“Am I dreaming?” I lifted my gaze from my hands to Grammy’s beaming face.
“Dreams and reality are elementally the same.”
“I don’t get it … but it doesn’t matter. If this is a dream, it’s a great one and I’m in no hurry to wake up. Oh, Grammy, I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you, too.” When she squeezed my hands she felt real and alive and wonderful.
“How is this possible?” I asked, marveling at the misty ground swirling around my very ordinary sneakers, scents of mountain and ocean breezes, and the amazing woman standing in front of me. “I can’t believe we’re together. I never thought I’d see you again.”
“But I’ve never been far away, and I see you all the time. Remember the card you received on your birthday with no signature?”
“Sure. The cute black dog on the front looked exactly like Cola. I tacked it on my bulletin board. I couldn’t figure out who sent …” I stared at her widening smile. “You?”
“I was only the messenger.” She nodded. “It was his idea.”
“His? You mean … Cola?”
There was a sharp bark as a furry black dog sprang out of nothingness with the bouncing energy of a puppy. He scampered over to me, red tongue lapping and his black whip-like tail wagging.
If being with Grammy Greta was a shock, seeing my favorite (dead!) dog was absolutely mind-boggling. Until now I’d thought it was a dream, but dreams didn’t come with doggy breath and barking. Cola looked so healthy! When he’d died at the old age of nineteen, he’d been blind and lame. Now his black eyes shone with lively mischief. His tongue tickled my face when he slurped a doggy kiss.
“Cola!” I wrapped my arms around his soft warm neck. When I brushed against his luminous gold collar, sparks sizzled like an electric halo. Vivid images circled around Cola’s neck as if my touch had pushed a remote control button and switched on a holographic TV. The cinematic collar reeled with pictures and garbled sounds. I tried to focus on the images but it was all a blur. Then abruptly the spinning stopped. The collar stilled to a plain gold band.
“What kind of collar is that?” I jumped back, the buoyant ground swishing cloudy puffs around my ankles.
“It’s not a collar. Cola’s Duty Director notifies him of new work assignments.”
“Work … you mean my dog has a job?”
“Why does that surprise you? Animals are very spiritual creatures and have evolved to a higher plane than humans. Cola was honored with the position of Comforter. Usually that work goes to cats or ferrets, but Cola showed outstanding empathetic abilities.”
“He always did seem to understand me.” I nodded, patting his head. “What does he do?”
“Comfort people when they’re alone and frightened. Comforters take the form of beloved pets, to help as a soul embarks on its final journey. Cola joins the person, usually in a hospital bed, offering love and companionship until their wait ends. I’m very proud of him … and of you, too.”
I continued to pat Cola’s furry head as I met my grandmother’s tender gaze. There was so much I wanted to say, so many things I’d longed to tell her.
“It’s all right, honey,” she said softly. “I already know.”
“Even about my scholarship?”
“Yes. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”
“Except how can I … I mean … the mail truck went out of control. What happened?” I spoke with no fear, only confusion. “I was sure the truck would hit me, but I feel okay and nothing’s broken. My nettle bumps don’t even itch.”
“They will when you return. But for now you’re in a neutral state. I brought you here in that instant before you were struck.”
“So the mail truck did hit me?”
“Yes, but only your body.” She nodded. “I couldn’t bear to watch you suffer, so I bent a few rules and brought you here.”
“How? Are you and Cola angels?”
“Far from it,” she said with a chuckle. “I manage a complicated network of volunteers — some living and some moved on. My job comes with certain abilities — like the power to bring you here. I’m so proud of you, honey. Watching you read that scholarship letter was one of my proudest moments.”
“You saw that?” I asked, pleased.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the worlds! I helped make it happen. Not that you wouldn’t have done it on your own, but a persuasive voice in the right ear can speed things up.”
“I’ve heard that advice before.” I snapped my fingers. “I read it in Create Happiness Through Happen-Ness.”
“That was some of our guide-writers’ best work,” Grammy Greta said, nodding. “You know what they say about great books.”
“Actually … I don’t.”
“Great books aren’t written, they’re relayed.” She glanced down at my wrist. “I’m pleased to see you wearing the lucky bracelet.”
“I always wear it.” I caressed the rainbow cloth. “But it wasn’t lucky today.”
A screech echoed in my head with the blur of the mail truck careening toward me. But I pushed it aside, detached and emotionless, as if it had happened to someone else.
Around me clouds shifted in purple and silver hues, and I glimpsed a panorama of brilliant green meadow, shady trees, sparkling water, and a distant shore where figures waved. I had a strong sense of knowing them … yet I couldn’t possibly.
“Tell me, Grammy. What is all this?” My fingers curled in Cola’s silky fur as I regarded my grandmother solemnly. “Heaven?”
“Close, but not exactly. It’s more of a moment, a transition in time, than a specific location.”
“I don’t understand, but it’s nice here with you and Cola.” Cola perked up at his name, his collar flickering with quicksilver images. I scratched his head, which made him thump his back leg in his usual way. “You’re such a good boy. And I’ll bet you’re a great Comforter.”
“He’s the best,” Grammy said.
“I always wondered what happened to animals. What about my cats Snowflake and Pinky?” I looked around. “Can I see them, too?”
She shook her head. “There isn’t time.”
“Why not?”
“While time has little meaning here, it’s ticking away on Earth. But before you go, I must warn you about Dark Lifers.”
“What are they?”
“Dark souls who can steal energy and human bodies. They can’t stay in a host body longer than a full moon cycle, so they go from body to body, causing trouble.”
“Can’t you stop them?”
“I have to find them first — and travel between our worlds is difficult.” She frowned. “Regretfully, I’ve put you at risk by bringing you here. For a few days you’ll have an afterglow that will attract Dark Lifers. They may try to touch you to feed on your energy. If you see one, call me by doing our lucky ritual and I’ll send in the Dark Disposal Team. You have nothing to fear.”
“I’m not afraid, but I’d like to help you. What do Dark Lifers look like?”
“Like ordinary people — Earthbounders — except for their gray fingernails and a shadowy haze around their hands. Their touch can be painful and their lies even more dangerous. So avoid them and stay safe.” She gave me a sad smile. “You have to return now.”
“Now?” I frowned. “But I don’t want to leave you. Can’t I stay longer?”
“Sorry, hon. But that’s not possible. You have a wonderful life waiting for you. That scholarship is going to open up fantastic opportunities.”