The hallways were quiet and the fluorescent lights made the walls reflect a light blue hue that illuminated the entire hallway. As I walked down the hall the hospital smelled like a mix of doctors hand soap and that new clean smell that constantly reminded me that I was not home. Of course I wasn’t home. Who was I kidding? The weekend had come and gone and I faced another week of work. I used to truly enjoy my job, but lately my emotions were always getting in the way when I tried to help my patients. While I was in college I always thought that being a psychiatrist was what I wanted. But after Harvard, the classes stopped and the real world started. I decided to take this job so I could help Vietnam Veterans, but being born in nineteen-seventy-eight, I really knew nothing about the war or these men. But after my three months at this job the thing I did know was that my patients were beginning to scare me. Most of these men were completely out of control; they were beyond the point of rationalization. No matter what I said, most of them were so out of it that they couldn’t function. Maybe that’s the reason that I had given up. I really felt like there was no helping them. I worked every day nine to five because I was getting paid and in the real world, you have to do something to survive. But after what happened to me this morning, I knew that I still had to survive, but not by being employed at this place.

This morning I was walking into work and one of the patients tried to escape. A patient of mine ran up to me with a knife in his hand. As I tried to dodge him, security came out and restrained him. Luckily, I didn’t get hurt, but I still knew that I had to get out. What that man did to me was wrong. I’ve spent my young life trying to help people with problems and this is what I get, unappreciative people and being employed at a place where my safety is at risk.

As the clock turned to five I grabbed my coat, walked out of the office and thought about the cruelness of life and the troubles of the world. As I left the building and approached the metro there were hundreds of people in what looked like a sea of coats, and women in business suits wearing sneakers. All of these people were in a hurry to get home and put the day to rest. Their rush was obvious, people literally ran to catch their route on the metro and no one looked each other in the eye.

I sat down next to a woman who looked beat up by life. She looked tired with sadness and grief. Her breath smelled of Vodka. After I turned my head away, I just decided to stare at the ground, instead of cracking a smile at her. God forbid I smile at someone I don’t know, or offer kindness to a stranger. If I do they usually give me a fake smile, or they think I’m crazy. If they do, they look at me with contempt; like how dare you smile at me, you don’t know me. It was strange, but I was raised Catholic and taught that we are all God’s children. I guess this concept got lost in life's rat race. There were hundreds of people on the metro and we were literally packed in like sardines. Metaphorically, this should have brought us closer, but instead it made people work harder to maintain distance. The closer you got to someone the harder they tried to avoid looking you in the eye or showing any emotion. On the metro emotions were absent. Furthermore, most people just wanted to get home and be close to their lover or enjoy solitude.

Soon my thoughts were interrupted when I reached my destination. As the train came to a stop there was a screeching sound for some reason. It was irritating. It was worst than someone scratching their fingernail on a chalkboard. Right before we stopped my weight shifted and I almost fell on the lady sitting next to me. I said to her, “I’m sorry,” she just looked at me with no emotion.

After I left the metro I started my long journey home. I usually really enjoyed my walks, because it gave me a chance to get away from the world and think. The streets were filled with darkness and I looked up at the sky and thought to myself, “Where is God?” I had these thoughts because I realized that these days most people only cared about themselves. Furthermore, we don’t treat eachother like God’s children. In our times the goal is to beat your brother or sister, by being better looking, to have more money, having a nicer car, house or job. Suddenly while I was thinking, I discovered that I was lost and had no idea where I was going. While I was looking down at my feet and not paying attention to where I was going, I bumped into this beautiful woman.

“Oh… Gosh! I’m sorry. I didn’t see you coming.”

She then turned and looked at me with the most genuine smile and said, “That’s okay! We all make mistakes.”

Goodness radiated from this woman and for some odd reason I trusted her. She had almond skin and emerald eyes that sparkled like jewels...but it was her sense of peace that made her beautiful, not her physical appearance. She had a Middle Eastern accent with long ethnic looking hair. It was almost like an Afro, but more European looking with bigger curls instead of tight ones. After an uncomfortable silence, I just decided to open up and ask her, “Where are you headed?”

“I’m going to Harriet’s Cabin to get something to eat.”

Without hesitation, I blurted out with a chuckle, “No way! That is my favorite place to eat. They have the best soul food. Do you mind if I join you?”

She said, “I’d love that.”

So on our way to the restaurant, she asked me what my name was and I replied, “Mina, I’m from Spokane, Washington. After studying at Harvard, I decided to stay on the east coast and practice Psychology here in D.C. What about you? I know that you’re not originally from the states, you have the most unique accent.”

“Thanks Mina, I’m Jasmine. I’m originally from France, but right now I’m just visiting to help out with the Catholic Church.”

“Really,” that’s ironic I was raised Catholic, but with the way things are today, I’m afraid to say that I’ve lost my faith.”

With shock and sadness on her face, Jasmine questioned. “Why? I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve lost your faith. God loves you. We are all his children. Just because times are bad that doesn’t mean that you have to turn your back on your faith. You know what Mina; I know a much better place to have dinner.”

“Really, some place better than Harriet’s Cabin?”

“Well Mina the food may not be better, but the company is.”

As we were walking we walked to a church that was beautiful. It looked like a church from Romania or Paris. The architecture was magnificent. At the entrance there was a huge statue of the Virgin Mary. When we entered the church, the place where the altar was, there were statues of all the saints and candles that made the place smell heavenly. I was stunned with amazement and the beauty of this place. As soon as I stepped inside the church, the peace I felt was incomparable. They always say that you feel peace in your mother’s arms or her womb, but this was a type of peace and contentment that I think most humans never experience. At this point, I looked over at Jasmine and she was glowing with a golden hue. She then grabbed my hand and said, “There is a reason why you ran into me tonight,” As she said this, light shot from her eyes and I jumped back in total shock.

I screamed in a voice of terror, “Who are you?”

“Mina calm down!” If you trust in me and trust in God, I can show you something that will put your soul at ease... forever. I can show you how blessed you are. Trust me you will always feel warmth and be at peace with your job, faith, and life. I know that it sounds like I’m promising you the world, but this can all be yours if you face your fears and trust me. I promise you Mina, God loves you.” As soon as Jasmine said those words and touched my hand, I felt warmth again and peace. At this point it was like my head was not working and my heart and spirit took over. I grabbed her hand and we walked through this door together as one. I can’t even begin to describe how close I felt to this woman that I just met five minutes ago. This was truly amazing.

After we walked through the door we were no longer in a church, but instead in a field of golden wheat. The smell was fresh and the air was clean. I looked up at the sky and night had turned into day. Before I could ask any questions, Jasmine told me to not say a word. As I looked off into the distance, I saw waterfalls, to the right of the wheat field there were palm trees, then behind me I saw sand, and in front of us was the ocean. The tides rolled up onto the wheat and the wheat broke the tide. I knew that this was not an earthly place, but all the elements of earth that I thought were beautiful were all here.

Jasmine could not help but notice the look of astonishment on my face. She said, “Mina, this is paradise and you have a good soul. That’s why you’re here. Now you haven’t died. I ran into you tonight, so I could help you. No matter what man does to you, or how life beats you down, don’t ever turn your back on your faith. Now come with me. I want you to see something.”

I followed Jasmine across the sand and we came to a small blue house. When we entered, it was filled with people, people of every race. Jasmine started talking to them in a language that I couldn’t understand. Then she broke back into English and said, “Mina, see not just Catholics go to heaven. If you are a good person with a good heart and soul, you can make it."

After we left the living room we traveled to the kitchen and this gorgeous man started looking at me in a lustful way. This man had emerald green eyes, like Jasmine. I became hypnotized by his gaze. His arms rippled with muscles, he had the most strong jaw line, perfect teeth and olive skin and hair that was dark like molasses. As he smiled at me my stomach was full of butterflies. My heart stopped as he reached out to touch me. I was shocked and when I looked around to find Jasmine she was gone. I started to panic, then the man pulled me closer and whispered, “You’re amazing, come with me.” With the seductive look in his eyes I was mesmerized and lured in. Then suddenly, Jasmine came back and yelled, “Take your hands off of her!” She said, “Mina come here,” then as I turned to leave with Jasmine I looked back and he turned into an ugly man. He had warts all over his face.

As we left I was shocked and Jasmine said, “Mina that was your test. If you would have gone with him, you would have had a taste of hell. Sometimes they make it here, but are punished more severely when they are caught. Before you ask, “Who are they?” I will tell you. That man was an evil spirit. While he was on earth he was a womanizer and an evil man. He used his looks to manipulate situations, so when he went to hell he became his sin. What I mean by that is that on earth he was a womanizer, so in hell his only form of happiness is trying to take advantage of women. When he gets rejected he turns ugly. I don’t know how his soul got here, but sometimes souls can escape from hell, but when they are caught they go back to hell.

Mina touched my shoulder to reassure me. She told me, “Mina, do not worry, when you truly enter paradise souls like that can’t touch you. But since you are only visiting, you could have been in danger. I’m sure that he sensed your weakness and that’s why he came onto you. He could see that you were not supposed to be here. Mina that test should show you that you always have to be careful. By the way, I’m sure now you know that I am an angel. God loves you. That’s why I came in your desperate time of need. But our time together is almost over and I need to go help someone else. When you wake up in the morning you won’t remember this. It will be as if it was a dream, but I can tell you that you will feel something. I think unconditional love. That is something that only God can really give. Mina, you should also keep your job. Those people need you. As I go remember your life has a purpose.”

Then as I watched Jasmine walk away into the golden sunset, there was the most annoying beeping sound. All of a sudden I opened my eyes and I was staring at the ceiling, but before I got that feeling in the pit of my stomach, that I got every day before work; it didn't happen this day. I reached over to turn off the alarm and got up and looked into the mirror. I knew this was my same room, dresser, bed, but something was different. Then I touched the top of the dresser to get my brush and found a beautiful rosary. I had no idea where this came from. Then I saw a note attached; it read: “Mina, God loves you,” – Jasmine. I first thought who is Jasmine? I hope I am not going crazy and who was here last night? But the most peculiar thing was that I felt peace. It didn’t matter what did or did not happen last night, or what would happen in the future, because I always knew that God was with me.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 21.06.2011

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The good man out of his good store gives good things; and the evil man out of his evil store gives evil things. - Matthew 12:35