THOSE AWAKE...

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey      A few nights later, Imelda awoke and listened. She thought she heard her auntie calling and crept down to her room.     Her aunt was watching the doorway, her dark eyes expectant. The night nurse had fallen asleep, head nodding over her chest as she sat slumped in the chair.     "Jesus wants you to go and help that lady, Rosie, Imelda, as soon as you can." "Ok," whispered her niece, puzzled. "But she doesn't like me!"  "So..."replied her aunt softly, "she needs you."     At that moment, Vahid also came into the room. He looked rumpled, half-asleep, slightly angry. "Did you wake me?" he asked his sister. "No, God did," Mia told him softly. "I want to say goodbye."     The siblings glanced at each other. They hadn't exactly been getting along. Vahid thought, wrongly, his sister had had an easy life.     

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey "One day," mused Mia, after a few moments, "I should like to travel to Canada. There are great waterfalls there, thundering and powerful and awesome. But the cold comes and slowly, remorselessly those great volumes of water are silenced.     She smiled up at Imelda, who was bringing her a welcome cup of tea. "Good," she thought, "chocolate digestive biscuit."     "The darkest people try so hard to silence the Christians," she continued after sampling both drink and biscuit, "but even the mightiest cannot silence the church of God ever. The Light shines in the darkness and cannot be overcome. Yes, there is great suffering and pain, but the warmth and light and power of Jesus breaks even the hardest of hearts."     "And then the waterfalls are free again in the spring to thunder in power and beauty."     "I think I see," murmured Gray. "The Voice of the King cannot ever be sile...

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey      Later, two nurses, Ava and the day nurse, Ellen Scott carefully washed and dressed the old lady. Gently they placed her in a recliner chair and wheeled her through into a warm inviting lounge area.      Mia's face lit up. How wonderful, she marvelled to be part of a family again. To feel warm and safe and best of all, free.     Yvonne and Imelda were changing her bed. Grayson was immersed in his work on the computer. He looked up with a smile. "You are going to be a great-aunt in a few months." Mia regarded the young man with joy. "Well," she breathed, "how lovely."     "Tell me, how did you come to accept your wife back?" "She came back by herself," he announced thoughtfully. Also, her dreams of living in love and beauty with a different man had died and fallen into ashes and darkness." "You know," he reflected thoughtfully, "I was not a good husband. To me, she was just an o...

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey         Over the next few days, Mia began to rally. Once or twice little Alison crept in and stood gazing at the frail old lady. "Hello," she began, "I have a brother. He is George. When I am big, I can marry him."     Mia smiled. "Don't laugh," scolded the little girl, "my mummy and daddy got lost, but then they go unlosted. Is God real?" Alison suddenly asked. "Why aren't you better?" "Because I am old and it is nearly time for me to go to Heaven and meet my lost family. Best of all, I will be with Jesus."     "I have tried my bestest, hardest to see Jesus, but I can't find him." Her voice wobbled.     Just then Yvonne came into the pretty room, decorated with peaceful artwork and festooned with flowers. "Mum, Auntie is going to see Jesus. Why can't I see Him too?" Alison was agitated. Yvonne saw Mia was looking tired and pale. "Come for breakfast,...

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey Imelda crept into her aunt's darkened room, still disturbed by the overwhelming nature of all that had just happened and the strange story she had been told.     The doctor had made the older lady as comfortable as possible. He had declared her too sick to be moved right now, though he had tested her and her nephew for COVID.      The nurse had been employed by Grayson and sat watching her aunt, checking the various monitors that had been set up around her. "You should be wearing a mask also," chided the nurse, gently adjusting her own brightly coloured one.     Imelda reached for a spare mask, unwrapping it and placing it carefully on. "I know you," whispered the nurse. "Remember me. I'm Ava and I looked after you some time ago in the hospital." Ava couldn't see the other woman's warm smile, but saw her soft brown glow and twinkle.     "Will my aunt be alright? What is wrong?" She turned towards Mi...

THOSE AWAKE...   By Tessa Harvey      For a few minutes the man stared around the room, at the few nature seascapes and landscapes, the soft grey couch and matching armchairs, the warm patterned carpet. He had no idea that a few months previously the whole house presented the appearance of a bleak modernistic office block. He had no idea that God, the real Creator transforms everything - even the hardest of people.      "Well, Imelda, I also was in that burning house," Vahid began, his deep voice breaking slightly as he spoke.     Imelda gasped. "No, how can that be?" Vahid looked at her. "I am your brother!" There were looks of astonishment and also disbelief.     "Your parents were afraid to let you know. The terror-makers were not to be told. You see, your family were on the edge of escape. My family," he corrected himself.     Everyone was silent. "The woman with your mother tried to get her out, but as she broke the w...

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey      Gray sat with his arm around Yvonne, his wife and, listening to the young stranger talk, wondered how much his father had known and how.     Turning his focus back to his guest, he tried to pay closer attention to something that sounded so bizarre and unreal.     The man's name was Vahid - he refused to give his surname. Imelda had kindly offered to check both children and entered the quiet room. Glancing at the somewhat tidier stranger, she gasped. He smiled wryly. "I look like your father, yes?" For the first time his expression softened. "Do you remember anything of what happened when the terror-makers came?"     "Yes?" - Imelda hesitated, "my mother, she was in pain in the bedroom with a friend. My father tried to hold the door. He was...he was shot. There was fire, flames everywhere. The smoke was bad. I tried to find mama. Then auntie came and grabbed me away. She said...." tears pooled down Ime...

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey Imelda sighed happily. It was six months since her accident, and she was well healed. She was lifting Yvonne's baby, George back into his crib when a frenzied knocking rattled the front door.     Leaving the startled, screaming baby, she hastily went downstairs, almost tripping but catching herself just in time from falling headlong. Cautiously, Imelda opened the door. A stranger was supporting a frail old lady who was very white and looked utterly spent. Imelda was speechless. :Don't just stand there, woman. Help, damn you and get us in! We don't have the virus, just get us in and out of view and call your doctor." The male voice was strong and demanding.     Imelda did as she was ordered, helping the frail elderly lady, feeling a deep pity as she helped hold her. Her bones were tiny, like a bird's.     The man slammed the door, looked around, and hefted the older lady into his arms onto a nearby downstairs bed. "I said...

THOSE AWAKE...   By Tessa Harvey      Lady Rosemary was annoyed, which was not unusual for her, but a little puzzled and afraid, which was out of character. Her husband was away philandering, she presumed, while pursuing questionable business deals. So she no longer had to walk stiffly to hide her bruises. One or two staff sometimes glanced at her a little sharply, as if they knew or guessed something of her husband's strange predilection for other men, but she held her head high.     Being married as a social convenience had been as deep a betrayal as most most and had hurt immeasurably. To think about it would be to fail and fall into some depthless pit. So Rosie worked her staff hard and herself harder.     Imelda - was that her name? - had to go. She could not afford useless sympathy, but in some strange way she missed her and her honesty. The replacement was slatternly, almost openly mocking, dressing carelessly, doing as little as possible. ...

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey "Hey, why all the tears?" a cheerful male voice interrupted. Imelda smiled as Grayson and Yvonne walked in.     "Where is Alison?" queried Imelda, struggling to rise. Quickly, Yvonne went to help, her long hair flowing down.     "Alison is in day care in the hospital. She wasn't very happy, but she can't jump all over you as you are so battered."     Imelda giggled, brightening. Loneliness and fatigue were not conducive to a very positive outlook. Grayson was looking at her, puzzled. "It's naive of me," he remarked bluntly, "but I thought Christians were always well, you know, er happy," he finished lamely.     Imelda sighed. "I was upset over losing my job and my room and I don't like being helpless," she added, defensively.     "By the way, I heard Lady Rosemary plotting to steal your Bible!" "She did," Grayson added grimly.     Yvonne joined into the conver...

THOSE AWAKE...  By Tessa Harvey Ava paused in the doorway of the big store, trying to remember what she was meant to be shopping for, and sighed.     Usually she could just dismiss the concerns of her patients, but something about a woman she had seen this morning tugged at her heart.     People jostled past her impatiently or good-naturedly, some saying "excuse me." Apologising and moving away from the busy door, Ava paused near some toys you pressed to hear a popping noise. They were very popular at the moment and shaped like unicorns, squares, circles in every imaginable colour combination.  Trying to choose a bracelet toy for her granddaughter cleared her mind of the very sick and weeping patient. An elderly woman was explaining the meaning of the toys to her husband. Ava noticed the way his eyebrows wiggled like grey and white bristly caterpillars. He looked disapproving, frowning. "If children these days need toys like this to keep their brains active...