Another Day

The emergency section of Loville Hospital was full of people waiting to be seen . Around the waiting area there were both old and young . The walls were lined with prams , walking sticks and wheelchairs . On a table in the centre of the waiting area were old magazines and newspapers .
Suddenly an ambulance arrived at the door and two paramedics jumped out and opened the back . A trolley was brought and their casualty was quickly wheeled in tot eh emergency area .
A doctor immediately came out to assess the situation and asked .

“Can you give me a history of what happened ?”

The first paramedic replied .
“I communicated the situation no less than fifteen minutes ago . You should have been give the report . “

The doctor stood beside the trolley and looked slightly upset and said .
‘I have had no report about this casualty .“

The second paramedic said ,

“We found lying on the road beside the park . The information we got was a hit and run . You’ll need to confirm that with the police .“

“Right then lets get him into IC .”
The doctor said .

As they pushed the trolley through the double door and along the corridor the nurse on duty continued to give reports of the casualty .

“His blood pressure is very high and his pulse weak .“

Suddenly the homeless man went into cardiac arrest and they rushed him into a ward . He began to gasp for a breath before going unconscious .

The doctor started placed the heart starter on and send shock after shock through the mans chest . He looked at the paramedic .

“Do you know his name ?

”No there was no identification on him .“

The nurse added ,

“Doctor I’ve seen him around town here and there . I think he has been sleeping rough for some time .”

“Come on don’t give up on me .“
The doctor said .

Within seconds the casualty had died . There was nothing anyone could do . They had tried to revive him but it was his time to go .

“Sorry Doctor . “
Said the nurse .

“Ok place the body into the spare room and I’ll notify welfare . Arrangements
will have to be made for his burial . Thank you nurse and thanks again lads .”
The doctor said .

The paramedics left and the nurse wheeled the trolley into a quiet room at the end the corridor beside the laundry . That was the room where some of the deceased were place .
When the nurse left the body of the homeless man in the room she closed the door . Suddenly a bright light came through the ceiling and rested beside the trolley . The light took the form of an angel who said .

“John open your eyes .“

The homeless man opened his eyes . The angel held his hand and said

“One day you will leave this earthly place for your heavenly home but that day is not now . Your time to leave is not yet . You still have one more day left .“

“Who are you ?” The homeless man said .

“I am a messenger from the other side John . Sometimes there are people who get a day extra .

‘One more day ?”
Said John .
“Yes that’s right . A day in which they have a mission or a certain job to complete before leaving this life . John you are one of these people .“

Said the angel .

The homeless man looked puzzled and said ,
‘What am I to do in a day ?”

“ Use the time well John .“
The angel replied .

“I’m not yet dead then “
Sid the John .

“That’s right . So go now and seize the day .“
Said the angel .

John left the hospital unseen . He walked along the sidewalk to the railway station and got on the first train that arrived . He took a seat by the window . It was a nice comfortable seat . He looked at the world as if for the very first time . His senses were highly developed as if by a special grace .
He could hear the church bells ring as the train pulled into Allswell Village . John though ,
In the thirty years I have lived never once have I been inside a church .
So he decided that it might be a good time to experience that .

As he stepped off the train no one asked him for a ticket , he walked past the ticket collector .

As he walked towards up the hill to the church building he could hear the birds singing . The sweet songs were so beautiful to hear . He noticed the trees . Their leaves so soft and green and the flowers so fragrant .
The sun rose up and swept a pathway of light before him shone straight up the road to the steps of the church .
John made his way in through the doors and took a back seat just before the service started .
The old church building was full of people . They stood together side by side singing the hymns and praying . Women with feathers in their hats held their heads high . The men in their pin stripe suits and well polished shoes stood in the pews like a well drilled regiment of soldiers ready for inspection . There were only four children among congregation and their parents stood trying hard to keep them still . He felt peaceful during the service .
After the final blessing and the last hymn the congregation split out of the building through a small double door at the front . John sat alone in the pew in his dirty clothes . He looked tired and hungry . As he looked up into their faces the church community refused to make eye contact with him . They turned away as if he wasn’t there . They passed him by .
Poor John . He continued to smile but not one would say hello .
The pious parishioners were much too proud to look into his face . Maybe it was a poverty they didn’t want to see . Maybe it was his hunger or just his basic need for being made to feel welcome . For most of them it was just too hard to reach out and offer help .
As people in the church emptied the building John knelt down and said a simple hello and goodbye .
Then he walked up to a place beside the altar to where some candles sat in holders burning in front of a holy picture . He decided to light one for himself and within moments he left the building .
He walked outside through the doors and back into the day . Members of the church all got into their cars . He walked along the sidewalk as the rain began to fall . The only shelter for him was a phone box where he stood and got out of the wet weather for a while .
When the rain eased off and he made his way into the village .A lazy kind of feeling surrounded the village square with all the market stalls empty . There were no crowds of people looking for bargains . It was Sunday and a day of rest for many . Yes it was a day when people went to church to say their prayers .It was a day when people went for walks through the park . It was a day to observe life as it passed . John stood for a while in a doorway and scratched his head . People in their cosy cars drove past . Probably on their way home to a cooked breakfast . Yes , it was there in the air all right . He could smell it . Bacon and eggs Mmm , he could almost taste it .
He couldn’t stand around too long as he had lots of things to do . He had lots of things to say but no one wanted to listen . It was his last day on earth but he didn’t know .Soon he would be on his way to another place .
He felt no anger or sorrow . Only this feeling of complete love and understanding . He was in complete harmony with world and everyone and everything in it . He decided to take a seat in the park and watch the kids play sport and fly their kites . As John was an orphan he never had a childhood like others did . He never knew the joy of free play time in parks . John had been a loner most of his life . Since he left the homeless refuge John had lived on the streets for about six years . He managed to survive on a small income benefit provided by the Government . With this meagre sum he was able to exist in a world that refuses to make him welcome .
The park bench was bathed in sunlight as John sat down enjoying what he wished he could have experienced as a child which was the friendship and laughter of other children .
He spoke to some of the young children but they just ignored him . He noticed across the road a crowd was gathering outside the local theatre and decided to go and investigate what was going on . When he got there he saw that it was the opening performance of a Fairytale set to music . In all his life John had never seen a show before so he decided it was time to do it . He got into the queue and stood alongside the other people who slowly made their way through the doors into the foyer of the theatre .
Once inside everyone took up their little private positions around the snack bar where they ordered hot coffee and cakes .
John took a seat at the back where no one stood or saw him . He looked at people gathered in their social circles . He overheard them talking about their many achievements . New houses and fancy cars . Trips overseas and some spoke about their high powered jobs . They made these loud noises that were supposed some kind of laughter but the funny thing was none of them looked happy or content .
Suddenly the call came through for the audience to take their seats . One by one they all ushered inside the theatre . John waited and slipped in at the back . No one asked him for a ticket . He was unnoticed as he sat down in a spare seat at the side of the aisle near the orchestra who were tuning up their instruments . Green lights flooded down upon a stage that resembles a forest and the first of the actors walked on stage . The narrator introduced the scene and a further cast of characters entered on stage .
The intermission came and it was more of the same . People stood in the foyer full of self importance and arrogance . Their ability to focus beyond themselves was not possible . I mean in their own eyes no one was better that them . John stood and observed their understanding of life and in a nutshell it was all a plastic existence .Comical if it wasn’t so seriously acted out by those in their chocolate covered role models .
The call came through to resume back into theatre for act two . As everyone finished their chatter John noticed some people leave their half eaten cakes in the bin along with some half drunk coffee cups . When they had returned to their seats John went around and helped himself to their unwanted food and drink . Feeling nourished he returned to his seat . The show was great and he was having a fantastic time .
After the show was over John walked out from the theatre . It was starting to get dark and he thought about getting his head down on a park bench opposite . He stepped off the sidewalk to cross over the road . All of a sudden a car ran up the wrong side of the road being chased by the police . The driver lost control of the car and swerved over and hit John who fell to the ground . He lay there for a moment and saw an angel appear in front of him .
The ambulance arrived and two paramedics jumped out . The first medic checked Johns pulse and immediately started CPR . The other ambulance officer put the heart starter on John . After a few jolts they placed John into the back of the ambulance . On the way they contacted the hospital to inform them of the casualty on the way .
In the back of the ambulance the angel sat beside John holding his hand .
When the ambulance pulled into the emergency John was taken from the ambulance straight into the intensive care ward . After a number of attempts to save him the doctors and nurses gave up and John died .
His body was covered and taken to a room at the back of the hospital near the laundry . When everyone had left the room a light shone down from the ceiling and an angel appeared beside John . The angel softly spoke and said ,
“John it is time . The day has come for you to come with me . Leave this world nothing and take all that eternity has to offer . “

The End

By Paul McCann