THE SOUL'S ENCOUNTER!

YOU know I love the Paranormal, I always did. From the Summer of 69, I discovered so many answers. It was eye-opening! Below, is a story based on a true situation. Names, places have been changed to the protect the privacy of all involved.

IF YOU enjoy stories of life-after-death and a belief in Souls being an eternal piece inside all of us, then just read...

THE SOUL'S ENCOUNTER!

JULY arrived in a blaze of heat. Unrelentless high temperatures. Overall the month had an average of 27°C (81°F). The amount of wild fires and the ones as a result of fireworks falling on dried grass...

SADLY and unexpectedly, 5 July saw the end of Gramps' life (See the story; 4 Funerals and 1 Wedding; coming soon). From the Monday, 7 July, he rested at the Funeral parlour for 3 long days.

INSIDE it was freezing, the AC being on to keep the bodies cold. Turned up much higher due to the constant stream of mourners. All three days were very busy, Gramps had family, friends and loads of acquaintances. He'd been popular in life and therefore shocking to many to leave at just 75, having been in relatively good health. It was the hidden kind of disease.

ON MONDAY, none of us had food, just plenty of drinks. Tuesday was another story... Everybody disappeared from me around 18:00. I came back upstairs from visiting the facilities. Had a jump-scare from an employee, "Man, he was tall..."

HE TOLD me that my family had left to go pickup food and that the place would be locked until 19:00. He said to sit back in the largest parlour (aka with Gramps) and wait for their return. Wow, that was a freaky prospect but... I couldn't leave and this was the second funeral from the one three years ago.

ON THAT day, three of the four parlours were occupied. Gramps, the medium one, thankfully empty, then two bodies in the recessed alcoves. After talking to Gramps, I rearranged some of the floral arrangements. Then slurped the dregs of my juice carton... My fourth one... "Oh dear, wee bladder screaming again..."

I LEFT to go use the facilities again. Before pushing the door to downstairs, I glanced around after hearing a whispered "Hello, can you hear or see me..."

MY spine tingled and a cool wind (colder than the AC...) washed over me. I sprinted down the stairs, 2 at a time. Coming back up later on, I went to the front double doors. Unlocking the Yale silently, I took a warm breath, took a sweep of the surroundings and closed, locking the doors again.

TURNING to my right, I made a 180° hoping to just walk back to Gramps' resting place. Nope! Heard a "Hello dear, come sit with me a spell..." This time it had been loud and clear.

SITTING on one of the two chairs, in front of a deep red coloured coffin, a wee old lady with beautiful salt and pepper hair. A dress to match the colour of the coffin. I swear to you, the place had been empty of the living with the exception of me...and wherever the employees were...I nodded my head and took the seat she was pointing to...

SHE began speaking about the weather, then that she was hopeful her son would show up later on that evening. We spoke of every day ordinary things then jumped into the conversation regarding my dearly departed.

SO, I jabbered on about my favourite Gramps. How neat as a pin he'd been and so on and so forth. Getting back to her son, daughter-in-law, her grandchildren and a great-grandchildren, her other son's and two daughters. We just talked, some was sad, some made us laugh...

ABOUT 18:45, a loud noise from Gramps resting place made both of us jumped out of our skins. Excusing myself, I left to investigate the noise. Giving her my sincere condolences and took the tissues she'd used while a part of our conversation had been sad... She'd been so lovely to speak with. Then I signed the condolences book before leaving her.

STRANGELY, I'd never spotted the tissue box she produced from behind her chair. Walking away I muttered under my breath "Weird!" Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bright flash. Thinking nothing about it, other than "Car's headlights..." and kept walking back to Gramps.

UPON inspection, one of the floral arrangements just in front of the AC outlet had fallen over. I picked up the basket first, then the tower on which it sat. At 19:00 sharp, the clock struck the hour and people ambled in.

SITTING and craning my head up, I saw a man walking my way. His eyes were fixed on me. His eyes were swollen and red. I swallowed hard. He spoke "Are you Diana dear? The book has your signature below my Mother's... Which is strange..."

HE never concluded that... Feeling overwhelmed, I got up saying "Yes, yes sir, I'm Diana. The lady asked me to sign below hers." Suddenly, he debited at 100mph. Me, catching what I could of his speedy conversation.

HE was crying, tears flowing forth as if someone had turned on a waterspout behind his eyes. I caught "...not possible...not Mother...how can this be..." Out of nowhere a kid of about 16 showed up and said "Dad! Come back to Mum and bring Diana with you..."

NO one had arrived for Gramps yet and as I walked with them, the lift opened up and a coffin on a trolley emerged pushed by a funeral parlour employee with a second person behind holding 3 large floral arrangements. The strangest thing occurred.

TIME stood still, I still followed the father and son, but everything was in slow-motion. My eyes were drawn to the top of the closed coffin... Someone was sitting up through the top, a man in a dark suit. He looked straight through to my soul and whispered "Nice of you to see me... Bye", and quickly disappeared into the coffin. As quickly as all this went on, we'd arrived at the deep red coffin, where I'd sit with the nice lady earlier.

WITHOUT hearing anything which was being said by the people there, I saw the flash of bright lights again. When my eyes readjusted, my line of sight fell on a new item on top of the coffin...a picture frame...

I EXCLAIMED to the man "Sir, is this your Mother?"

"YES!" He replied. I repeated to him what had gone on and after many hugs, tears and profuse "Thank you for sitting with her one last time!" I was dumbfounded.

AFTER the whole experience was over, I glanced over at her photo one last time and now, she was smiling. Her final wish had come true. She'd told me that wish and enjoyed a conversation for 45 minutes that made her happy.

EXCUSING myself, I ran out the doors, crossed the road and stopped running once I got behind the corner shop. Papa arrived a minute later. He asked if I was okay. I couldn't utter a single word. I just cried and cried.

THIS wouldn't be my last encounter with the souls of the departed. There would be many more events. They've changed slightly in the form they take. Nowadays, it's either clairaudience, aura viewing or orbs. Sometimes, reflection in a mirror.

BLESSED BE!