The Heavenly Gate

I woke up. I look around, trying to figure out where I am. It feels like I’ve been here before. My vision is blurry, as if I had been rubbing my eyes for too long or crying just a moment ago. I feel lost. As if I’m in a fog. I don’t know who I am or where I came from. I try in vain to remember... anything. 

All around me are colours of every kind imaginable. They keep changing shape, as if unsure what they want to become. Like an invisible painter searching for inspiration with random strokes of a brush. Some colours merge and transform. Others split and fade. It seems like they’re dancing... in silence. 

 No, it’s not really silence. It’s the soft murmur of gentle rain. 

 As if adding another backdrop to this magical theatre, a light breeze stirs. It carries scents, otherworldly scents. Each fragrance embraces a shade, giving it shape and form. The scent of lilies wraps around me. 

 With the wind, the outlines of the shades begin to shift. There are thousands of them. As if mesmerized, they rush toward a dazzling light. A longing to touch it overtakes me as well. 

 Suddenly, a tall shadow steps into my path. 

 “An angel,” I gasp. 

 “I’m not an angel,” they smile. 

 “But you look like one.” 

 “Angels are where they are needed most,” they say, pointing toward the light. 

 “What is that?” I ask, looking in that direction. 

 “That is the heavenly gate.” 

 “And them?” I point to the shades of every colour. 

 “They will bloom soon, just like you,” they place a hand on my shoulder. 

 “I’m a bit afraid. What’s beyond the gate? What does it mean to bloom? If you’re not an angel, then who are you?” I voice my fears aloud. 

 “I am your destiny. It’s nice to meet you.” 

 “Will you come with me?” I grab their hand. 

 “Only until you decide.” 

 “I don’t understand,” I let go of their hand. 

 “Which path will you take? The circle or the line?” 

 “I don’t understand anything. Don’t you see I’m afraid? That I don’t want to be alone?” I exclaim. 

 “You won’t be alone. They will go with you,” they point to three women standing nearby, whom I hadn’t noticed before. 

 “So, they’re angels?” 

 “The first is Love; she brings the beauty of both worlds and makes life wonderful. 

The second is Pain; she brings truth and makes life real. 

And the third is Hope; she brings joy and makes life bearable.” 

 “Oh God, everything is so complicated. I’m already afraid I won’t make it. Don’t you at least have a guide or a map?” 

 “The guide is here,” they touch my chest. 

 “And the path will reveal itself once you decide. Circle or line? And I don’t mean direction, but the way.” They smile enigmatically. 

 -----------∞---------------------------------------------------------- 

 I am close. I feel no fear. One last time, I turn and wave to Destiny. I’m not saying goodbye; I know we’ll meet again. Accompanied by the three women, I step into the light. I open my eyes. 

 -----------∞---------------------------------------------------------- 

 My vision is blurry, as if I had been rubbing my eyes for too long or crying just a moment ago. I feel lost. 

 “There,” I run toward the circle. 

 It’s an embrace. It smells wonderful. Like lilies...