh roars. “Stick to the facts.”

  Sal looks a little shaken. “Let me redefine the question, then. Angelica, did RJ’s decision have a positive or negative impact on your family?” Azbaugh opens his mouth to object and Sal adds quickly, “As compared to the first timeline?”

  Angelica doesn’t hesitate. “Positive. For all of them,” she says, beaming with joy.

  “Thank you,” Sal says. “If there are no other questions, you may return to the galley.”

  Angelica looks expectantly at the Tribunal but Azbaugh dismisses her with a nod.

  As she walks by, she gives me a wink and warmth spreads through my body. No matter what happens, Angelica’s approval is almost worth an eternity in the Afterlife. Almost, but not quite.

  Chapter 24

  “Is there another witness?” Azbaugh asks.

  Sal glances to the front row. “Gladys Jones will be our next witness.”

  I swing my head to face her but Grams looks right past me as she walks to the chair. After our conversation, I know I’m not going to like what she has to say.

  Once she’s seated, Sal begins. “Gladys, you are RJ’s grandmother, correct?”

  “I am,” she says with a quick nod of the head. “Her father is my son.”

  “And what was your role in the test set before her by the Tribunal.”

  Grams looks briefly at me and then answers. “Death Himself mentioned that there might be need for someone to step in should Daniel’s timeline alter. Who better than her grandmother?”

  I notice that Grams doesn’t mention she skipped out of Heaven to see me. I wonder if it matters.

  Sal gives her a gentle smile. “And why would Daniel’s past be altered?”

  “Well,” Grams says, her face expressing the annoyance she’s clearly starting to feel with the line of questioning, “the only reason he would be unable to fulfill his duties would be that he never died.”

  Sal nods encouragingly. “And is that what happened when RJ went back?”

  Grams smiles at me. “Yes. She connected with him and through a series of circumstances helped change his mind about committing suicide.”

  “So, she saved him,” Sal surmises.

  Grams looks thoughtful. “Yes, I believe she did.”

  “Gladys,” Azbaugh says before Sal can ask another question, “were you privy to the scene RJ was being shown as part of her test?”

  Grams nods. “I was able to observe from a distance. How else would I have been able to step in for Daniel?”

  Azbaugh stares down his nose at her. “I would like some clarif
ication on the setup. In the previous test, RJ saw the events directly leading up to the moment when she was transported into the scene. Did the same thing happen in this second test?”

  Grams looks from Death Himself to me and back to Azbaugh. “No,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Azbaugh looks smug. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  I can’t believe he’s being so rude to Grams, and I’m about to say something, except she beats me to it. “Just because you are an angel does not give you the right to speak to me like that. I said no. You heard me. Everyone heard me. Now, what is your next question?”

  I have to slap my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing at Azbaugh’s face. I don’t think he could be more surprised if Grams were to stand on the dais in a hula skirt and do a little dance.

  “I, uh, I have just one more question.” He pauses and looks at her. If I didn’t know better, I would say he’s waiting for her to give him permission.

  And then she does. “Please, ask away.”

  I hear giggles in the back of the room and when I give a quick glance at the crowd behind me, I see I’m not the only one hiding a smile.

  Madeline leans forward and whispers in my ear, “Your grandmother is so cool.”

  I sit a little taller, pride giving me the lift I need. I can’t believe Grams is standing up to the angel like this.

  Azbaugh clears his throat. “Could you please describe the scene that took place prior to RJ being transported into her test?”

  “I believe,” Grams says slowly, “it was an event that took place a few days prior. RJ and her friends were tormenting Daniel, teasing him and suggesting that he wasn’t worthy of life.”

  My smile fades. Even now, after all I’ve been through, her version of the situation is humiliating. How did I become such a mean person? Is there something in my nature that makes me like that or am I just weak?

  Sal rushes to interject. “How did the two timelines differ?”

  “Well, they were completely different. The later interaction between RJ and Daniel never occurred in the first timeline. When they did meet, I saw in her a willingness to not just take a stand for what is right, but more importantly, she was willing to stand up to her friends. I love my granddaughter, but she has been keenly aware of her social standing since she was a little girl and has sometimes made choices based on the need to be liked rather than the need to be right.”

  “And do you think this is an example of how she has changed on a fundamental level?” Sal prods.

  “I wasn’t sure at first,” Grams admits. “But then I had a chance to talk with her and I knew she was different. Talking to Daniel, getting to know him, was one thing, but when she came back, the look in her eyes told me all I needed to know. She was beginning to realize how her actions made others feel. When she came back, the first thing she did was call for him, worried he wouldn’t know how sorry she was.”

  “Did this surprise you?”

  This time Grams looks everywhere but at me. Finally she says, “It was the first time in many years that I felt like she was kind.”

  Grams always could be a little harsh.

  “Thank you,” Sal says. “If there are no further questions—”

  “I would like to say something, if you don’t mind,” Grams announces and then continues before anyone can object. “I can’t say that I have always been proud of the decisions my granddaughter made in her first timeline. She was thoughtless and used people to get what she wanted.”

  Did I say a little harsh? I meant brutal.

  She continues, still avoiding eye contact with me. “I always chalked it up to be her trying to figure out where she fit in. But I never stopped hoping that she would find her way. Her untimely death made it possible for her to make right what she did. I believe she has been changed to the core by the encounters she has experienced in the new timeline. To take away her chance to make a difference a second time goes beyond unfair. It takes away the hope she has of redeeming herself. It’s cruel.”

  “Anything else?” Sal asks, looking pretty happy with her passionate plea.

  “Yes,” Grams says, and now she’s looking at me. “I love you.”

  If this were a court of law, Azbaugh would be calling Grams out of order, but it doesn’t matter. I feel her love pouring over me from across the room.

  “I love you,” I whisper with a secret wink.

  She winks back as Sal dismisses her. Instead of walking back to her seat, she makes a beeline for me and scoops me up in a tight hug. “I don’t care what happens here, you have already made a difference in the future,” she says into my ear. “You remember that. Sit up tall. No matter what anyone says, remember that you are a better person. No one can take that away from you. Do you hear me?”

  I nod, tears slipping over my cheek. “Thank you, Grams. I promise I won’t let you down.”

  “I know you won’t, sweetheart.”

  “While this little scene is indeed touching, could we move on to the next witness?” Azbaugh asks, sounding bored. “I believe you were going to call upon the angel Yeats, right, Salathiel?”

  Great. I hope my new self isn’t as much of a pain in the butt as my old self.

  Chapter 25

  Yeats descends from the balcony and strides to the front of the room, his white robes swirling at his ankles. He ignores the chair and instead turns to face Sal. “I will tell you what I know,” Yeats says.

  “Brother, you have been a Guardian for many people both good and not so good. Would you agree?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is your relationship to RJ?” Sal asks.

  That’s a silly question. Everyone knows he’s my Guardian.

  But Yeats answers with sincerity, “RJ is a charge of mine. I am one of her two Guardian Angels.”

  “In what other capacities have you dealt with your charge?” Azbaugh interjects.

  This question catches me off guard. What other experience could he possibly have, you know, other than my entire life?

  Again, Yeats answers the question matter-of-factly. “While RJ was alive, and prior to her acts direct by this Tribunal, I counseled another charge, a boy, whose death, according to the Akashic Records, was a direct result of RJ’s actions.”

  “What?” I shout before I can stop myself. Out of the corner of my eye I see Yeats pivot toward me, a look of disapproval and warning registering loud and clear. I can’t believe he has the audacity to give me looks of accusation when he just betrayed me in front of the Tribunal. Daniel isn’t dead. He’s alive. Why should I be held accountable for something that never actually happened?

  “Rowena Joy Jones!” Azbaugh yells, slamming his hands down on the bench. I really hate it when he says my whole name. “You are a guest of the Tribunal. Unless you are spoken to, do not utter a word.”

  I can’t stay quiet any longer, not when I’m being accused of murder and technically, Azbaugh is talking to me. I decide to push my luck. “But he said I killed someone. I’m pretty sure that’s something I would remember doing in any timeline.”

  “Enough, Ms. Jones,” Azbaugh repeats, his eyes glowering down at me. “I will have you removed and you will await our decision in isolation.”

  I slip back against my chair, clench my fists, and dig my nails into the palms of my hands. Which is about the time I remember I can’t feel physical pain. All I’m left with is the emotional pain. Maybe that’s why souls cry. Tears are a product of our emotions, aren’t they? I set my mouth in a grimace and wait for Sal to continue.

  “Please, Brother, you were explaining your second connection to RJ.”

  Yeats slowly turns his face away from me to look Sal in the eye. “Not long ago, one of my charges took his own life.”

  Sal nods, encouragingly. “And what was the name of this charge?”

  “Daniel Trevor Wick.”

  While several of the audience members gasp or murmur their surprise, Sal remains emotionless. “What was his relationship with
RJ?”

  Yeats again looks at me and as he speaks, I am unable to look away. “According to Daniel, he believed her to be one of the tormentors whose unrelenting pranks and harassment led him to the decision to end his existence.”

  “And would you agree that, as a result of RJ’s change, he did not, in fact, make this choice,” Sal says, looking around the room as if searching for something or someone. “In fact, doesn’t Daniel continue to walk in the mortal world?”

  It’s about time someone pointed this little fact out.

  Yeats nods solemnly. “He has had a rough go of it, but yes. He is not only alive and well, but filled with purpose.”

  Sal walks behind the table and leans against the railing separating us from the spectators. “And what role in this new timeline does RJ play?”

  “That is difficult to say.”

  “And why is that?”

  I lean forward, wanting to know the answer, too. What have I done now?

  “Daniel will go on to do great things. RJ’s influence on his future is immeasurable,” Yeats continues.

  “Really?” Sal says, with mock surprise, and I suppress a laugh at his bad acting. He turns toward me and gives a conspiratorial wink before continuing. “Then why is it difficult to explain her role in his life?”

  “First of all,” Yeats begins, “there’s the part where she reached out to him, when genuine friendship began. Because of that friendship, he was introduced to Madeline who became his girlfriend. Her battle with cancer ultimately led to his career choice in medicine.”

  “And according to the Akashic Records, what does his future now hold?” Sal asks.

  Yeats smiles broadly. “Immediately following RJ’s second test, I checked the Records. According to them, he will be part of a team that will eventually discover a cure for three different forms of cancer. Their results, when shared with other researchers, will lead to a significant increase in cure rates for most cancer patients. Eventually, when Daniel’s days on Earth are done, the foundation of his research will lead to the early detection and eradication of most cancers.”

  “So,” Sal surmises, “Daniel’s work will literally save millions of men, women, and children from dying.”