A TRAIN RIDE TO THE OTHER SIDE

I jolted at the sound of a loud screeching noise. The sound sent shivers down my spine. It took me a while to re adjust my focus. When I opened my eyes I had no idea where I was.

My neck was sore like I slept on a bed of nails, my forehead was drenched in sweat, my palms were sticky and sweaty, and my heart was pounding. I could hear my heartbeat beating like a drum in my chest.

I quickly got up, and quickly tumbled back down in a flash. I was frustrated, puzzled, perplexed. Why was I losing my balance? Where am I? I thought to myself.

A chugging sound intruded my thoughts. The whistle sounded like a forlorn call in the night. Was I in a moving train? How did I get here? Sudden fear and anxiety overwhelmed me. I finally composed myself and got a hold of my balance and headed towards the light in the distance. Walking towards the light felt like an eternity.

What is this place?

In the distance I could see a black shadow. The figure was not big or scary. As I approached this figure, I felt a sense of tranquillity. It felt like drinking cold water on a sunny day.

To my surprise, standing in front of me was a little girl. She was dressed in a white gown. She was carrying a furry teddy bear in her hands. The appearance of the child was divine-like. “Hello, can you help me?’ I managed to ask. My shaky voice echoed in the carriage. The child did not respond or acknowledge my presence. Was I dead!? I thought to myself. “Please, talk to me’, I said under my breathe. The desperate words rolled down my tongue.

The child finally turned her face towards me. Her brown curls set perfectly on her round face. Her olive skin looked soft, pure and clean. The child looked familiar. There was something reassuring and comforting about the child’s Prescence.

In a somber voice the child finally responded. ‘Hi Mother, you are on a train to the other side. If you walk towards the light, you will not come back. The world will forget your face, and you will only exist in the hearts and memories of your loved ones’’. The child's voice was so soothing, yet the words disturbed me.

Horrified by the child's words. I finally found my voice again. ‘You called me your mother? Who are you?’ I gently asked her. ‘My name is Amelia’, the child responded. At the mention of the name my heart sank, and tears like a river fell down my face. My eyes were spiritually opened, and I knew I was talking to my Amelia. I always wanted to have a daughter named Amelia. Was fate giving me a chance to be reunited with my love?

’Stop! Don’t cross the line! Don’t walk towards the light!’, she shouted as she slowly faded away. I tried to run towards her. All was in vain. All I wanted was to touch and embrace my little girl.

Once again, I was left alone in the carriage. I set there in total despair and self-pity, drowning myself in a pool of tears. Suddenly, a man dressed in white clothing touched me on the shoulder. When I looked up at him, he was angelic and gentle. His touch gave me a peace that I have never felt before.

‘Wipe your tears away dear woman, you do not have much time left here. Your time to get off the train is here’. The mysterious man took my hand, and I stood up immediately. He placed his right hand on my stomach. Suddenly, a fountain of joy overflowed in me. It was a feeling hard to describe, even words could not describe it. In the presences of this mysterious man, I felt safe, comforted and loved.

‘Before you leave, I want to show you something’, the man said as he pointed to a massive screen. I was astonished and horrified at what I saw. There I was on the other side, lying lifeless in a hospital bed, holding my lifeless daughter in my arms.

The man took my hands in his and spoke the most refreshing words. ‘I want you to go back and move on with your life. Amelia is safe here. I have blessed the fruit of your womb. Go now in peace’.

I felt my soul rise, I opened my eyes and there I was lying in the hospital bed. The room was quiet apart from my heavy breathing and the beep beep sound you often hear in hospitals.

‘She has woken up!’ a woman shouted joyfully. ‘Thank God’ a man added. In a flash, I saw a mob of people rushing into the hospital room. My husband pushed in front of the happy mob. He kissed and embraced me. ‘I thought I lost you. Don’t scare me like that ever again’. Was all he could say repeatedly.

‘O Michael! You would not believe what happened, I spoke to our baby today’ I shouted. I rambled on and on as I continued to lay my face on my husband's chest. The warmth felt like home. Tears of joy poured down my face as I explained my mysterious journey in the runway train. Michael wore a somber, confused expression on his face. Silence filled the hospital room.

He finally responded. ‘My love, you have been in this coma for the past three months. How can this be?’. Everyone then turned around, whispering and muttering to each other. ‘Poor thing. It’s sad to lose a child. I feel sorry for her’, Aunty Sue whispered. “She has been through a lot lately. We need her to see a psychiatrist right away’. Uncle Jeremiah added.

Everyone nodded in unison.

‘Psychiatrist? You all don’t believe me, do you?’ I questioned in disbelief.

Silence filled the room once again.

‘Honey, I believe you. Everything is going to be fine, the Doctors and Nurses will take care of you for a while. Then I shall come back and take you home, and we shall fill our home with joyful music, home-cooked meals and beautiful children’, Michael reassured.

Michael’s words gave me a strange comforting feeling. His words put a smile on everyone's face in the room.