Thursdays With Death

TWD - Chapter 4 - Love is Better After Death

Later on that same morning, as I was working in my office with the door closed, a noise startled me. It was Death, back to bug me some more. Though startled, I was happy Death had returned. I wanted to get my question about the glimmer of light answered. However, a much more important question was in order first.

“So,” I said. “You mentioned something about an escort girl before you left?”

“Yes I did,” Death said, kind of looking in my direction.

“So, was it her time?” I asked.

“Maybe,” Death replied.

“Well, you weren’t there for her services obviously,” I said sarcastically.

“I wasn’t?”

“Well no, I mean, I guess . . .” was all I could stammer.

“So what are you saying? You think just because I am Death, I can’t enjoy life?” Death asked. I looked at Death for a minute. I guess I’d always assumed that as Death, you really couldn’t partake in any of the pleasure of the flesh, not having any and all.

“Well, yes,” I finally said.

“Well, you are wrong,” Death stated flatly. “Just like you, I can do whatever I want. I can experience whatever I like. I may be Death, but I’m not dead, you know.

“And remember,” Death continued, “nothing ever dies."

Death had said that before. As I thought about it, I had seen Death inhale a bag of Skittles one time. Death also ate when we were at the diner. I never really thought about it before, but maybe Death is just like us. Enough about that though, I wanted to get back to the burning question.

“So you did enjoy the girl’s services then?” I asked.

“No,” Death said. “It was her time. Plus, she wasn’t my type.” Death had a type. Who would have thought it? Not knowing exactly how to reply to that, I quickly jumped to something else that Death had said.

“I remember you talking about death just being a different reality,” I said. “What do you mean by that?”

Death had grabbed the Nerf basketball I keep on my desk and was shooting at the hoop on the back of my door.

“Well, as I have said before,” Death stated, obviously annoyed that there was repetition in what was about to be said, “death is just another state of consciousness. Just as you are alive in this consciousness we call life, and just as you are alive in the consciousness we call lucid dreaming, you are alive in death.”

I let this sink in for just a moment then asked, “So when you die, you don’t go to heaven?”
“Of course not,” Death replied. “There is no heaven, just as there is no hell. Well, that’s not exactly true either. There is not a place called heaven, nor a place called hell. But there are states of being, or states of consciousness that could be interpreted as heaven or hell.”

“So there really is no reason then to be afraid of dying?” I asked. This seemed to be the logical thing to say given Death’s response.

Death appeared to turn pensive for a moment, somewhat reflective, I think.

“I’ve never understood why people are afraid of me,” Death said. “And actually, after they meet me and we talk, any fear they had soon disappears.”

I thought about that for a moment. I’m not afraid of dying so much as I am afraid of losing my friends and family – whether I die or they die. I told Death as much.

“That’s awfully selfish of you, don’t you think?” Death asked.

“Selfish?” I asked.

“Yes. Selfish,” Death repeated.

“How do you figure?” I questioned.

“You’re not afraid of dying as much as losing your friends and family. Isn’t that what you said?”

“That’s right.”

“Doesn’t that strike you as rather odd? You’re more afraid of losing family and friends than of dying. Why is that?”

I thought for a moment. I didn’t actually know why I said that. It was just what came out of my mouth. “I guess because I love them and I wouldn’t be able to see them again,” I said.
Death turned directly toward me. That glimmer of light I had seen earlier in the morning was really starting to glow now.

“So you think just because you are dead, you won’t be able to love anymore or see your loved ones anymore?” Death asked rather pointedly.

“Yes,” I said. The glow was now like a burning ember.

“Let me set the record straight,” Death stated. “Pay attention, because I am only going to say this once. You don’t stop loving when you die. As a matter of fact, the love you’ve experienced so far pales in comparison to the love you will experience after your so-called death.”