Sent Back to Make it Right

“I’m here to correct a wrong that happened before my death, started Mauricio as he approached a group of students outside Montrose College. “Can you see me?” He questioned. The group ignored him so that was his answer – no one saw him or heard him.

Mauricio moved across the campus and students were scurrying here and there trying to get to class on time, but no one seemed to see him.  He held his hand out, inviting a mutual shake from one of the four students as they approached him.  He sat down on an empty bench under a large oak tree. He was perplexed and a bit discouraged because he knew he had a limited time given him as a second chance on earth. 

Mauricio shifted on the bench and put his head in his hands trying to get a bright idea of how to go forward. He needed a live human to help him right this wrong. He couldn’t do it himself.

“Are you ok?” says a small voice. Mauricio lifted his eyes to a beautiful girl with long black hair standing in front of him.He smiled, “You can see me?” he questioned. “Well yes, I’m not blind,” Sharena answered laughing.

Mauricio stood up with a smile on his face and held his hand out as a friendly gesture. Sharena grasped his hand firmly. “So, you attend Montrose College?” questioned Mauricio. 

“Oh yes, this is my junior year, so I have one more year to endure,” she replied with a sigh.

“You don’t enjoy school?” queried Mauricio.

“Well, I enjoy my major which is English/Writing but studying into the night and working so I can pay my tuition and books is a lot,” explained Sharena.

“That is a lot,” answered Mauricio as his face saddened. “Is your family close by?”

“They live in Youngstown, so it is about 100 miles away, but they come and visit me from time to time.

Mauricio was trying to decide how he could broach the fact that he needed her help to correct the wrong that happened before he died. He had to have someone who could interact with the public because it was evident that he could because nobody could see him.

“Do you attend here?” were the words Mauricio heard as he returned from the uncertainty fog of his predicament.

“Oh, no, ma’am, I’m sorry I was lost in my thoughts,” Mauricio quickly responded. “I completed my education, well, my book education a long time ago.”

“What did you study and was it at this school? I have an older brother; maybe you knew him,” she continued.

“Who are you talking to?” Sharena wheeled around to face members of her study group.

“Yes, I’m talking to my new friend here,” quickly responded Sharena. “Let me introduce you to Mauricio,” she said as she turned to her new friend.

“Sharena, there is no one standing beside you,” retorted Raybon. 

“Sure, he is,” she replied as she started to put her hand on his shoulder. But he was gone. “How could you be so rude, you frightened him away, you should be ashamed of yourself.

“Sharena, are you ok? You’ve been working so hard. Maybe you need to get more rest so you’re not seeing things or people that are not there,” interjected the study group leader,” Ursela.

“I’m fine,” mumbled Sharena as she turned and started the short walk to her dorm room. The study group went each of their individual ways.

As Sharena was packing her backpack the next morning, she was still feeling angry about how her study group spoke to her and Mauricio because she felt that was the reason Mauricio slipped away. But she may have to shift her opinion soon.She walked out of her dorm and headed to her first class in Edison Hall. She passed by the bench where Mauricio and she had met yesterday and was just starting up the steps. Suddenly she felt a chill, and she stopped and turned back to the bench

Mauricio sat alone on the bench. “Hmmm, I just walked by there and there was no one,” mumbled Sharena muttered to herself. Even so she returned to the bench because she so much wanted to apologize for her rude study partners.

“Mauricio, I’m so glad to see you again.”

“You are? I thought maybe you needed to be with your study group, replied Mauricio.

“Oh, no, I wanted to apologize to you for their rudeness, I was embarrassed.

“Sharena, I need to tell you something. Do you have time now? I don’t want to interfere with your classes,” explained Mauricio.

“I’m sorry, I can’t right now because I’m due in class in …….. she looks at her watch …… “class is starting right now but can we talk later, like after classes at 3 o’clock?”

“That’s fine, run, run, I don’t want you to be late,” finished Mauricio. Sharena took off on a run because she hated being late.Mauricio leaned back onto the bench.It didn’t really matter where he was or what he did because he figured out that no one could see him. Well, except Sharena. 

One year ago, Mauricio was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as they say.But before he was shot, he saw something happen to an innocent person. This older man was cuffed and arrested for something he did not do.  He knew the rest of the story but hadn’t been able to help because the man who had committed the theft, shot him. Mauricio played the events over in his head because he had to figure out how to explain it to Sharena. He needed her help to correct this mistake.

Mauricio did not even know himself why he’d been sent back to earth except to correct the injustice done to his friend Mr. Ronnie. If that was it, he had to figure out how to accomplish it. Since people couldn’t see him, he needed Sharena who still had permanent residence on this side of the great Unknown.

Mauricio was deep in his own thoughts just as Sharena sidled up to the bench.“Now what were you saying earlier about needing my help?” questioned Sharena. Mauricio shook his head, “you’d never understand,” he finished.

“Try me and see,” challenged Sharena.

“I don’t understand it myself sometimes, but you see, I died. Then he paused and pinched his eyes closed.

“You mean I’m sitting with a dead man? Are you puttin’ me on? How can that be?” were the volley of questions that spilled out of her mouth.

Well, something like that but I am alive for the time being but not sure how long I’ll be here. I was sent back to correct a wrong that I knew about, but was shot before I could do anything about it,” Mauricio spilled out the whole story.

“You just dropped me in the middle of the story …… really, you got shot?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry about that but, I haven’t been able to figure out some perfect way to tell you that I died but now I’m not dead and I need you to help me correct this wrong. I can’t do it by myself because no one can see me,” continued Mauricio.

Sharena looked up and saw, Jules, her roommate, “Hey, Jules, come here and meet my friend,” she yelled. Jules turned around and walked towards Sharena sitting on the bench with Mauricio.“Jules, I want to introduce you to Mauricio,” she stated simply as she turned to Mauricio, but what she saw was an empty bench. “Oh, no, I did it again,” she muttered.

“That will have to wait,” Sharena explained to Jules.

“Are you going to study group tonight,” queried Jules.

“I don’t know, I’ve got a lot on my plate right now and something else just landed on it,” explained Sharena.

“That’s ok, you know I can take copious notes and I will share them,” Jules finished as she trotted off to meet up with a friend for some coffee.

Sharena sat pensively trying to figure out why her friend disappeared when others were around. Honestly, she didn’t have time for one more thing. In an hour, she was to be at the local Sheelds to work. But Mauricio really needed her help, she could see that from their short conversation.

“A penny for your thoughts,” said a voice behind her. Sharena turned around as she sat on the bench. “Mauricio, why do you disappear when other people come around?

“It’s my “outta body” magic I guess, I do not know. All this being alive, but dead is taking a lot of getting used to.”

“I bet it does and I do not know how you think I can help you, but I will do what I can,” continued Sharena. “I do have a lot with my studies and my work but let’s see what we can do to get Mr. Ronnie out of jail.”

“Thank you, do you have time to come with me now? I want to show you something,” finished Mauricio.

“Yes, let’s go.” The two walked south to the intersection of Bloom Ave and Hedge St. There was a large warehouse type of building on the south side of Hedge St.

“In the back of this warehouse is where the fight happened between two warehouse workers,” explained Mauricio. “I was walking down Bloom Ave towards the warehouse from the back side, so I saw everything happen.”

“But what really happened that got you shot?” questioned Sharena.

“As I approached, I tried to stay out of sight as much as possible but even so when the tall guy saw a shadow move, he whirled around and shot the short fat worker,” continued Mauricio. The elderly guy came out of the back of the warehouse just at that time and he saw what had happened. The tall guy heard the sirens so he grabbed the older man and handed him the gun so his fingerprints would be on it shaking him and yelling.

“If a big old sneeze crashed in on me, I would have been ok,” confessed Mauricio. The tall guy grabbed the gun from the elderly worker, turned and shot twice, one hit me and that was it. But I know he was setting the elderly worker up to take the fall for the shooting.”

“That’s terrible. So, you believe that you were allowed to return to correct this wrong,” asked Sharena.

“Yes,” he said firmly but I believe I have a limited time. I do not know why you can see me but no one else does and that is frustrating because I can’t ask questions because no one sees me or, I guess hears me either,” he continued.

“Alright then, let’s get started,” stated Sharena firmly.

“What’s that mean? You think you can help me, or want to help me,” asked Mauricio with a surprised but hopeful look on his face.

“Mauricio, I believe that our paths crossed for a reason. Whoever sent you back to earth to correct this injustice only let’s the people see you who can help you,” she explained. My mom is an attorney, and I believe that is our next move. If it is true, that only those who can help you are able to see you, then if I’m right, mom will be able to see you.” Sharena saw people eyeing her inquisitively because she seemed to be talking to herself.

Sharena promptly took her cell from the back pocket of her jeans and dialed her mom.Mauricio shifted from foot to foot wondering how it would go with Sharena’s mom, then nervously ran his fingers through his hair.

“Hi, mom,” started Sharena with urgency in her voice that her mom heard.

“What’s wrong?” asked her mom.

Where are you? ….. ok …. Can I come by in about 30 minutes? I have someone I want to introduce you to,” Sharena finished.

Mauricio and Sharena hopped the next bus to make the run downtown. “My mom’s law firm is in the Rodger Nile Building in the center of the business district. We need to pray hard that this works.

“Now that is something I can do,” said Mauricio with a chuckle. “I learned a lot about prayer while walking around Heaven. We think praying just happens here on earth. Not so.” Mauricio bowed his head and closed his eyes praying for success in his endeavors to restore justice for poor Mr. Ronnie.

The two young people got off the bus on the corner of Rodgers Street and Bronco Avenue and ran across the street as the light was turning yellow. Sharena pushed through the heavy glass doors and pushed the elevator button for the 10th floor.

Sharena’s mom was at the front desk waiting for her daughter. “Mom, I’ve got a problem I need your help with,” blurted out Sharena.

“Well, when will I find out who your friend here is?” questioned Mom.

Sharena and Mauricio looked at each other and gasped, “she can see you.

“This is my friend, Mauricio,” introduced Sharena. “We met on Montrose College campus. 

“Is he in your classes,” questioned mom.

“Ahhhh, not really but that’s not why we’re here,” continued Sharena.

“I don’t have much time before I am due in court,” explained mom. “I have this unusual appeal I’m working on of a case a couple months ago of someone who was wrongly convicted.”

Mauricio and Sharena exchanged surprised looks.

“Really?That sounds interesting. What is the name of the person you’re defending?” questioned Mauricio anxiously.

“Ronnie Priestly,” stated Sharena’s mom firmly. “Sharena, I really need to go, do you need anything else, right now? We can talk some more this evening and bring Mauricio with you for dinner.

“Ok, we’ll see if he has time, see you tonight.”

Sharena’s mom walked quickly down the escalator and Mauricio and Sharena stood looking at each other. Mauricio reached his arms out to embrace his angel on earth.

“It was nice knowing you my friend, said Sharena lovingly as she saw him become fainter and fainter till he was almost transparent. “You got your justice and I’ll make sure mom wins the case.

“Thanks, so much,” Mauricio replied in a hollow voice as he faded from sight to return to the angels in heaven and report justice was being served.