In 1895 a man named Thomas had been a cobbler most of his adult life; Selling fruit and vegetables, along modern day church road. In fact he lies buried six feet under the very road he walked all those years ago. He loved his job, he loved growing what he sold especially his golden delicious apples, which only grew in the fall when days start getting shorter, and the trees go from green to different shades of red, orange, and yellow.
The apples were sweet, but he loved the looks on kids faces when they crunched into the apple, and smiling as they left. he also loved selling big orange pumpkins, ones perfect for pies, and all kinds of treats. As much as he loved his job, he loved his wife, Terri even more, and she loved him with her whole heart. Together they had three children, they cried together when a miscarriage took their fourth child. On his wedding day he promised her he'd be there forever. He was looking forward to retiring, and being with her all day. Sadly that never happened, on the morning of December 23rd, 1895. Just two days before Christmas he decided to go out earlier to get rid of cans of fruit, and jellies being winter it was still dark when he was walking. he heard fast approaching hooves he turned around in time to see a spooked horse galloping fast toward him, he didn't have time to move; the horse turned quickly, too quickly the carriage fell right on top of him, crushing, and killing the old man in seconds.
His spirit watched his wife scream crying as she arrived with two police officers to identify his bloody body. It looked terrible his eyes bulged out of his face, his whole head looked squished. This angered him, why did they have to bring her, why not my brother, a man who could handle seeing me like this. he never wanted her to see him like that, as much as it hurt to die it hurt him more to see her trying to hold him in her arms once again. he screamed at them, but it was no use they couldn't hear anything except a gust of cold wind that ripped through the trees causing icicles to crash on the ground by the officers feet as they put him in a pine box in a funeral carriage and brought him to a nearby church to be buried. His son, Peter arrived after getting a telegram at work from a police officer to come along straight away. Tom watched as his son hugged his mother comforting her as best he could, then he turned to a police officer,
"why in the hell would you ask her to identify, his wife? why didn't you get ahold of me, she didn't need to see that" he said pointing at the coffin" Thomas watched his son proud of him for standing up for his mother. The officer apologized, admitting it was not a good decision.
Two hours later he was buried in the grave yard, next to his parents and the son they'd lost ten years before, before Peter took his mother home with him Thomas got close to her, and whispered,
"I'll Be waiting for you, watching over you"
he knew she didn't hear him, but hoped she could feel his presence. she could, an overwhelming sense of peace came over her; like she knew exactly what he had said, she whispered into the air knowing he was near her,
"I Love you, Tom I'll see you later, I cant wait to hold your hand again" he smiled hearing this he saw the light, it was as he'd always imagined when he sat in church hearing about heaven, he didn't go into it instead he looked saying, "Not now lord I'm waiting for Terri" the light disappeared in front of him his cart was left, so he started pushing it for years.
When his son died fifty years later, tom hugged him as they watched his children and grandchildren, Toms great grand children, and great grand children. Thomas turned to his son and asked, "what happened to your mama" Peter bit his cheek and apologized to his father
"Daddy, after you died mama didn't take it well, my sister Kayla put her in an institution. I tried to stop her but" he sniffed,
"Son, tell me what happened" he put a hand on his sons shoulder, and turned him so he was looking into peters eyes
"Dad, I don't know where she is, Kayla took her in the middle of the night somewhere I don't know where either of them are, I don't know if Kayla's dead and I don't know where she was buried"
Thomas fell to his knees crying,
"Dad, maybe she went into the light, come with me maybe she already went home!" as much as he wanted this to be true, he knew his promise, he could only go if they went together, that's the whole reason he stayed.
He cried with his son hugging him, "Do you want me to stay with you daddy? so you don't have to be alone?" he wasn't going to let his son miss out on paradise he needed to go now,
"Son, I'll see you when I find your mother" peter gave an understanding nod as he walked into the light.
Now what? he thought.
