Chapter Six: My Life HereAfter by Rosaline Saul


I walk through the door called Rehabilitation into a small room, devoid of any colour and notice two other kids already sitting there. Their eyes are red rimmed with unshed tears, and I let go of the tears I have been holding back. They run over my cheeks unchecked and pool on my chin before they drip down onto my chest.

I avoid looking at Emma and Charles as I walk past them to a corner away from them. Charlene is not here, but deep down I knew she would not be. When I saw the door labelled Rapture, I knew that was where she would be going.

A while later the door opens again and I look up expectantly, but it is only Jamie, and not one of the five I started this journey with. I wonder if any of them will join me. I doubt it.

After what feels like an eternity, the door opens again, and Mark comes walking into the room. His face is sallow, and I see relief in his eyes when they settle on me. He walks across the room and as he sits down next to me, I hear a sigh escape his lips. He leans into me and says softly, “I probably should not be happy to see you here, but I am glad to see a familiar face.”

I glance at him and smile sadly.

There are now five of us in the room and I do not expect the door to open again, but not long after I see Carly come into the room. She does not come to sit with Mark and me, and I am just about to get up to walk to her when Vera comes into the room again.

Vera smiles at each one of us in turn, and then she says hospitably, “Okay, boys and girls. Follow me to the dorms, so you can get settled. Tomorrow we will go to the administration office to get all your schedules and everything you will need.”

I step closer to her and I ask timidly, “Where are the others?”

Her expression is warm and gracious when she looks back at me. “They have either been reincarnated. Those who get a second chance will be born again on earth as babies and then they will have a second chance to fulfil their destiny.”

I was not recycled, so is she in effect saying it was my destiny to cause the bus to drive off the bridge? Did I fulfil my destiny?

She continues, as her smile widens and there is literally an ethereal glow about her, “The others have gone on to Rapture, and for those who do not know what the word means...” She looks around the room at the other five faces looking at her expectantly. “It means they have gone to Heaven.”

Charles asks, “What does rehabilitation mean? Does it mean we are also deemed to get a second chance?”

She laughs melodiously. “You lucky six have been chosen for a greater purpose.” She hesitates for a moment. “After you have been rehabilitated, of course.” She turns away toward the door, and says invitingly, “Come let us go now. I promise you; you will be happy.”

As I walk past her and I glance up at her, she keeps her eyes locked with mine for a moment and, as if she can read my mind, she says, “There have been absolutely no mistakes. You are each where you are supposed to be.”

We walk back down the hill again to the main building of the school. Just before we reach it, we turn down a pathway and follow it through low hanging weeping willow trees. The breeze plays with the long tendrils of the branches and it sweeps across the ground with soft, harmonious whispers. When we get to the end of the pathway, we look up at a red-brick three-story, institutional building, and it cannot be perceived as anything other than a dormitory.

Vera steps onto the second step leading to the door of the building, and then she turns around to face us again. She waits for everyone to come to a standstill, and then she starts, “House rule number one. The rooms for boys are on the third floor. You are not allowed on the second floor, under any circumstances. Girls, it goes without saying, you are on the second floor, and you are not allowed on the third floor, no matter what. Am I clear?” She looks at each one of us and acknowledges our conformity.

Vera clears her throat, smiling, “Meals are served in the cafeteria on the ground floor. Breakfast is at seven every morning, and school starts at eight. Rule number two is you will not miss a day of tuition. No excuses will be accepted.”

She looks directly at me and I nod my head in agreement nervously.

Vera continues, while we look up at her, “After school you may socialise with each other until dinner, where after you will go to your respective floors. Rule number three is lights out is at ten o’clock sharp. You may now go to your floors. Your names have been placed on your room doors. You will be sleeping two to a room and it has been chosen randomly.”

We start to move forward, when she speaks again, “Here you would not have to study for years. The harder you study, grow and evolve, the faster you will graduate. I suggest you all go shower and clean yourselves, then thereafter you can join the rest of the school at the Assembly Gallery. We are having a graduation ceremony today, and it would be interesting for you to see what the result of hard work could be.”

I look down and it is with shock I notice the blood on my arm and on my clothes. I lift my hand to my forehead to wipe away the sudden burst of sweat on my brow, and I feel the clotted blood above my eye. Looking around, I notice all the kids around me are blood and gore smeared. I wonder why I did not see it before now.

Emma starts to wheeze for breath, and I move to her side quickly. When I touch her hand, I see why she remained in rehabilitation with me. She liked to steal things from shops, but then she gave it to homeless people begging on the side of the road. She was committing a sin, but then in a way, she was doing a good thing again by giving it away and not keeping it. I learn from touching her that her asthma pump is in her pocket, so I look for it hurriedly, but then I start to panic when I cannot find it.

Vera rushes to our side and tells Emma calmly, “Take a deep breath, Emma. You do not suffer from asthma anymore. It is only your imagination.”

Emma looks at her with fear in her eyes and then she slowly takes a deep breath. She smiles when she realises her air passage is not really constricted and the air flows freely into her lungs.

I look at Emma reassuringly and at the same time worried while I put my hand under her elbow and lead her up the stairs to the entrance of the boarding house.

I hear Carly cry softly in angst. The blood and devastation are suddenly glaringly vivid, together with the sudden realisation we are indeed all dead, there is absolutely no more denying the fact.

We will not wake up moments from now and realise it is all just a bad dream.

No more will we get irritated with our parents when they call us to take out the trash, or when they tell us we cannot stay out until late because it is a school night. Never again will we sigh at the sight of peas on our dinner plates and never again will we walk off in a huff when we are told what to do.

No more will we spend happy, joyful moments with our families, wrapped up warmly in the loving embrace of being with them.

I wonder pensively, while Emma and I walk into the cool interior of the building, what everyone is doing at the site of the accident. I can just imagine the fire brigade, police and parents milling around and trying to get down to the wreck where it must have come to a stop at the bottom of the river.

I suddenly remember the water rushing into the bus wave upon wave. The cold water took my breath with it, and eventually, it literally did.


Continue reading Chapter 7/25






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