Looking at the canvas, Madeline saw blurry images flash in front of her eyes, and she stopped walking. Somewhere in the distant part of her mind, she heard voices speak.
‘Are all these done by you?’
‘Hmm.’
‘All?’ She asked doubt in her voice.
‘No, I stole them from an artist,’ replied the male’s voice. For some reason her cheeks turned warm. Not knowing what caused it, she placed both her hands on her cheeks.
She wondered what that was about. Making her way towards the canvas and the person, who stood behind the canvas, Madeline caught sight of a slender looking woman, who held black charcoal in her hand.
The woman’s dark black hair had been tied and was left to rest on one side of her shoulder. The breeze that went around them was soft and gentle, and Madeline caught sight of some of front hair coming to hover in front of the woman’ face, which she pushed behind her ear. Her features were serene, and Madeline wondered why she felt as if she had seen this person before, but she couldn’t point her finger where she had seen. Not that she remembered anything that had happened back in the past.
As if sensing Madeline’s eyes, the woman’s gaze shifted to look at Madeline. A small blush appeared on Madeline’s face, and she quickly bowed her head for intruding the person’s space. A smile broke through the woman’s lips that was warm, and she greeted Madeline.
“Hello.”
Madeline bowed her head again, greeting the first person who wasn’t an archangel. “Hello.” She wondered if she had disturbed the woman.
“I don’t think I have seen you here before,” said the woman.
“I arrived here today,” answered Madeline. She didn’t know if it was minutes or hours since she had arrived here, “I am Madeline.”
The woman offered her a warm smile, “Constance.”
“What were you drawing?” asked Madeline curious, walking to the front and taking a look at the art that Constance had been working on. It was the landscape of the mountains that was located away from the garden but still viewable from here. The person had captured it beautifully without the need for colours to be filled in. “It’s lovely,” she complimented Constance.
Though the people here were kind and polite, Madeline could feel a part of her missing and something told her to go looking for it. But every time she tried to remember, she felt the sudden block, and it hurt her head before making her feel dizzy.
Peace was right here, yet why was it that her heart was yearning for something she couldn’t explain?
“How are you finding Heaven, Madeline?” she heard Constance question her, and Madeline’s train of thoughts broke away to return to the present.
“Just as I imagined it to be,” replied Madeline and she caught sight of a little sparrow that flew right in front of her.
“Indeed it is,” answered Constance. She placed the charcoal in front of the canvas stand, and Madeline noticed the woman’s hand held not a speck of the charcoal’s dust and was clean.
Madeline’s eyes kept moving to look at the people while trying to find familiar eyes, and she asked, “Do you remember about your past?”
“None of us do. When a person enters Heaven, their mind is cleared from the pain and everything related to it. Helping the person leave the burden, agony, the torture that a soul once felt, everything is left at the gates when you are welcomed to Heaven. I can tell you are finding it hard to adjust here as you are new.” Constance placed her hand on Madeline’s shoulder. “If something is troubling you, the archangels will help you out with it. All you need to do is ask, and help will be provided.”
“I will keep that in mind. Thank you,” thanked Madeline, and Constance smiled.
“I will be going back to my place. It was nice meeting you, Madeline,” said the woman before departing from there, and Madeline stood there. She spent the next two hours aimlessly walking while admiring the things Heaven offered.
As the woman said, Madeline didn’t feel the pain that she went through when she was dying, nor did she remember what had transpired the entire time she was in the living world. Heaven was her home now.
While she was still walking, she heard a man call her name, “Madeline.”
Madeline turned around to find another man who had white wings, holding a staff in his hand. She stared at the man whose eyes looked wise, and the wind pushed his long silver hair that had been let down to the right. She stared into his grey eyes, a very unusual colour.
Paschar saw Madeline look back at him, her expression looking peaceful than the last time he had met her. Though he had been unable to help Madeline because of the rules imposed on him for his past actions, Paschar cared about Madeline, and the other Heavenly beings were aware about it. They had restricted him from stepping out of this place.
He knew she didn’t have a trace of memory of who he was to her. The only reason he had not involved himself in his daughter’s life was because he knew how much light would be thrown to her already troubled existence if he involved himself. She was the last symbol his lover had left him. Paschar had protected her soul, bringing her to the living world only when he believed it was safe.
“Are you an archangel like Gabriel?” asked Madeline.
Paschar nodded his head, “I am. My name is Paschar. How are you doing, Madeline?” he asked her.
“I am doing good. How about you?” Madeline returned the question.
“Good,” with Madeline in Heaven that was safe for her, Paschar didn’t have to worry about her well being. But he doubted things were well in the living world.
Far away from Madeline and Paschar, another archangel stood looking at them. The angel’s black hair reached until his shoulder, and his black eyes slightly narrowed, wondering how she had ended up here.
