ARE YOU IN HEAVEN - Martin Ralchevski /English

ARE YOU IN HEAVEN 

(based on true story)

 Ten months had passed since Hristo's grandmother died, and he was still going through the separation. As an intellectual who graduated  one of the most prestigious universities in the country, he was a man of rational thinking. His philosophy about the invisible was that there might be something beyond but because nothing has been proven, it is better not to distract yourself in empty reasonings . Although he didn't want to admit it, the loss of his grandmother shooked him up and pulled him out of the lethargy of rational thinking. Time was running out, and he couldn't shake off the memories. He didn't want to put up with the fact that she was just gone. Forever. Day after day, month after month, he was still with her spirit.

On September 1st, he went to bed restless. Lately, he's been often anxious, but tonight was peculiar. Aside from his restlessness, there was a vague feeling of an impossible encounter.

- Are you in heaven, Grandma? – repeated quietly in the dark, then he clutched as a bagel on one side, closed his eyes and sinked into the memories.

She was a genteled, non-conflicted old lady. She never raised his voice. She was a good housewife. She cooked deliciously, with love for the whole family. And after everyone sat around the table, she thanked God. She lived modestly. She hadn’t almost no personal belongings. Next to her bed was a candillo and the icon of the Virgin Mary. When Hristo asked her why she lit the candil every night, she quietly replied, "That's the way it should be, baby."

The night has come. Hristo relaxed, relaxed, and imperceptibly found himself in the Malashev cemeteries. A lot of people have gathered. His father, his mother, his sister, relatives, friends, neighbors. It was a special occasion. For some unclear reason, they would have moved his grandmother's remains from the grave. It was strange, even frightening, because not even a year had passed since her death. But none of the attendees seemed bothered by the fact. The gravediggers dug up the dirt, reached the coffin and carefully opened it. Everyone huddled together to catch a glimpse of what was under the hood. And then the inexplicable happened. To Hristo’s surprise, his grandmother was intact. She had a healthy look and looked not like she was dead, but as she was sleeping. In that moment, Hristo forgot about the good manners and the opinions of others. He leaned over her, and his breath almost stopped. He was looking at her. He wasn't blinking, he wasn't moving. He was serious, sad, but also exalted, overflowing with love.

, "Grandma. Grandma...," he repeated quietly, not taking a look at her.

The surprise was for everyone. Everyone were looking astonished. No one dared to move.

And then... the miracle happened! The grandmother coughed. And moments later, he slowly opened her eyes.

There was a commotion.

- She's alive!  Said someone, and his words echoed like echoes throughout the whole district.

- But how?! How is that possible?  Said some woman.

- My wife fainted! Another added. - Please give me water!

– Tsetsa also fell faint. ! – Please water!

In the commotion that occurred, Hristo became worried and distracted.

When he looked again at her grandmother, she was no longer there. In front of his wide-opended eyes in the dark, only shone the dial of his night watch He reached out and lit the light on the locker. 

 -She seemed so calm and... happy," he said, and smiled. – Maybe it was a sign from the afterlife, which means that there really is something up there. It's so nice! Grandma's in heaven! Simplified... Alive... And... Happy...

 

P.S.After this dream, Hristo's anxiety in an instant evaporated. He became calm and somewhat inexplicably happy. And everyone who knew him wondered about change.

 

Martin Ralchevsky

Painter - Oya Fandakova

Translation Bulgarian-English - Genoveva Ilieva

An initiative of Mariya Dzhurkova and Bogdana Sirakova.