14-08-2009, 02:57 PM
3
Re: The Coma
U]The Coma
[/U]Very gradually the sound of church bells filtered through his subconscious. The room was in darkness and through that darkness he heard his Anna calling to him. His mind in a turmoil he struggled to remember where he was. What language was Anna speaking? Although it wasn’t English he understood every word. And Anna what was she doing here? It was more than five tearful years since her passing but here she was calling to him to get up to go to church. They never went to church, he used to joke it was against his religion. And the church bells what was that about? They lived nowhere near a church. At that moment Anna came into the room a young dark haired Anna with a high collared white blouse, a wide black belt, a floral skirt over a hooped petticoat and black ballerina shoes. She opened the shutters. The shutters? They didn’t have shutters they had curtains the same as all the rest of the houses in their road. Come to that how come Anna was so young. Was he dreaming now or was he dreaming before and had he now woken up to reality. The view from the window was of mountains with their snow covered ice topping. He rose from the bed and crossed the room making toward the window but he stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of himself in a mirror. A much younger him; a slimmer him, a blonde haired him; he was mystified but continued toward the window. The scene was at once familiar and completely unexpected. The square had the church in one corner, a café and shops filled the sides of the square and the mountainous backdrop completed the revealed picture.
Slowly he became aware of other voices penetrating his thoughts. “Will he recover?” a voice said. A voice he recognized as their son Robert. “I’m afraid there is little chance of that,” an authoritative voice replied, “it’s only the support machine keeping him alive. There is virtually no brain activity at all; it is a very deep coma, even the support machine is struggling.”
“We must keep him alive while there is any chance of recovery” he heard his son say. “No. no, no,” Graham screamed although no sound was heard,” you can’t do this to me, let me go let me join my Anna I don’t want to be here”.
Quickly he showered and dressed in his tan slacks and a wine red shirt more and more he identified with his surroundings here with his French speaking Anna and as he did so his former life faded and disappeared.
“I’m afraid it’s no good Robert” the consultant said “I’m afraid we have lost him”.
14-08-2009, 03:05 PM
4
Re: The Coma
Thank you for reposting.I don't think (or at least I hope it is the case) that any of us will be disturbed by this theme or by discussion of our mortality. Who was it said there are only two certainties in life - death and taxes? Mmm, Benjamin Franklin, apparently
14-08-2009, 03:19 PM
5
Re: The Coma
It's a well written piece VM
Difficult to comment on tho given the subject and not wanting to offend - as obviously this is something close to your heart. Personally, I don't believe in any 'afterlife' this is all there is I'm afraid. Unless of course someone can give me reasonable proof to demonstrate otherwise
14-08-2009, 04:54 PM
7
Re: The Coma
I'm glad you reposted it, missed it before. Well written and provocative. I'm a lapsed Catholic and of course was raised to believe in Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. I don't know what I really believe now: hope there is a loving God who will forgive us our sins, not a vengeful one who'll punish us......... and then, maybe we just flick out like a candle and are gone.14-08-2009, 08:55 PM
8
Re: The Coma
I'm currently reading 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' which is an amazing philosophical novel which deals with life, guilt, passion (in abundance), love, loss, death. It is very unsentimental and pragmatic and the narrative reminds me very much of what has been written in your post.Will we ever see our loved-ones again? Who knows! I feel not, but that might just be as much as reaction against the reincarnation dogma preached by the Catholicism as a genuine belief. There are those I would like to meet again but I would hate for it to be in an atmosphere of atonement or of seeking forgiveness; rather a joyful and loving reunion with 'no strings attached'.
14-08-2009, 09:07 PM
10
Re: The Coma
I think for my own verification I will visit our (very) local spritualist 'church' as this is something that's been preying on my mind for the last year or two. I don't what it wrapped up with religion though - very definite about that.
| Thread Tools | |
|
|
