(83) 'Heaven Sent'

[Ken]

She with the birth name of Ruby Alice Jane gazed at the world that had once been her home.  "Planet Earth," she whispered, "the world of my birth."  Immediately there appeared at her side the man who was born Henry Walter, also once of the world known as Earth.  The two of them smiled a greeting, "What's young Ken written now?" he asked, for he could see that she was delighted, as had been her way since first they met more than several lifetimes earlier, the woman made her man wait to hear her words.

"You remember Kens forty first story, the one that began when we both met?"  "It was called, The Walt and Ruby Story," the man replied, "it told of our journey to find happiness in far away, Shamley Green?."  "True," she enthused, "Can you remember how excited I was to find that a child of ours could write so well?"  He nodded, "But then I reminded you of Violets way with words and the articles she had published in 'The Peoples Friend, you made me laugh when you said that magazine was even older than us!"  "Wally Jnr wrote well too," the woman mused, "How we loved it when we received his wartime letters from far away Japan"  Her man nodded his agreement, saying, "So what's Kens latest tale about?"  Immediately, story No.81 of Kens Cosy appeared in his hands,

"It's much shorter than usual," the man remarked as he began to read his youngest sons words.  Seconds  later he looked up, a little surprised, and said, "Wally's, Peter has written a book?"  Her nod was jubilant! "It's all about us," she declared, "It's about our life and Wally Jnr's life and all our children's lives.  There's stories galore about so many things," she continued gleefully," and there's photo's of friends and relatives and of places we once knew."  As if by magic the book appeared in both their hands and the man looked for the very first time at the book written by the eighth of his twenty grandchildren.

                                                                   PROUD TO
                                                                  Be A TUFFS
                                                                  Peter Tuffs

'Proud To Be A Tuffs' was the title of the book he held and, as his joyous wife looked on, he muttered "Dear old Shamley Green."  He was gazing with pleasure at the books cover photo of the beautiful village green where his children had once played.  In silence he read the two page acknowledgements and with pride he looked up at the woman and their thoughts merged as one.  In less than the blink of an eye, their first born son, Wally, was with them and the book appeared in his hands.  A split second later his sisters, Gladys and Dorothy, were also there and Peters book appeared in their hands too. "Read," was the only word spoken to them by their smiling parents and quietly the five, father, mother, son, and two daughters, began to do so.  The occasional smile, quiet chuckles, moist eyes, and family pride were in abundance on that day in that heavenly place.  At that very moment on another plain of existence on the planet called earth, six of the fives, closest relatives, Violet, Len, Bob, Phyl, Gordon and Ken were reading the very same book.  All of them were extraordinarily grateful for their lives and so very proud to have been children of Walt and Ruby and born a Tuffs!
                                      ___________________________________________

The above short story stems from many conversations with my wife Jenny about my parents.  When I wrote 'The Story of Walt and Ruby,' she remarked how proud my mother would have been of all my writings, and how amazed she would have been to discover the extent of her families love for her.  She has also spoken often of my father who she was never to meet but still felt she knew.  Like me, Jenny is not a particularly religious person but sometimes lately the two of us have felt that, perhaps, our departed loved ones can see what we are all up to.  With regard to my brother Wally, Jenny commented on how incredibly proud he would have been of his son Peter.  Not only for his recent book, but also for the way Pete conducts himself as a person.  I confess Jenny and I are big fans of our nephew Peter and the writing of the book and of his sending it to so many people was an act of great generosity.  My son Morgan received his copy in Austria and has said to me it had made his year.  My cousin Dorothy received her copy at her old peoples home in Essex.  In a recent letter she told me she took the book down to the residents lounge and showed it to all the 75 people who were gathered there.  She told everyone of them, "She was proud to be related to the Author!"

So that's why I let my wishful thinking run riot and wrote what I would like to think would have happened if our departed love ones had read the book.  Perhaps they have, for surely the way my Dad, Mum, Wally, Glad and Dot lived their lives would have ensured that they were all heaven sent.  Relatives, wherever you are, heaven or earth?  I wish you well!  


                                                                   

[Ken]

Wishful thinking is not a bad thing and this tale stems from what I would like to think may have happened to some truly good people.  If I'm right, then one day, we may all gather together again.  What a party that would be!