The Journey (Sequel to It’s Your Time)

by Jenny Edgerley

pink lemonade

Mabel opened her eyes and found herself enveloped in swirling white mist, which smelt faintly of pear drops. She coughed, wafting at mist in front of her face. It slowly cleared to reveal a bus stop. Mabel was confused. She had no idea where she was. In the distance, she heard the rumbling of a large vehicle approaching. A vintage red bus came to a standstill in front of her. The doors slowly creaked open to reveal a liveried driver behind the wheel. 

“Morning love, you getting on then?” he asked cheerfully. 

Mabel paused for a moment, then climbed aboard. 

“I don’t have any money for a ticket,” she said, feeling embarrassed. “I seem to have lost my handbag.”

“No matter, madam. You don’t need a ticket for my bus,” the driver replied kindly. 

Mabel thanked him and made her way to an empty seat towards the rear. As she passed them, the other passengers smiled at her, which was surprising. It had been years since she’d travelled by bus and it had never been this friendly back then. She sat down and gazed out of the window. She noticed a young face staring back at her. It took a moment to realise it was her own reflection. This didn’t make any sense. Mabel knew she was an old woman. She had memories of living in a care home, she could remember losing her beloved husband Doug and the heartbreak she had felt so how was it possible that she was a young woman again.

Before she had a chance to question it further, the bus juddered to a halt. The doors protested noisily once again as they opened to allow a young woman to climb aboard. She didn’t have a handbag either, Mabel thought to herself. She didn’t buy a ticket and she looked bewildered at the other smiling passengers, which made Mabel smile too.

As the bus continued its journey, a flamboyantly dressed man appeared. He was wearing a white shirt with a ruffled collar, beneath a purple velvet suit and a pair of black patent Cuban heels. 

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to welcome you aboard the number 21 bus to the Pearly hotel. My name is St Peter but you can call me Pete. I know you will have many questions but hopefully the welcome brochure will answer all of them for you.”

“Excuse me sir,” interrupted a young man sitting a few seats ahead of Mabel. “I didn’t receive one?” Neither did I, she thought. 

“It’s in your hand, dear and please, call me Pete.”

Mabel looked down and sure enough in her hands was a bright and glossy brochure. Her heart raced as she read the front cover. Welcome to the Pearly Hotel - Your guide to heaven. “What?!” Mabel whispered, disbelievingly. 

“Now, I appreciate that this may come as a shock to you” said Pete sympathetically, “but please be assured that you are in very safe hands. We will be arriving at our destination, the Pearly hotel in an hour so please have a read and try to relax.”

Mabel was dumbstruck, but as she read, she began to feel calmer, especially when she came to the page about the hotel’s fantastic facilities.

Mabel sat back and relaxed. Out of the window, she saw occasional glimpses of the sea glistening in the sunshine,beyond the rolling green fields. It reminded Mabel of the first holiday she and Doug had spent together. She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, the bus had stopped. She opened her eyes and saw the most beautiful building set in glorious gardens.

She made her way to the front of the bus where Pete helped her down the steps. “There’s someone waiting for you over there,” Pete whispered in her ear. Mabel saw a young man sitting on a bench holding a bunch of carnations. She gasped and ran to him. He smiled and stood up to greet his beloved wife.

The Journey

 

by Lynn Clement 

warm milk

 

The stars splattered over the black canvass, lighting the way for the travellers. The path was long and winding, making them tired. The leader decided to stop for the night; to eat and rest before continuing the epic journey. A camp was set up and after supper they slept.

Danny had heard about the travellers and knew they were going to find something special so he had decided to join them. He’d spent half the night getting to the camp and he was exhausted, so he curled up and slept in the warmth alongside the leader.

The following day the sun beat down. Danny wished he had a hat like the others but he took shade where he could. He rode with the leader and his servant, saving his little legs. He listened to their conversation and grew excited to see ‘The Saviour’ that they spoke about, although he wasn’t really sure what they meant, he had a special feeling.

The journey was longer than he expected and he was getting a bit despondent that they wouldn’t find ‘The Saviour’, when there was a shout from the front of the caravan. 

‘The Star!’

Danny wondered why they were so excited about a star. He’d seen lots of stars as he went about his usual business - hadn’t they? Maybe this star was, ‘The saviour’? He poked his head out of his warm bed and looked up into the sky. His eyes widened, he was dazzled. Danny opened his mouth in a yawn and a squeaky sound escaped. He hid. The leader stopped looking at the night and looked down at Danny, trying to hide in his bag.

‘Well what is this?’ he said lifting Danny from his bed. ‘Have you made a home in my bag little one?’ Danny shook.

‘Don’t be afraid,’ said the man.

‘Oh yuck,’ said his servant, ‘a mouse. I’ll kill him, my King.’ He reached to grab hold of Danny’s neck. But the king held Danny close to his chest. 

‘No, leave him be,’ he said. ‘Even a mouse can visit a Saviour.’ And he put Danny back into the warmth of his carpet bag.

Later that night Danny crept out of his hiding place. He sniffed. It smelled like his old farmyard, the straw was soft and sweet. This place was crowded, with cows, sheep and a donkey but all was quiet. Then a baby started crying and its mother began singing. Danny couldn’t see because of the large animals in his way. Deftly climbing a rope tied to a rafter, he clambered onto a wooden beam.

The Kings were kneeling round the baby’s crib and they were offering gifts. A golden glow surrounded the scene. Danny’s fur tingled and stood up on the back of his neck. So this is what they meant. The chatter that he’d heard about ‘The Saviour’ was right and here He was. Danny felt comforted. Eventually the baby fell asleep and the night was calm and peaceful  so Danny curled up in the yellow straw and slept himself, right underneath ‘The Saviour’s’ crib.