At the age of thirty-three, I (John Hanley) was retired from my job as a computer input specialist with The Son of Heaven Bed Linen Factory. I left my job last year in June due to Leukemia. I hope to be in remission soon. I had taken on the household duties of dishes, laundry, vacuuming, and preparing the evening meals for my family of three (me, my working wife, and ten-year-old son) .
Something very odd happened this afternoon. I had spent the earlier part of my morning volunteering at our local library. As I was vacuuming the cushions of the couch, I found an unknown sparkling gold cell phone. I was even more surprised when the phone started to jingle a familiar tune, “Father’s Love” by Bob Carlisle (which is one of my favorite songs).
I
picked up the cell phone. I did not recognize the phone number that flashed on
the screen. The voice was instantly familiar, but was totally impossible to be speaking
to me. It was the voice of a well-known beautician to me.
“Dad, how can you be
talking to me when you died in that building explosion when I was twelve?
That’s been over twenty years ago.’
“John, that’s a very
good question. I’m actually calling from Heaven. It’s always sunny here, and we
tend to play a lot of shuffle board, horse shoes, pinochle and bridge around
here just like in a a retirement community. There is a special phone up here
that allows me to call someone I love dearly every thirty-two human years. Of
course time does not exist up here. You were my first choice, Son, did you like
my cell phone?”
I was emotionally
distraught to be talking with someone who had been absent from my life for so
long. I had been chosen over my mom or sister by my dad. The thought astonished
me. Though this was an honor, I had to know something.
“I did, Dad, how did
you get this cell phone into my house? How did you know where I lived? I wasn’t
married when you died nor did I own a house at the time.”
“John, do you
remember last week when you and the family went out to celebrate you and your
wife birthdays?”
“Of course, we ate at
that great new seafood place called “Fish and Beyond.” Afterwards, we
accidentally ran into the Easton family from our church at the Paradise Park
fountain. Ellis Janssen had his camera with him, and took that great family
picture of us hanging in our home. How did you know we went out to eat?”
“I see and know all
you do up here. I also know the code to your automatic garage door opener. I
magically appeared inside you house. It felt good to use a human method of
entering. That Labridoodle of yours barked a lot from his cage as I hid that
cell phone in your couch. I knew today at this time would be when you would
discover it since Lana your dog couldn’t tell you.”
I sniffed as I tried
to speak. “Dad, I miss you so much. I am so sorry you never got to be at my
wedding or see your grandson, Lyle. Are you allowed to call Mom or Anne?”
Son, I love you too,
but as I said earlier I am only allowed one call every thirty–two human years.
I’ll probably call your sister Anne next time. She’ll be somewhere in her
seventies at that time. Hopefully, my call won’t give her a heart attack.” Dad then let out his big reassuring laugh
that I had missed so much as I had grown
into manhood without him. It felt wonderful to hear it again.
“John, I see your
mother remarried after my passing and eventually retired from driving the
public transit bus.”
“Yeah, Dad, Jack Ruckerman
has been great for mom and our family. This December marks their twentieth
anniversary. They have a big RV, and like to travel to some interesting places
around the USA featured on Food Network’s Diners,
Drive-Ins, and Dives.”
“Your mother deserved
to be happy again. How is your sister, the office administrator doing?”
“Dad, Anne has been
married to Carlos Ginger, the tractor salesman, for twenty-five years. Her
twins are seniors in high school. Your granddaughter, Macey is a charming young
lady. Mason is a dashing grandson. Anne and Carlos have been having problems
lately with the twins hanging around the wrong crowd, and getting into trouble.
They are great kids that I wish you could have met.”
“John, my wonderful
son, how are you really doing?”
“Dad, I just finished
chemotherapy several months ago. I’m still tired a bit, but my hair, eyebrows,
and eyelashes are growing back. I did manage start my own blog on horses.
“Son, I am so proud
of who you turned out to be and what you are overcoming.”
“Jonna, Myles, and I
are undergoing family counseling. My cancer was rough on us all.”
“John, I know Jonna
is a good wife, and you deeply love her and Myles. Save your marriage and
family at all costs. I wish I had tried to make my marriage to your mom better
while I was still alive. I know we fought a lot around you and Anne. I am
really sorry for that. Will you forgive me?”
“I forgave you a long
time ago. As a husband and father, I better understand now why you may have
acted the way you did. I really do love you.”
“I know you do. I
have to go now as someone else is waiting to use the phone. They get really impatient
around here when you spend too much time on the one phone they have. I will see
you occasionally in your dreams.”
In tears, I clicked
the cell phone shut. I was stunned that something like this could have happened
to me. I really needed Jonna got home from work shortly after that. Would my
entire family believe my amazing story? Had I dreamed this all up, or had this
really occurred? The glittering cell phone in my hand was a positive
confirmation to my question that it had all been real.
“You have to start over. That's what
they say. But life is not a board game, and losing a loved one is never really
starting over. [It’s] more like continuing without.”
( Mitch Albom, author of The First
Phone Call from Heaven)[i]
[i] Adapted from Whatever
by Robert A. Kinker, chapter one, “The Call of a Lifetime”
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