The Waiting Room

Derek pushed against one of the large double swing doors. It was heavier than he anticipated and took all his strength to force it open. He walked wearily into the waiting room and was immediately struck by how warm and bright it was; a real contrast from where he had just come. The room was big and spacious with lots of comfortable chairs and sofas, as well as a number of coffee tables dotted about. There were numerous doors leading off from the room, spaced randomly around the perimeter. They were all shut. There were no windows and with the doors at the entrance closed, there were no views or evidence of the outside world.

He could see a pretty, young woman sitting behind a desk at the far end of the room. She was speaking to a man who appeared to be about 20 years old. She pointed to one of the doors and he dutifully walked towards it. Derek could hear the faint sound of music seeping into the room from somewhere, but it was too quiet for him to be able to recognise the song. The walls were lined with big, beautiful paintings and photographs of landscapes from all over the world. He felt like he had walked into the pages of a holiday brochure. He blinked and tried to acclimatise to this new environment. He searched the room and saw an empty chair. He slowly dragged himself towards it and sat down. He was tired. Very tired. He noticed a number of people watching him. Some of them with what looked like a sympathetic smile on their faces. He nodded back in recognition of their attention, then shut his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

The sound of a young woman’s voice woke him from his slumber. She was calling someone’s name, but it wasn’t his. He sat up and re-acquainted himself with his surroundings. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, as there was no clock in the waiting room and he wasn't wearing his watch. He rubbed his wrist where the timepiece would normally reside; he must have forgotten to put it on.

The waiting room was comfortably warm. He could feel the soothing rays of the sun on his brow and a gentle breeze tickling his cheeks. He was reminded of all those wonderful holidays he and Sally had taken over the years. They both loved exploring the culture and history of the places they visited, but they had always made time for a little relaxing and sunbathing too. He felt like he was sitting on a Caribbean beach.

The nap had obviously done him a power of good. He felt awake and alert. He felt fresh and invigorated, almost energetic. It had been a long time since he felt energetic!

Derek took a deep breath and eyed his companions. He marvelled at the eclectic slice of humanity that confronted him. The waiting room was a microcosm of human life on Earth. Every age group, every colour and every creed seemed to be represented. It truly was a multicultural gathering. Something else Derek noticed was that every person in the room looked happy. In every face he could see contentment and serenity. For reasons of which Derek was unsure, he felt the same contentment and serenity within himself. He felt a calmness and a peace he hadn't known for a long time. He too was smiling.

Derek had enjoyed a full and happy life. He was eighty-seven years old. For fifty-two of those years, he had been married to Sally. They were without doubt the happiest years of his life. He had met her at a friend’s party and the attraction between them had been instant. He had seen her from an adjoining room and been stunned by her beauty. She had shoulder length, auburn hair, with a silk bow tied around her head and bright red lips. She wore a dark blue dress with a white sash tied around her waist showing off her beguiling figure. Derek’s eyes had nearly popped out of his head. As soon as he had laid eyes on her, he knew he had to meet her. But his usual confidence and self-assurance had deserted him. He floundered and stuttered in his attempt to introduce himself. He remembered how kind and sympathetic she had been to him, as he blustered and blundered. He recalled how sure he had been, even then, that this was the girl of his dreams. The girl he was going to marry. He had fallen in love with her that very moment, as she had with him. They were inseparable from that moment on and married two years later.

He could still picture the very moment she stood beside him at the altar on that wonderful day fifty-eight years ago and how he looked into those beautiful, blue eyes and said the words ‘I do’ with more commitment and more passion than he had ever said any words before, or since. Derek was immersed in that happy world. He would gladly stay there forever and keep dreaming of those precious times. He remembered the first dance at their wedding reception. He in his new blue suit and Sally resplendent in her stunning, white bridal gown. They had reached out and taken each other by the hand and begun to dance as Etta James began to sing ‘At last’. If ever a song had been written for two people, this one had been written for them. Those memories always made him shiver and filled him with mixed emotions.

During the 52 years they had been married, their love had grown stronger every day. They had two beautiful children whom they adored. Their idyllic life had seemed complete. In the years that followed they became the proud grandparents to four gorgeous grandchildren and seven years ago they had been presented with their first Great granddaughter.

But amongst all of the happy and joyous memories, there was one dark cloud. A monolith that hung around his neck. A memory so sad it managed to cast a shadow over all the others. Six years ago, Sally had become unwell. She’d put on a brave face after her diagnosis and did her utmost to carry on as normal. She was both stoic and heroic, but soon after, succumbed to her illness and died after a short stay in hospital. It had broken Derek’s heart. His world had crumbled around him. He felt he had lost the better half of himself. He felt abandoned, lonely and unsteady without the woman who’d always been by his side. He hadn't known what to do with himself. Within weeks, he had aged years. He became unsure and dithery, almost timid in his demeanour and seemed to have lost his direction and purpose in life. For the first time in over fifty years the sparkle and the energy had disappeared from his existence. Even with all the love and support from his wonderful family he still felt isolated, adrift and alone. He missed her so very much. In the six years since Sally’s passing, there hadn't been an hour go by without Derek longing for the company of his beloved wife.

He sighed and sat back in his chair. He had been having increasing difficulty over the past few years with his memory and had begun to struggle remembering the simplest of things. The day-to-day mundanity of his solitary life, conversations and appointments evaporated from his mind, sometimes within minutes. But the memories of his life with Sally were as crystal clear now as they had ever been, the good ones and the sad ones. Although they sometimes made him a little teary, he cherished them all, and visited them every day.

A small girl in a yellow dress was playing with some toys in the middle of the waiting room. She was busy organising a doll’s house and its two occupants. She held a doll in each hand and was supplying their voices in slightly different tones, whilst acting out a scene of domestic life. From what Derek could make out, Mummy doll was asking Daddy doll what he would like for supper. It was very sweet. Derek smiled as he watched the mini soap opera play out. The little girl must have been about seven years old. The same age as his beautiful great granddaughter. He had watched her play in a similar way many times. The young girl looked up and noticed Derek watching her. She smiled and giggled and waved Mummy doll at him. Mummy doll said ‘Hello. How are you Sir?’

She then returned to her game. As Derek’s stare moved away from the child, he saw an elderly lady looking at him from the other side of the room. Her face mirrored the contentment and happiness in Derek’s face, sharing in the joy at the sight of the happy little girl. They held eye contact for a few moments. They had never met before, but the meeting of their eyes was warm and comforting, like that between two old friends. For a brief moment the woman reminded Derek of his darling wife. He saw love and compassion shine from her eyes. The same love and compassion he had seen every time he gazed into Sally’s beautiful blue eyes.

Derek's daydream was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the receptionist’s voice cutting through the soft music playing in the background.

‘Would Laura Peters please come to the desk? Thank you.’

Derek scanned the room again searching for any movement. Who was Laura Peters? The little girl in the yellow dress, who was still playing with the dolls in the middle of the floor, looked up. She got to her feet and said a formal goodbye to Mummy and Daddy doll. Derek watched as she made her way over to the woman behind the desk. He could see that he wasn't the only one to be following the child’s progress. Many faces in the room traced her path and nodded and smiled at her as she passed them. Music was once again seeping into the room, but just as before, Derek couldn't really make out what was playing. Once the girl reached the desk, she had a brief conversation with the receptionist before being pointed in the direction of one of the doors. The young girl skipped towards the door, opened it and was gone.

After the brief commotion of Laura Peters exit, Derek settled back down to his own thoughts. He could hear the music a little more clearly now. Maybe it had been turned up a notch. He grinned as he recognised the unmistakable sound of Nat King Cole. The man with the velvet voice and a favourite of both his and Sally's. He was singing a beautiful song called ‘Smile’.

They had danced to that song on many occasions. The last time had been just before Sally was taken into hospital. The song always reminded him of Sally. The wonderful positive words of hope and happiness, triumphing over sadness and adversity were typical of her spirit. It reminded him of the last time he had held her close to him. Both of them softly singing the lyrics into each other’s ear.

‘If you smile through the fear and sorrow, Smile and maybe tomorrow, You'll see the sun come shining through, for you.’

They were supposed to be words of comfort, but whenever Derek heard them, he couldn't help but give in to the emotion behind them. He smiled as he felt the inevitable moisture well up in his eyes, then trickle down each of his cheeks.

He waited patiently and watched as more names were called by the receptionist. Each time someone would rise from their chair and after a brief chat with her, be pointed in the direction of one of the doors. As each person disappeared from view, another person would enter the waiting room. One out, one in. The room was still full of people from every walk of life and seemingly, every corner of the world.

An elderly gentleman appeared through the heavy, double doors. He looked about the same age as Derek. He too struggled to force the doors open. Once inside, he blinked and looked a little bewildered, just as Derek had when he first entered into the warmth and brightness. The elderly man caught Derek’s eye. Derek smiled at him, giving him a friendly and reassuring nod. The man nodded back. He looked tired, thought Derek. The gentleman found an empty chair and sat down. Derek watched as he settled into his seat, shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

‘Mr Kempson. Mr Derek Kempson please.’

The receptionist’s voice grabbed Derek's attention away from the dozing newcomer. It was his time. He raised himself from his chair and walked towards her. She greeted him with a warm smile, but before she could say anything, Derek spoke.

‘That gentleman over there. The one who has just come in. He seems to have fallen asleep. I would hate to think he might miss his turn,’ Derek said in a concerned and compassionate voice.

‘Don't worry Mr Kempson. No one misses their turn here.’ She took hold of his hand and looked him in the eye. ‘Derek. Sally is ready to see you now. Go through the door over there.’ She pointed to the far side of the waiting room. Derek began to make his way towards the door. As he did, he heard the music. It was louder and much clearer than it had been before. Etta James’ beautiful voice was ringing in his ears.

‘At last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over, And life is like a song.’

Derek felt the emotion rise in his body again. He looked up to the heavens to see where the music was coming from, but all he could see was the bright light shining down on him. He paused at the door, took a deep breath and slowly pushed it open. Standing before him in a dark blue dress with a white sash around her waist was Sally. Her beautiful auburn hair gleaming and her red lips smiling, just as they had when she walked down the aisle with him all those years ago.

‘Hello Derek. I've missed you’ she said softly. She offered him her hand and Derek took hold of it. Sally looked lovingly into the young man’s watery eyes. The young man in his new blue suit. The young man with whom she had spent most of her life.

‘I've missed you too my darling’ Derek whispered.

As Etta James sang the last two lines of ‘their’ song, …….

‘And here we are in Heaven, For you are mine. At last.’

……. the door softly closed behind them.