Zane Demmont's Second Chance

“Next.” The weary looking white bearded man sitting at a very ancient desk said without even looking up. The next person standing in a very long line stepped up to the desk. The weary looking man glanced up at the next person standing in line, “Welcome…Zane Demmont…to Heaven.”

“Why am I here?” Zane asked as he looking around.

“Why do you think?” The weary looking man folded his hands in front of him, “You have passed from your previous life and have come here for your final judgment.”

“So, these are the pearly gates I’ve heard about?” He glances around as he shoves his hands in his pockets.

“Yes, yes.” The weary man rolled his eyes.

“Then I’m dead.” He seemed quite pleased to be here.

“It would seem to be so.” Nodded the weary man at the desk.

“What’s nexst?” He rocked on his heels.

“That would be having a conference with me.” I answered over St. Peter’s shoulder.

“And who are you?” He smiled.

“I am your guardian angel, Saint Murray.” I raised an eyebrow.

“Never heard of you.” He shrugged.

“Few have.” I checked my finger nails, “You will follow me. We have to review your records.”

“I should be good to go.” He rubbed his hands together.

“We shall see.” I shook my head, “We shall see.”

He followed me into the record room.

“Wow, look at this place.” He gasped.

“We have a record for anyone who has ever lived.” I input his name into the computer. Immediately, his record appeared on the screen, “I see.”

“What?”

“You have a checkered past by the looks of it.” I put my hand to my chin. “There are a lot of red marks.”

“I can explain-“

“I doubt it.” I shook my head.

“Where did you get your info?” Zane asked trying to get a look at the screen.

“You immortal soul.” I answered with a smile.

“My what?” He was no longer pleased to be here.

“Never mind.” I waved my hand in front of his face, “All that matters is what I’m seeing on the screen. You were not always a good boy, were you?”

“I had my moments.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

“More than a few I’d say by my preliminary review.” I shook my head.

“Nobody told me about this.” He drew in a deep breath. I did not have the heart to tell his him such a thing was no longer necessary.

“You should have paid close attention.” I chuckled. It was always the same with those who failed their review and were dropped into the pit. With Zane Demmont, it appeared he was about ready to drop. Such a shame considering he seemed nice enough, but I did not make the final ruling.

Standing before final tribune with Zane’s report in my hands, I waited for the final decision in his case. Tugging at his long white beard, He hemmed and hawed. I waited patiently with my hands behind my back.

“I don’t know.” He mumbled, “I just don’t know. Tell me Murray, what do you think?”

“Me, sir? Why me?” I stuttered.

“Because you were his guardian angel.” He tilted his head.

“Yes, but…” I could not think of any kind of rebuttal.

“We have a dilemma.” He shook His head, “If I am reading this right he has landed exactly on the line.”

“What line is that?”

“What I refer to as the fifty-fifty line.” He ran his hand through his thick white hair. “I’ve sat on this throne for an eternity and can only recall a couple of souls who landed on the fifty-fifty line.”

“What does that mean?”

“We must give Zane Demmont a second chance.”

“A second chance? At what?”

“Life.” He said without hesitation.

“Life?” There was a question mark on my face.

“He will have to go back.” He stood up, “We will have him do it all over again.”

I had never heard of such a thing before, but then I was still a rookie around here and I’m sure there were things I had never heard before. There was plenty of information I needed to know in order to carry this out.

“So, what’s the word, humming bird?” Zane greeted me as bubbly as ever. “Thumbs up or thumbs down?”

“Neither.” I shook my head.

“Whadda mean, neither?” His face was twisted in confusion.

“You are being given a second chance.” I handed him the document explaining what would take place. He stood there and read it. When he had finished, he looked me in the eye.

“You mean I have to do this all over again?” He could barely say the words.

“It would appear so.” I put my hands behind my back.

“Do I have to go through that birth thing?” He asked with a shrug.

“It’s all in that document.” I pointed to the document.

“You know, I got dealt some lousy cards.” He turned his head away from me.

“Life can be a challenge.” It was all I could think of to tell him.

“Life can be a shit-sandwich too.” He shook his head, “In my case that’s what it was. I was happy when the car I was driving flipped into the lake. I figured I was done with the disappointment, but it seems I have to start all over again.”

“It would seem so.” I put my hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off, “I will be there for you.”

“You were there the last time, right?” He pointed an accusatory finger at me.

“Not until the last few chapters.” I nodded, “You had a guardian angel, but he wasn’t paying attention and so he got fired.”

“You can do that here?” He was shocked.

“Yeah.”

“Hard to believe.” He bowed his head.

“Why so?”

“Years of Sunday school told me Heaven was the perfect place, even better than Disneyland.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to disappoint you.”

“I just hoped things would be better here.” He sighed.

“They will be.” I assured him, “They will be.”

“I hope so.” He closed his eyes, “So, when do I start?”

“Now.” I snapped my fingers and Zane Demmont disappeared.

Second chances are supposed to better because you’re supposed to have learned from the first go-around. When I was a part of the living world, I remember some of the things I went though. There was heartbreak and disappointment, but there were moments and memories I held close to my heart. I watched Zane Demmont being born for the second time. His exhausted, overjoyed mother received him from the nurse as he wailed and howled.

I will let you in on a little secret about guardian angels. We do not have to be present for every moment of our sponsor’s life, but there are times when being present for them is required.

“I will name you Zane.” His mother said as he squirmed in her arms. “Your grandfather’s name was Zane.”

I shook my head, because I realized this was his daughter. Irony is not lost on me, that’s for sure.

“Hello dear.” An elderly woman entered the room.

“Mom. Meet Zane.” She pulled back the blanket to reveal her newborn son.

“You name him after your father.” She smiled and stroked her daughter’s cheek with the back of her hand. “Oh, I miss him so much even though he was such a scoundrel at times.”

“I feel he is watching over us as you speak.” She nodded.

“I just hope the place he is in isn’t too warm.” She forced a smile.

There was no doubt both these women did love him in their own way. It made me a bit sentimental thinking about what I left behind. I missed bouncing my grandchildren on my knee. Thinking about it made me envious of Zane as he slept in his mother’s arms.

As it turned out, baby Zane was a energetic toddler which is a much kinder way of saying what a hellion he was. Regina was his mother and Chris was his father who seemed preoccupied most of the times as he paid more attention to his profession that he did his own child. Perhaps this is where things became rocky.

He was in his playroom when I appeared to him for the first time. When he saw me appear, he gave me a big smile.

“You are Zane.” I shrugged.

“Z-ane.” He repeated.

“Zane, where are you?” Regina asked from the hallway outside his room.

“Ha-yere.” He exclaimed. Knowing she was on her way, I decided to vanish.

“There you are.” She walked into the room, “I told you to stay downstairs.”

“No.” He stuck out his lip.

“Listen mister, you have to do what mommy says.” She picked him up and took him out of the room.

Time only applies to the living world. My assignment was to watch over Zane as he grew into an adult. From what I was observing, I knew I had my work cut out for me. It was up to me to know when Zane was getting ready to go off the tracks and try to help him stay on the tracks.

“What am I going to do with you?” I asked him at his thirteenth birthday.

“Nothing ghost dude.” He shook his head as he opened one of his father’s beers from the refrigerator.

“I am not a ghost.” I folded my arms across my chest. “I am your guardian angel. I am here to make sure you follow the rules.”

“Rules are for losers.” He put an L on his forehead with his thumb and index finger.

“No, rules are what keeps the planets from shooting off into space.” I tapped my foot on the floor, but it did not make a sound much to my disappointment.

“Get off my back, Jack.” He took a swig of beer, “You are just like my old man.”

“You blew it on your first chance, kid.” I shook my head, “If you flub this one, you won’t like where they send you.”

“Murray, the boss wants a word.” St. Peter told me when I came up top-side.

“What about?” I already knew, but I just wanted to hear it said aloud.

“You know.” Peter chuckled.

I walked into the room where the Tribune sat on his throne. When he saw me, he already started to shake his head.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” He greeted me.

“Look, I’m doing my best with him.” I held out my arms.

“I know this, but something must be done or we’ll lose him.” He dropped his head.

“I know.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“He seems to be headed to the same place.”

“What is the score?” I asked afraid to hear the answer.

“He’s in negative territory.”

“By how much?” I asked.

“Enough.” Came the answer I was dreading.

“You know dad told me that we cannot interfere, but in his case it’s hard not to.” He sighed, “I know you can do it.”

“I am glad you have confidence in me.” I put my hand on my chin to think of some way to pull him back. “I will do my best.”

“It’s all I’m asking for.” He shook his head, “I know that humans have free will and all, but there are times when I just want to yell at some of these humans, ‘Don’t be so stupid!’”

“I know what you mean. Well, I’d better get back to do what I can.” I shrugged and resumed my duties as a guardian angel for Zane Demmont. As it turned out, I managed to get back just in time as the tike was reaching for a hot pan on the stove. While I do not have control over the physical objects of the living world, I can draw the attention of infants and toddlers. Oh yeah, pets can also see me.

Growing up was a difficult challenge. There was no wonder why Zane struggled with his previous existence. As he grew, he showed a lack of common sense where he managed to get himself in hot water. At school, he spent more time in detention than he did in class. When he was at home, his perchance to find himself in a arduous situations was a continuous struggle.

“Why do you do these things?” I asked him while rubbing the bridge of my nose to ward off an impending headache.

“I just have a natural curiosity to find out what happens next.” He answered in true sincerity.

“But why when you know the outcome could be disastrous?”

He simply shrugged. My headache came in a shade of an intolerable purple.

Riding his bicycle in heavy traffic, wearing dark clothing as he ran across the street to beat an oncoming vehicle, pulling pranks on the strongest bully in class, telling his teacher that she had no idea what she was talking about, and about fifty pages in my notebook of all the dangerous behavior he had exhibited in his second chance. My weekly reports to the tribune made them squirm in their seats while the chairman shook his head as he sat in his throne.

“Does he have any concept of why he was given a second chance?” He tugged at his white beard in frustration.

“I have spoken to Zane quite often.” I shook my head, “He concedes my point, but does not heed my warnings.” I sighed.

“Murray, you have demonstrated your skills and abilities on every occasion, but this Zane Demmont seems beyond reach.” He glanced around the tribune table where the others sat in total bewilderment.

“He has expressed a curiosity about the consequences of his actions.” I replied after a long uncomfortable silence.

“Do not let anyone learn of what I am about to tell you.” The chief turned his head to the right and then to the left. “Lucifer has given me a most disturbing report from down below. It seems his realm is becoming overcrowded. He has gradually fill all of his vacant space over the years. Because of his overcrowding, he has requested an expansion of which I will not consider. Some of the proposed renovations are in my estimation ridiculous and unnecessary. Since the advent of artificial intelligence, people are no longer feel responsibility for their actions as they pass the blame onto AI. We must fix what has been broken.”

It was true. I felt as if we were fighting a losing battle, but if I could save the soul of Zane Demmont, I felt that the struggle could still be won. He was successful in college, managing to make the Dean’s List every semester, but when he was handed his diploma, he told me he was going to work for a corrupt syndicate that bilked the investors out of their money. In an effort to help save their investors capital, they would advise them to sink more money into their accounts.

“This is illegal.” I told Zane.

“I know.” He looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

“This is your second chance, and you are blowing it. Blowing it” I thrust my hands in my pockets and turned my back on him.

“So what.” He smirked.

“Do you want take the down elevator. Is that it?” I was beyond reasonable at this point, “I came here to help guide you and you won’t listen to me.”

“I have free will, don’t I?” He argued.

“Yes, yes, but what good is it if you choose to make choices that will damn your soul?”

“You talk as if this soul thing is real.”

“It is, Zane, it is.” I put my face into my open hands as my headache had returned to hammer my skull from the inside.

“This is who I am, Murray.” He bowed his head, “I don’t know why I got this second chance. I did not do anything to earn it.”

“It was determined so.” I looked him in the eyes.

“How do I change when everything inside me is screaming for me to do this?” He said in a quiet voice. When I saw tears roll down his cheeks, I knew there was hope, “It’s all I know.”

“Walk out of here with me before it’s too late.” I took a hold of his hand. As he felt my hand on his, he realized he could change his direction on the second chance we had given him.

Together we walked out of the corporate building and onto the street. In a few short blocks, we passed by a number of the people who were living in the streets.

“Here is where you can change things.” I told him as I pointed to those in desperate need.

“What can I do?” He asked in a rough, dry voice.

“Walk out of here before it’s too late.” I whispered to him.

“I can’t…they’ll come for me.” He shook his head vigorously.

“There are moments in your life where there are two directions to go.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “Choose wisely. I can spirit you away from here.”

He took a deep breath.

“Perhaps I deserve to take the elevator down.” He looked around.

“That is a choice, but is that what you want?”

“I’m just not good at this. I am not the guy you think I am.”

“I’m willing to bet you’re better than you think.” I nodded.

“Alright…if you think so…spirit me away.” He tried to smile.

“As you wish.” I waved my hand and we disappeared from where we were standing.

Not long after that one of friends pointed, “Look over there, isn’t that…”

“Zane Demmont, yes. Welcome back.” I embraced him.

“They found out where I was and now here I am.” He smiled.

“Sometimes this can be the best outcome.”

“Yes it can.” He agreed.