Grandma Henke

I just thought I’d throw this out there and see if I get any responses. It’s the first chapter of my second book … I’d appreciate feedback. Does it make you feel like you’d like to read more? Please take the time to make a comment on this one … good or bad. I can take it.

“This can’t be happening,” Horace grumbled as he paced his short, stocky body back and forth across the cream carpet that covered the office floor he’d been using for over fifty years as supervisor of one of the larger in-take departments of Heaven. He ran his hand up his forehead and across the top of his bald head where he rubbed in an agitated circle. The inch or two of white hair that framed that bald head almost seemed to sit right on the top of his shoulders instead of his squat, thick neck. He was dressed in the customary white suit, shirt, and tie he normally wore to work every day but his demeanor as he’d walked through the department on his way to his office suggested to everyone that this wasn’t a normal day.

Horace had just returned from a mind boggling encounter with his supervisor and close friend, Jeremiah Issaacson, where he’d been informed in no uncertain terms that because of the “negligence and poor supervision” of one of his trainees there was to be disciplinary action. Both he and his trainee, Nellie, were going to be put on probation. He was being temporarily relieved of his current position and he and Nellie were being reassigned to an earthly mission/training “opportunity” together until management was once again confident he was capable of resuming an administrative position.

“Give me a break, Jeremiah,” was Horace’s immediate reaction to those conditions. “I’ll never get off probation if it means Nellie will have to stick to the rules.”

There would be two areas of focus: (1)they were to pose as a happily married couple in the small city of Volcano, Arizona, where the normally gentle hearted citizens were suddenly being enticed by the evil forces of greed, and (2) they were to do whatever they could to protect the lives and souls of twin brothers, Morris and Lester, who had recently become involved in petty theft and deception. They would be on earth during the year of 1955.

“1955!” Horace practically shouted. “You do know it’s actually 2009 down there right now, don’t you? Whatever those people have decided to do they have already done. What’s the point?”

‘Oh, but you forget, Brother Horace, that time as it is on earth has no meaning here. Whatever happens while you are there is how it was meant to be. You will not be changing history because whether you feel you succeed or you don’t succeed you will succeed simply by being there as an influence for good. I will tell you this, however, generations and generations of noble souls are depending on you and Nellie teaching the people of Volcano about love and forgiveness,” his supervisor told him confidently. “You know, of course, that in order to teach these principles you must understand them.”

Jeremiah had then listed three rules they must live by while on their assignment:

1. They are not to intervene by the use of heavenly powers
2. They must not reveal their true identity
3. They must tell the truth

“Jeremiah, this doesn’t even begin to make sense to me,” Horace growled in consternation. “I’ve never heard of such unorthodox disciplinary action. Are you serious or is this some kind of a practical joke?”

“Oh I assure you this is not a practical joke, Horace, and it has the approval of those with much more authority than I have if you are thinking you will find a different answer by going around me,” Jeremiah told him firmly. “This assignment most definitely will have an impact on yours and Nellie’s future.”

Horace’s aggravated pacing was interrupted by a soft knock and one of Nellie’s infectious, dimpled smiles. Over the decades the two of them had worked together they’d developed a rather unique relationship that was hard to define. She could bring out both the best and the worst in him, and she did it frequently. She had an irritating way of sticking her pretty little nose into other people’s business It seemed to him that every personnel issue that came across his desk had her name linked to it somehow. Inevitably, somewhere in his conversations with the people he supervised someone would start a sentence with, “Well, Nellie thinks …” If she wasn’t so darned bouncy and pleasing to look at with her sparkling white hair and beautifully rounded face with those darned enticing dimples … and her cute little, well-padded body … he’d have had her transferred years ago. At least that’s what he told himself, but the truth of the matter was that the two of them had also developed a comfortable friendship. They could say things to each other that coming from anyone else would be nothing but an insult. They’d come to depend on each other as a sort of “weight and balance” check for themselves. What they had between them wasn’t exactly a love/hate relationship as much as a like/dislike relationship, and right now Horace definitely was feeling the “dislike”, so in response to her well intended greeting she was met with a lowering of his eyebrows and one of his well known expressions of aggravation.

“You!” he snarled as his right arm snapped to a right angle from his shoulder with the point of his forefinger ending inches from her nose.

Nellie, who was well used to Horace’s little outbursts didn’t even flinch as she pushed his finger to the side and spoke to him in the mothering tone that drove him crazy. “Oh, Horace. What is it that’s bothering you this time? You look like you swallowed a bird.”

“Oh, I have swallowed something distasteful, alright, and you are the one who fed it to me!” he growled as he marched to his desk and angrily snatched up the two letters of reprimand. Shaking them toward her he added, “Because of your interfering nature I have received my first reprimand in over fifty years!”

“My interfering nature has caused you to receive a reprimand? What have I ever …”

“Don’t go there, Nellie. Just don’t go there. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool some of the people most of the time … or … whatever …,” he said handing her the reprimand with her name on it. “Apparently your interfering nature is cause for concern to someone who matters, but unfortunately you have dragged my good name into it as well…”

Nellie took the paper from his hand and began to read it carefully.

“You call this a reprimand?” she asked him, obviously delighted at something she had just absorbed. “My punishment is a second assignment on earth? Horace, whoever this someone else who matters is, they must like my interfering nature! When do I start?” she practically chortled. “I can hardly wait!”

“Oh it’s not what you think, little lady,” Horace answered in a menacingly soft voice. “You’re not being sent on this little mission solo this time. This time you have been assigned a partner; one who is going to make sure you keep to the rules and don’t turn this assignment into another fiasco.”

“A partner?” she exclaimed! “How fun! I’m sure she and I will be great friends.”

Horace actually laughed as he turned his back on her once again to retrieve a paper and a large packet from his desk top. He read over the letter himself and pretended to weigh the packet with his hands, obviously trying to create a stretched moment of suspense before he turned to look directly at Nellie.

“Why don’t you go over these orders before you celebrate any further,” he said with a smirk. “Take special note of the 3^rd paragraph. I think you’ll be surprised to know what this assignment is about and who you will be residing with for however long it takes to complete it”

Nellie nervously accepted the letter and packet and walked warily to the overstuffed chair that sat against the wall where she gingerly sat down to read.