I remained quiet for a moment. I was a bit stunned and, not surprisingly, in disbelief. I pinched myself to see if I was dreaming. I was of course.
"I am impressed," She said. "This has never happened before. But I have urgent business so tell me why you summoned me, and make it quick."
I searched for words but it was a bust. Nothing.
She placed a hand on Her hip and cocked Her head as if to say, Don't make me wait.
"I'm so sorry," I said beginning to feel that I'd crossed the line by summoning Her. After all, who was I to make demands of Death.
"I truly don't mean to offend," I said. "Now that you're actually here, I feel that I've taken a great liberty. I want you to know that I'm extremely grateful that you came. In fact, I suppose I'm eternally grateful."
"You made a joke, I think," She said. "A joke, yes? I am hoping to get better at detecting humor."
"You mean that some people make a joke of dying?"
"My most recent encounter was with Sinatra," She said.
"Frank Sinatra? Frank Sinatra joked when he met you?"
"Yes, The Chairman," She said. "When we met, he asked if it meant he wasn't Chairman any longer."
"Did you laugh?"
"No, I don't experience emotions like humans but I find it interesting that some people make the most of any situation, even when they are powerless."
"Well, I'm sure you will come up to speed quickly and, when you think about it, there's no hurry is there? You have plenty of time to work on that."
"Another joke, yes? Two jokes in one meeting. I am rolling I think."
"Yes, you are certainly on a roll."
"But you have a question," She said. "Let us do this so that I may get back to my duties."
"I had three questions but you've answered two of them already."
"It is good to be of service," She said and for the first time, don't ask me why, I sensed that her existence might be a lonely one. But She had mentioned being busy so there was no time to go into it.
"The remaining question is about some memories I had as a child. I remembered a life that was not mine but was not entirely foreign to me. Memories of a previous life."
"Atlantis," She said.
"You know about those memories?"
"I learned something about you when you imagined meeting me on the bridge. I also became interested in who you are when you refused to open Death's Door at the time of the auto accident."
"Oh, my!" I said. "It was you all along!"
"Isn't that why you summoned me?" She said. "And did you not ask your questions of Ekaterina, the one you call Ms. Wonder?"
These last words were the last little bit that made all the difference. I felt that too much was happening too soon. It was heaped up, pressed down, and running over. How could She possibly know so much about one person's life? I wanted to speak to Her about so many things and yet I knew that our time together must come to an end soon.
"She is a wonder," I said. "She is often the only bright spot in my life."
"You are fortunate to have her care for you," She said. "Love is the most beneficial living condition for humans. Most humans seem to want it and yet have no understanding of how to go about finding it. When it happens, it usually happens by accident."
"Do you know everything," I said.
She didn't answer me but I knew that She was pleased to have recognized another bit of humor.
After sharing and savoring a quiet moment, She said, "Atlantis is a memory of a life lived in what you think of as ancient times. Those memories first belonged to one of your ancestors and have been recorded in genetic material passed down to you over millennia."
I pondered Her words trying to fit them into my emotional experience of those memories.
"And now," She said. "I am satisfied to have been of service and I must bid you farewell until re-seeing you. Do not take your life for granted, Genome. There is nothing in the universe to be desired more."
"I remember reading somewhere that even the angels in heaven are envious of man," I said and I have no idea why those words came out of my mouth.
"May I take one more liberty?" I said. "I feel that your job must be a lonely one. And I have come to see you not as someone to be feared--the classic hooded wraith who carries a scythe. Instead, I've enjoyed talking to you and will miss you when you leave.
In fact, you were so comforting to me in that meeting on the bridge that I no longer fear dying. I feel that a friend waits to meet me when it's my time."
"I am not alone," She said. "I have extended the transitions of my administrative assistant, Susan, and also my adopted daughter, Gloria."
"Wait, could it possibly be? Is Susan by any chance my first mental health therapist?"
"I also have my dog, Pluto, and many honeybees. I have a sweet tooth."
I wanted to spend far more time getting to know Her. But She was determined to get back to her own world and I didn't want to take advantage.
"I'm happy you have them," I said. "No one should be alone."
She nodded.
"Before I take my leave," She said. "You didn't explain why you brought your questions to me instead of Ms. Wonder."
"Oh, that," I said. "Just as you pointed out, Wonder is a very special someone, and she amazes me with her depth of knowledge and her wisdom. But I'm afraid that finely tuned brain of hers has finally come unglued."
"How so," She said.
"Well," I said, in a near whisper as though I didn't want Wonder to hear, "it's like this. We visited Brookgreen Gardens last evening and I complained to her that the wind stopped blowing the Spanish moss around each time I tried to video it..."
"Yes?" She said.
"Well, you may find it hard to believe, but she began huffing and puffing in the direction of the live oaks, much like the big, bad wolf."
"Hmmm, I see," She said. "But good for her. It's quite satisfying when mortals find ways to enjoy their time on earth."
"The most amazing part of the story is that the Spanish moss began moving again and I captured it in the video. Wonder thinks she caused it to happen."
"Interesting," She said. "Gives you something else to think about, doesn't it?"
We shared another quiet moment. I began to wonder if it would turn out to be a big day for quiet moments.
"Au revoir, Genome," She said. "Until we meet again."
"I hope it's not goodbye," I said.
And with that, She faded away and was replaced by the bionic man that had been chasing me when the dream began.
I found myself suddenly very irritated that my pleasant meeting with Death had ended and was immediately followed by dealing with the senselessly aggressive invention of a power-mad tyrant.
Have I mentioned that I have anger issues?
The vehicle I'd been driving was an armored military personnel carrier. It was heavy and built to withstand a lot of abuse. It was dangerous to pedestrians even when standing still.
With absolutely no aforethought of any kind, I drove that vehicle right into robot-man and enjoyed every knock and bump of him rolling around underneath the wheels as I drove away.
