THE ROAD TO ETERNITY

Part One: THE ROAD TO ETERNITY

The road I walk is long - or seems that way - but when compared to eternity is but a grain of salt. The rocks and broken glass cut and swell my feet, and my burden grows heavier as I walk. My road, and that of millions before, is narrow and rocky. On the other side of the white line is another man. I had known him once, long ago...

He was my old school master. His name was Wilkins here on Earth; his eternal name was Whyln, evil. He was short two pounds one morning for a debt. I was not his favorite pupil in that I was honest, a trait he hated in any man. In front of a class of forty or so students, he remarked, "Ali, Michael! Michael, lad, do you recall the slight wager we had on the outcome of the cricket match? I believe I have won my two pounds. Come on, pay up directly!" I had made no such wager, and the clan knew it. I gave it not, and whether I was right or wrong I do not know, nor will, until I am across the pit. I turned my head to watch him as he sped easily down his road. I felt no hate, but rather pity for him.

I had crossed from that road to mine seven years ago and gained my burden; but it was not truly a burden, for without it this road would have been impossible to tread. It was a long chain which I carried, and from it shone a light to show my way. Ali around was a dank mist and gunshots could be faintly heard from the mortal world, as many were joined to their paths. The road seemed to go on forever, but at the end was my goal: the other side of the pit. Whether or not I am to go across it or perish in it is certain - I shall one day see His Kingdom, the land where my burden leads me.

I now detected a faint panting sound from behind me; a young man, very much my same age, was coming up my path, crawling, bleeding, sobbing. I turned on my heel, and as I did so, glass gashed my foot. My burden healed my injury as I yelled back at him, "'Lo, there!" My voice carried loudly over the sound of gunfire. "Hello!" I yelled again.

"Michael!--uhhnh--" he replied. I clapped my hands and shouted as I recognized my friend and school chum, Anwyn (Uncertain), or Craig in the mortal tongue. I noticed he had no burden, and he noticed that I had. "Michael, that chain you carry, it's ... it's shaped like a cross --"

"Yes, Craig."

"Why do you feel no pain? How can you walk this road?"

"It is the power of the cross."

"Huh? Where did you get one of those? Can I -?"

"No. No, Craig, I'm sorry. It's too late, about five minutes too late."

I felt my throat go dry as I looked at the thin hall of dingy grey yarn, his burden. He wrung his bloody hands and cried,

"Michael, I've always been a good man! I never broke the law, Mike, never!"

I stopped as he fell to the ground. I lifted him and held his arm until he could walk himself through the rest of his journey. It was so hard to be righteous without God. Craig knew it now. He was a good man as reflected in his mortal life, but all he had to show for it was his dingy hall of grey yarn. We were on the point of the road which corresponded to our parting in life.

"Mike," he said, "How was it that you were always so happy?" He went on, "You know, nothing, ever got you down. How? Why?"

"See the light that shines from behind the cross? It showed my way. Even on Earth, it comforted me."

"I never saw it," he said, his voice growing distant.

"It was within me! "I yelled back to him, "Goodbye!" I knew that I would never see him again.

Someone jogged up behind me. I could see that he had been a black man in life. He was dressed in mod clothes and was so vibrant that he seemed to dance as well as walk. I knew by the chain he carried that he was happy in the King. I was overjoyed to see one like myself coming towards me, on my road.

"Aye, brother! Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all you dudes!!"

"Rather revised Isaiah-"

"Yeah, but it means the same thing! Praise the Lord!!" He paused long enough to clap my hand and then flitted off down our road. I was very happy. Nonetheless, it was something more than an Earthly happiness; it was that which we could only for a second or, so even imagine in fife. I had just gotten a glimpse of it.

Part Two: THE PIT OF JUDGEMENT

As the mist turned to blue skies, I knew that my journey was drawing to a close. The sky, not like that of Earth, which was a dome, went on forever, until finally I could see my destination only a couple of years off. I was growing oh-so-close!

A fat man jogged up behind me. He was wearing a grey sweatsuit, and in his hood, a grey ball of yarn. He was on the other road, gasping for breath. He stopped for a moment and sat down. I stooped and sat' also, though I was not at all tired.

"Well, young man, you look like you're ready for a new body!" He chuckled. He stopped when I replied, "I'll get one soon."

"What kind of business are you in, young man?"

"I was still in college."

"Wonderful thing, business," he said, ignoring me. "Ever since I graduated from Oxford, I've been in business. I'm a rich man, now!"

"Now?"

"Yes, sit! I now own ninety percent of all the glue corporations in the world! Sticky business, glue; hard to get out of!" He chuckled at his pun.

"And what are you doing here?" I asked, playing with his logic.

"Well, sit, my doctor told me to get some exercise, so I'm jogging. Today some stupid Sunday driver swerved and missed me. I have a bad heart, and it pretty near scared the life out of me! "

"You're closer than you think." I smiled wryly.

A bad heart's bad for business. I BAD! People don't want to take stock in a company with a president who has a faulty ticket. Business has been bad a lot lately; if only it weren't for that damned stock market crash!"

"The stock market isn't the only thing that's damned," I remarked. He guffawed, and we walked, until

I saw his Kingdom.

It radiated such love and wonderful joy!!! But though I could see it, the businessman couldn't. From his hood he pulled the ball of grey yarn.

He fondled it and passed it from hand to hand. He threw it, as well as himself, down and buried his face deep into his hands, and cried. It was a cry which pleaded in vain for peace and mercy, for love he could never again experience.

He cried.

The dimensions of the pit were hard to distinguish. It was about a year wide, and 1, from my viewpoint, could see no bottom.

The businessman took his yarn and fastened it to his road's hook. The hook was fastened to a chain that went to the other side of the pit. That hook had never seen, nor ever will see, the other side. But the hook to my road had never failed to get across. I took my cross and fastened it to the hook. Simultaneously, our feet left the ground. His yam didn't hold him more than a second, and he plummeted. into the pit.

I, however, stayed aloft. I looked hopefully up towards my cross. Then, snap! A huge break appeared in one of,the first links.

I was terrified, but not terrified.

I was frightened, but not frightened.

I felt peace flowing through the cross. From within the cross, a binding, blood came pouring outwards. It entered the crack and scaled it and made it strong; my chain held fast. Another link broke and as I watched, a vision of my childhood appeared; I hit another child smaller than myself, without reason. It, too, was sealed, and the crack disappeared. More and more cracks appeared: I cheated on a test, I lied, I tortured. I looked at the swirling pit below me, and I cried out for forgiveness. And then my feet touched hallowed ground.

My body was new, and so was my conscience. I turned and saw friends and loved ones, and those whom I had never seen but loved. I lifted my eyes and saw my Master's face, and there was no pit to darken the view.

I had come home!!!!