By Paula Bianchi –

Lucy found herself floating over the roof of the mortuary that held her ashes. She felt so light and breezy as she watched the people, from her service, getting into their cars to drive to her parent’s house for her reception. She noticed her parent’s and Michael’s cars were already gone.

Focusing her thoughts on her destination, Lucy felt herself shoot like a bullet, propelling her through the night sky. She was doing it! She was flying high above the trees. With just a thought, she could make herself zig-zag or do spirals through the air.  Everything was flying by, as she quickly approached her parent’s house.

When Lucy got there, she flew around the white, two-story house with green trim, a few times. She was enjoying being an orb. As she flew by the front door for the fifth time, she thought, “I want to be whole again.” Instantly, Lucy stopped flying and found herself staring at the front door. Looking down, she could see her spiritual body again.

Lucy’s confidence, in her new body, was growing. She squared her shoulders and walked right through the door, where she was greeted, on the other side, by all the spirits, who attended her funeral, with hellos, pats on her shoulders, and hugs, as they welcomed her back to the spirit world.  

Now, Lucy could tell the difference between earthbound spirits and spirits from heaven because of their clothing. She looked down at her navy blazer with matching pants and realized she should be grateful for what she was wearing. She knew this by looking at what some of these spirits ended up wearing. Some were in their pajamas, and one only had a towel wrapped around their body. She saw others in tattered clothes, a couple of them were also covered in blood, while, the spirits from heaven glowed in their white robes.

After the spirits greeted her, Lucy watched as they all drifted back to the living person they came with. Even the ones from heaven. Then, she wondered where Michael and the kids were.

Suddenly, Lucy could hear Emma, in her head, talking to her. She glanced around the room but couldn’t see her, so she closed her eyes and thought, “I want to be with Emma.”

When Lucy opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the bathroom right in front of her daughter, who was sitting on the side of the tub in tears, but what surprised Lucy the most was she could hear every thought in Emma’s head. The one thought that stood out from all of them was, “Why did you leave me, Mom? I still need you.”

“Emma, I’m right here. I never left you.” Lucy kneeled down beside Emma and tried to touch her, but her hand dropped down right through her shoulder and out the tub. “How can I let her know I’m alright?” Lucy thought.

“You can’t while they’re so caught up in their grief.” A voice behind her answered.

Lucy stood and spun around to see a short, pudgy, middle-aged woman with curlers in her brown, graying hair. She was dressed in a pink robe with matching slippers, and her smile was warm and inviting.

“Who are you?” Lucy inquired.

“My name is Cindy. I’ve watched you grow up, Lucy. I’m very sorry you’re here with us.” Cindy said, with so much sadness.

“You were here with us the whole time we’ve lived here?” At that moment, Lucy had a total recall of all the unexplainable things that happened to her while she lived here with her parents and siblings.  

Cindy nodded. “I’ve been here since 1946, when I died in my kitchen from a sudden heart attack, but we bought this house in ‘32.” She shared. “My poor husband was beside himself with grief when I left him.”

“Is he here too?”

“No, and I don’t know where he is.” Cindy pulled a tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her watering eyes. “He was here with me for many years, but then one day, he was gone. The next thing I know, my kids sold the house to your mother’s parents.” She blew her nose into the tissue.

“I’m right here.” A man dressed in white robes came drifting down through the ceiling. “Don’t bother saying anything to her because she can’t ‘see’ me.” He smiled.

At that moment, Emma stood up and checked her hair and make-up in the mirror to see if she was presentable. Satisfied with what she saw, she opened the door and left.

“I’ll stay with her, so you can mingle, dear.” Cindy said, as she was heading out the door.

“Hi. I’m Ben, and you must be Lucy.” He reached for her hand to shake.

“Hi, Ben.” Lucy shook his hand. “Why can’t Cindy see you?” She asked.

“Because of her free will, she refuses to see me. She feels guilty about leaving me when she died of a heart attack. You see, I took it bad, really bad, and she watched me as I amerced myself in grief and misery. I lived out the remainder of my life in solitude. I stopped living.” Ben explained. “At the time, I felt like life wasn’t worth living without Cindy, and I could still feel her here in the house.”

“I’m still not sure I understand why she can’t see you though.” Lucy puzzled.

“When the ambulance came and took me to the hospital that day, Cindy believed I would be right back, but when I didn’t, she built up in her mind that I abandoned her just like she did to me when she died.” Ben tried to explain. “My spirit guides and parents were there to greet me, after I died, and I went with them to heaven. As soon as I finished my orientation, I rushed here to get Cindy, only, she couldn’t see me.” He could still see the confused look on Lucy’s face, so he continued.

“My guides told me the reason she was choosing not to see me was because of how badly I took her death. Now she feels she must suffer through the same kind of loss that I experienced after she left.” Ben finished.

Lucy thought for a moment. She couldn’t help but notice how calm and serene Ben seemed to her. He honestly harbored no concerns. “So, what happens to Cindy now? Is she stuck here.?” Lucy asked, with more concern than he was showing.

“Our souls are never stuck here. We can leave whenever we choose to. Cindy just isn’t ready yet, but I’ll keep coming to get her, until the day comes when she finally chooses to see me, then, she can join me in heaven.” Ben glowed brighter, when he smiled at Lucy this time, as he began to float up towards the ceiling. “I look forward to seeing you in heaven.” He said, before he disappeared.

Just as Lucy turned to leave the bathroom, a man came rushing into the room closing the door quickly behind him. In his rush, he walked right through Lucy which left her feeling a bit queasy. During that moment, as he passed through her, she could hear him thinking, “I have to pee! I have to pee.” Before he could whip it out, Lucy ran through the door. The thought of staying to watch repulsed her. She wondered why anyone, in her situation, would ever want to.

Standing outside the bathroom door on the second floor, Lucy took in the familiar surroundings of her parent’s home where she grew up with her older brother, Scott, and her older sister, Megan. She looked at all the photos on the walls of their childhood growing up together, and they made her smile. All the memories from each day, came flooding back to her. She had a wonderful childhood, and she was grateful she did.

Becoming a lawyer, had shown Lucy how hard life could be for so many. During this moment of reflection, she felt robbed of all the opportunities she’s now lost to help those who needed her. Lucy tugged at the bottom of her blazer, then headed for the stairs. Walking hadn’t changed much, she thought.

Lucy moved around the guests instead of letting them walk through her as she searched for her husband, Michael, in the crowd. When she found him, she wasn’t sure she liked what she saw. Her best friend, Summer, was hovering around Michael being a little too attentive.

Before Lucy knew what happened, she found herself standing next to Summer. She still felt so connected to her feelings and emotions, and they were raging through her right now. “What the hell is this girl thinking?” With that one thought, Lucy tuned into Summer, and she was stunned by what she heard.  

Come back next Tuesday for Part 2 of Lucy’s reception. Thanks for the visit. Bye for now.

Email: Remyel@hotmail.com