By Paul McCann

 

The emergency section of Loville Hospital was full of people waiting to be seen . Around the waiting area there were both old and young . The walls were lined with prams , walking sticks and wheelchairs . On a table in the centre of the waiting area were old magazines and newspapers .

Suddenly an ambulance arrived at the door and two paramedics jumped out and opened the back . A trolley was brought and their casualty was quickly wheeled in tot eh emergency area .

A doctor immediately came out to assess the situation and asked .

 

"Can you give me a history of what happened ?"

 

The first paramedic replied .

"I  communicated the situation no less than fifteen minutes ago . You should have been give the report . "

 

The doctor stood beside the trolley and looked slightly upset and said .

'I have had no report about this casualty ."

 

The second paramedic said ,

 

"We found lying on the road beside the park . The information we got was a hit and run . You'll need to confirm that with the police ."

 

"Right then lets get him into IC ."

The doctor said .

 

As they pushed the trolley through the double door and along the corridor   the nurse on duty continued to give reports of the casualty  .

 

"His blood pressure is very high and his pulse weak ."

 

Suddenly the homeless man went into cardiac arrest and they rushed him into a ward . He began to gasp for a breath before going unconscious .

 

The doctor started placed the heart starter on and send shock after shock through the mans chest . He looked at the paramedic .

 

"Do you know his name ? 

"No there was no identification on him ."

 

The nurse added ,

 

"Doctor I've seen him around town here and there . I think he has been sleeping rough for some time ."

 

"Come on don't give up on me ."

The doctor said .

  

Within seconds the casualty had died . There was nothing anyone could do . They had tried to revive him but it was his time to go  .

 

"Sorry Doctor . "

Said the nurse .

 

"Ok place the body into the spare room and I'll notify welfare . Arrangements

will have to be made for his burial . Thank you nurse and thanks again  lads ."

The doctor said .

 

 

 

The paramedics left and the nurse wheeled the trolley into a quiet room at the  end the corridor beside the laundry . That was the room where some of the deceased were place .

When the nurse left the body of the homeless man in the room she closed the door . Suddenly a bright light came through the ceiling and rested beside the trolley . The light took the form of an angel who said .

 

"John open your eyes ."

 

The homeless man opened his eyes . The angel held his hand and said

 

"One day you will leave this earthly place for your heavenly home but that day is not now . Your time to leave is not yet . You still have one more day left ."

 

"Who are you ?" The homeless man said .

 

"I am a messenger from the other side John . Sometimes there are people who get a day extra .

 

'One more day ?"

Said John .

"Yes that's right . A day in which they have a mission or a certain job to complete before leaving this life . John you are one of these people ."

 

Said the angel .

 

The homeless man looked puzzled and said ,

'What am I to do in a day ?"

 

" Use the time well John ."

The angel replied .

 

"I'm not yet dead then "

Sid the John .

 

"That's right . So go now and seize the day ."

Said the angel .

 

John left the hospital unseen . He walked along the sidewalk to the railway station and got on the first train that arrived . He took a seat by the window . It was a nice comfortable seat . He looked at the world as if for the very first time . His senses were highly developed as if by a special grace .

He could hear the church bells ring as the train pulled into Allswell Village . John though ,

In the thirty years I have lived never once have I been inside a church .

So he decided that it might be a good time to experience that .

 

As he stepped off the train no one asked him for a ticket , he walked past the ticket collector .

 

As he walked towards up the hill to the church building he could hear the birds singing . The sweet songs were so beautiful to hear . He noticed the trees . Their leaves so soft and green and the flowers so fragrant .

The sun rose up and swept a pathway of light before him shone straight up the road to the steps of the church .

John made his way in through the doors and took a back seat just before the service started .

The old church building was full of people . They stood together side by side singing the hymns and praying . Women with feathers in their hats held  their heads  high . The men in their pin stripe suits and well polished shoes stood in the pews like a well drilled regiment of soldiers ready for inspection . There were only four children among congregation and their parents stood trying hard to keep them still . He felt peaceful during the service .

After the final blessing and the last hymn the congregation split out of the building through a small double door at the front . John sat alone in the pew in his dirty clothes . He looked tired and hungry . As he looked up into their faces the church community refused to make eye contact with him . They turned away as if he wasn't there . They passed him by .

Poor John . He continued to smile but not one would say hello .

The pious parishioners were much too proud to look into his face . Maybe it was a poverty they didn't want to see . Maybe it was his hunger or just his basic need for being made to feel welcome . For most of them it was just too hard to reach out and offer help .

As people in the church emptied the building John knelt down and said a simple hello and goodbye .

Then he walked up to a place beside the altar to where some candles sat in holders burning in front of a holy picture . He decided to light one for himself and within moments he left the building .

He walked outside through the doors and back into the day . Members of the church all got into their cars . He walked along the sidewalk as the rain began  to fall . The only shelter for him was a phone box where he stood and  got out of the wet weather for a while .

When the rain eased off and he made his way into the village .A lazy kind of feeling surrounded the village square with all the market stalls empty . There were no crowds of people looking for bargains . It was Sunday and a day of rest for many . Yes it was a day when people went to church to say their prayers .It was a day when people went for walks through the park . It was a day to observe life as it passed . John stood for a while in a doorway and scratched his head . People in their cosy cars drove past . Probably on their way home to a cooked breakfast . Yes , it was there in the air all right . He  could smell it . Bacon and eggs Mmm , he could almost taste it .

He couldn't stand around too long as he had lots of things to do . He had lots of things to say but no one wanted to listen . It was his last day on earth but he didn't know .Soon he would be on his way to another place .

He felt no anger or sorrow . Only this feeling of complete love and understanding . He was in complete harmony with world and everyone and everything in it . He decided to take a seat in the park and watch the kids play sport and fly their kites .  As John was an orphan he never had a childhood like others did . He never knew the joy of free play time in parks . John had been a loner most of his life . Since he left the homeless refuge John had lived on the streets for about six years . He managed to survive on a small income benefit provided by the Government . With this meagre sum he was able to exist in a world that refuses to make him welcome .

The park bench was bathed in sunlight as John sat down enjoying what he wished he could have experienced as a child which was the friendship and laughter of other children .

He spoke to some of the young children but they just ignored him . He noticed across the road a crowd was gathering outside the local theatre and decided to go and investigate what was going on . When he got there he saw that it was the opening performance of a Fairytale set to music . In all his life John had never seen a show before so he decided it was time to do it . He got into the queue and stood alongside the other people who slowly made their way through the doors into the foyer of the theatre .

Once inside everyone took up their little private positions around the snack bar where they ordered hot coffee and  cakes .

John took a seat at the back where no one stood or saw him . He looked at people gathered in their social circles . He overheard them talking about their many achievements . New houses and fancy cars . Trips overseas and some spoke about their high powered jobs . They made these loud noises that were supposed some kind of laughter but the funny thing was none of them looked happy or content .

Suddenly the call came through for the audience to take their seats . One by one they all ushered inside the theatre . John waited and slipped in at the back . No one asked him for a ticket . He was unnoticed as he sat down in a spare seat at the side of the aisle near the orchestra who were tuning up their instruments . Green lights flooded down upon a stage that resembles a forest and the first of the actors walked on stage . The narrator introduced the scene and a further cast of characters entered on stage .

The intermission came and it was more of the same . People stood in the foyer full of self importance and arrogance . Their ability to focus beyond themselves was not possible . I mean in their own eyes no one was better that them . John stood and observed their understanding of  life and in a nutshell it was all a plastic existence .Comical if it wasn't so seriously acted out by those in their chocolate covered role models .

The call came through to resume back into theatre for act two . As everyone finished their chatter John noticed some people leave their half eaten cakes in the bin along with some half drunk coffee cups . When they had returned to their seats John went around and helped himself to their unwanted food and drink . Feeling nourished he returned to his seat . The show was great and he was having a fantastic time .

After the show was over John walked out from the theatre . It was starting to get dark and he thought about getting his head down on a park bench opposite . He stepped off the sidewalk to cross over the road . All of a sudden a car ran up the wrong side of the road being chased by the police . The driver lost control of the car and swerved over and hit John who fell to the ground . He lay there for a moment and saw an angel appear in front of him .

The ambulance arrived and two paramedics jumped out . The first medic checked Johns pulse and immediately started CPR . The other ambulance officer put the heart starter on John . After a few jolts they placed John into the back of the ambulance . On the way they contacted the hospital to inform them of the casualty on the way .

In the back of the ambulance the angel sat beside John holding his hand .

When the ambulance pulled into the emergency John was taken from the ambulance straight into the intensive care ward . After a number of attempts to save him the doctors and nurses gave up and John  died .

His body was covered and taken to a room at the back of the hospital near the laundry . When everyone had left the room a light shone down from the ceiling and an angel appeared beside John . The angel softly spoke and said , 

"John it is time . The day has come for you to come with me . Leave this world nothing  and take all that eternity has to offer . "

 

Imagine if everyone had the grace of an extra day before we left this life . I ask you what would you do with the time you had been allowed ?

 

The End

By Doctor Write

Originally Posted On Site: 2008-03-01 20:50:52
Last Login: 05.16.12

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