OTHERWORLDLY LOVE

By
Ricky Maramba

Philippine Copyright 2012 Ricky Maramba

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1
I lie down in bed, barely aware of my surroundings. I slowly reach out to my right,
despite the pain it brings me, just in order to touch my partner. My right arm has only
traveled half way when our hands meet and clasp in unison. Apparently he has also
struggled similarly in order to reach me. Across the room I hear a woman scream,
"doctor, she's conscious!". There is a commotion in the room and I sense them enter the
room and begin observing me and my partners bodies with instruments. We are both in
the emergency room of a hospital, and it is only now that we had managed to move from
our slumber. Tears flow from my eyes and I remembered what I last heard from a well
wisher, that in the near future, we shall regain our normal lives. We have to, after all, we
are had just been married to each other.

It all started when we decided to spend an overnight together in Tagaytay after a beautiful
candlelight dinner in Manila. Tagaytay city is known for it's view of a small volcano in
the middle of a lake and is only a few hours drive from Manila. It was a pleasant drive.
We wanted to escape the heat of the city in summer. Tagaytay is around 2000 feet above
sea level and at that height the temperature is just right for us city dwellers who are so
used to the heat. We were as usual talking about friends and work with occasional light
flirting as our car gradually increased in altitude. This was barely discernible. It was only
our second time as a couple to go to Tagaytay, unlike Cris who would regularly go there
to get away from it all when he wants his quiet moments for himself away from the office
stress. We were both employed in fast paced jobs and free time was a luxury. When we
did go out we would spend lavishly on travel destinations in order to make up for the
stress and emptiness which had crept into ourselves brought about by the corporate
world. At least we had each other, and that's what kept us both sane and happy all these
years.

As I sensed that we were ascending, Cris turned off the car's air-conditioning and
motioned for me to roll down my windows. The air was so fresh, so different from the
stale air in the confines of the office back in Manila. Calmness permeated our beings and
we held hands as the car continued its ascent. In no time we were within eyeshot of the
lake and the small volcano at the middle of it. Cris continued to drive as I craned my neck
to see the dark but nevertheless beautiful view of the lake and volcano slightly lit by the
full moon. Although this was only my second time, the view was no less beautiful and
tranquil. We parked and stepped out of the car and we smelled the fresh scent of the grass
and plants since it had just finished raining in the area. Cris hugged my side as he knew
that I was highly sensitive to the cold as we walked into the place where we would hang
out before going to bed.

The staff smiled and greeted him as this was his regular hangout place in the area. They
smiled at me as well as if telling me that we looked great as a couple. I excused myself to
go to the bathroom. Cris had earlier told of that he had a surprise for me. After all, it was
my birthday and this was also the venue of our first date years ago. Cris was a romantic
to such degree that it would be virtually impossible to even vaguely predict his highly
romantic motions.

2
After freshening up I returned to him. I made sure that I didn't look too excited to return.
As I rounded the curve and saw the dining area. I saw the restaurant staff all lined up
facing me. Then all sang a happy birthday song for me with the accompaniment of a
guitar. Then slowly the line of men parted outward showing a table of which beside Cris
was standing. On top of it was a cake with a single candle. Beside the candle were the
words "happy birthday Joanne!!!".

I rushed and hugged him. Such a relatively simple surprise from him. I still remember in
my previous birthday when he booked one whole function room in a 5 star hotel and
called a singer to enter and sing my favorite love songs. Perhaps he was busy. Still it was
no less memorable since it was his presence and effort which truly mattered to me.

The waitresses dispersed as I returned and moved towards him. He stared at my eyes and
I felt them enter my being. He then gently took out a small box from his pocket. He
opened it revealing a ring and said, "I love you, will you marry me." I promptly answered
yes. We hugged each other long and hard. The rest of the diners clapped in approval as
we kissed.

He slowly led me to the garden, then by the rail. We looked towards the lake and at the
marvelous volcano still spewing a little smoke under the light of the full moon. I had this
wierd feeling of peacefulness and excitement at the same time. I looked at him and he
seemed to feel the same. The next thirty minutes we were just there standing in silence,
alternating between hugs and sweet kisses on my forehead. Was this just a dream? I
wouldn't want to wake up to the brutal reality that was called life.

We then went to our hotel just a few minutes drive away. We walked to our room which
Cris had reserved previously. We had previously slept overnight on countless occasions,
but this occasion was special and passions immediately rose. Clothes were removed and
thrown on the floor and he picked me up and promptly carried me to the shower where
we gave each other a good and sensual bath.

Nothing could stop us, and the deed was done in the bathroom and continued all the way
to the bed. I had subsequently climaxed at least three times ending late in the evening
until tiredness had caused both of us to sleep.

We woke up late the next day and was greeted by the bright morning in the dining area.
Still ecstatic over the previous night we ate our buffet breakfast seeing the now fully
visible volcano in the middle of the lake.

We checked out in the late morning and headed for Manila. The hotel staff still smiling at
us wished us a safe trip back.

We drove out of the hotel. I stretched my neck and took a last look at the hotel and started
to reminisce on what happened just the last night. Cris took my hand and proceeded to
shift gears as we speeded away.

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We had previously discussed our future plans should we ever get married. We had agreed
that I get to stay on my jobs and that I can still go out with all my current friends
regularly. Cris was always very reasonable. He was also very protective but not jealous.
We had also previously agreed on two children.

There we were talking about all our future plans with big smiles on our faces. Everything
seemed fine until we stumbled upon a very basic issue. Then the tranquility of the
conversation from relaxed to strained.

I told Cris that I was highly excited about our grand religious wedding, surely Cris
wouldn't complain, money would be no object. Then silence. I glanced at him and I got
nervous, his mouth slightly opened, his smile slowly disappearing. I felt I wanted to talk,
just to cover up the awkward silence, but the words didn't come out. Then I remembered,
Cris was definitely not religious. He had never gone with me to our weekly worship. But
so did other male friends of mine and they had religious weddings.

Cris finally talked and admitted that he never thought about it. And we had both taken the
issue for granted.

Cris then talked and aired his side. If was his usual thorough self. He looks far ahead,
maybe too far ahead.

Cris explains, "you know how much I am against hypoCrisy. I am definitely not religious
and I am not even sure that I believe in god. I just can not stand there having the one of
the most important if not the most important event of my life revolve around a ritual
based on something I don't believe in. Not to mention the things we have to promise to
each other. In sickness or in health, not bad, but how about the wife should follow the
husband."

I was aghast at his statements. I had never thought of it that way. I felt he was right, and
deep within myself I was utterly confused. My brain had shut down and refused to
process anymore, but he continued.

"a wedding will serve as a precedent. What about the kids. Will we have then baptized or
not. Or do we leave them godless until they reach 18 and have them decide."

Cris wasn't sarcastic. What he said made sense. If he were of another religion and he
would have the kids baptized into his other religion at birth I would be equally horrified.

We both were at a stalemate. We both knew it and didn't know what to do. He glanced at
me. I sensed his confusion and frustration and if sensed mine as well. I turned towards
him and wanted to cry. Both my hands right now over his right hand over the gear shift as
the car continued along the highway.

The silence was deafening and Manila was now only a few minutes away. He increased
his speed upon reaching the last section of clear road as if to reach Manila early to bring

4
me home and end the silence. I released my hands from his hand and sat in a more secure
position in my seat.

He slowly decreased his speed as we entered Manila. Soon there was a major intersection
with a stop light.

We reached the stoplight safely and we both relaxed. A saw him turn to me with the
corner of my eye. I turned towards him. He had a certain sadness in his eyes. He seemed
concerned if he had hurt me with his bluntness. I just smiled as if reassuring him that
everything was ok.

Our heads then moved towards each other for a reconciliatory kiss. Then all hell broke
loose as I heard a loud crash, followed by a violent jolt of my body. Our lips never met.
Our bodies were contorted into a hopeless mess. There was no pain as I slipped into
unconsciousness.

The next thing I knew is that I felt like floating upwards. Still hazy from the concussion I
tried to open my eyes. What I saw shocked me. I saw a car, hit at the back by a large
truck. The car was hopelessly dragged forward by the truck that hit it. I saw the skid
marks of the truck and assumed that it was travelling at a very high speed. As seconds
passed, my mind grew sharper. As it grew sharper, I wondered, was this a dream? Why is
my vantage point over the scene of the accident. I tried looking at my body and I saw it,
floating over the scene. This made no sense, this must be a dream, a very lucid dream at
that. My confusion at this point even made me forget that I had also just figured in a
similar accident. Then I tried hovering down to see the occupants, if they are still alive. I
managed to float down beside the right side of the car. I saw a lifeless body still strapped
to her seatbelt. I looked closer and was horrified to see it looked like me. It was only now
that it dawned on me that I had also been in a similar accident. I then looked at the drivers
seat and was equally horrified to see Cris' similarly lifeless body strapped on to the seat
belts.

Then I started to remember that shortly before this 'dream', I was with Cris in a car in
front of a stoplight before a massive concussion flung as around the car. Could this be? Is
that our physical bodies after the accident? Is this my soul? Am I dead? And where is
Cris? Is he still alive?

At that time I felt a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Then I saw Cris, staring at the
wrangled car, then shifting his eyes towards me. We were both motionless, now both
floating in front of the windshield above the hood. People started arriving and helping our
physical bodies out of the car. The ambulance shortly after arrived and we waited
patiently to see if we were still alive. The victims were extricated from the car and placed
in the ambulance. As it drove away I looked at Cris to ask if we would follow it.

But then we felt ourselves floating skyward beyond our control. It was frustrating that we
could not follow the ambulance, but at the same time I was excited to experience
something new. I tried to reach Cris who was similarly floating upward and magically we

5
just moved closer to each other until our hands touched. We embraced and cried. We
were both afraid of what would happen next.

Then suddenly I felt peace. I felt a bright light shining upon me and I looked towards its
direction. It was glowing, it was so beautiful. I wondered how I could stare at it and at the
same time not hurt my eyes. It would emanate different colors every now and then. We
were so speechless and it took several minutes before we saw a human form approach us.

I looked at him as if approached. I heard him say "Cris", but I didn't see his mouth move.
I then realized that we were communicating telepathically. He was a man who looked
familiar, but I was quite sure I had never met him. Cris and him were extremely happy
when they saw each other. I then remembered, I had seen him in the pictures of Cris'
photo album. He had been Cris' favorite uncle. He had been dead around a decade ago
from a similar car accident. Cris asked him where the others were. Cris of course meant
his other dead relatives. His uncle Steve then told Cris that until now, the whole afterlife
was still a mystery to him and that he wasn't sure if religion did a good job of
representing the afterlife because the people which religion would consider holy were
nowhere to be seen in the area we were in.

Steve continued that he had traveled into several areas where the dead go and the place
where we currently were was in was the place where the spiritual people went to, at least
that is what he was told. He noticed that the people who could venture into the place we
were in were highly varied. There were people of various religions, people who were
spiritual but not religious and curiously even those who did not believe in god. Needless
to say, prayer, was not necessarily needed.

He had seen other people thrown into the more hideous locations. Some of them even
with high positions within the religious hierarchy. He tried to find out the common
denominator and he found out that although outwardly these people were supposedely
pure, they were hypocritical and harbored feelings of envy, ill intentions and the like to
other people.

Steve also said that not only was he now telepathic and could communicate with them,
but now he could also sense the true nature of all the others by just thinking of them. He
said that Cris and me should be now experiencing the same. Steve dared us to read the
feelings of the religious on earth and see for ourselves.

I tried to sense the earth in its entirety and I was shocked at what I felt. I almost instantly
felt of my religion and it's hierarchy and felt it's corruptness and hypocrisy. It's betrayal
of the people on many levels. I cringed at the idea that I had been following the wrong
religion. Then I thought of Cris. What would be in store for him. Steve sensed this and
looked at Cris. Cris not knowing what to expect just kept his composure and waited for
Steve's reply. Steve simply smiled and said that if Cris were not meant for this area close
to the white light, he would slip down to the lower levels and he could do nothing about
it. Cris heaved a sigh of relief and gazed at the white light in awe.

6
I closed my eyes and prayed. I sensed my two companions shocked. They had seen a
stream of light originating from the ball of light coming to me, as if acknowledging my
respect.

Cris then sat in a cross legged position. Then an even stronger beam of white light
greeted him. I didn't know he prayed. Cris sensed what I thought and telepathically stated
immediately that he didn't, but he did occasionally meditate.

Soon Steve joined the fray and did his thing as well. We must have looked so pretty that
time, three glowing bodies, underneath a massive white light.

His uncle and me chatted incessantly after, while Cris just seemed to be in deep thought. I
sensed him entering my mind and somehow reading my thoughts, but our closeness left
me nothing to hide.

Then I looked at him. His uncle did too. We sensed he wanted to ask a serious question.
He looked straight into my eyes and said, "you will agree to marry me if you do so under
god's approval am I right?". I answered in the affirmative. He looked up to the light and
then firmly asked, "you consider the light 'god' don't you." Again I said yes. He quickly
dropped on his knees and asked, "Joanne, will you marry me!"

I was truly shocked. His observant uncle sensed everything and told me to get on with it.
He knew I came from a conservative if not bigoted family and that I needed a good kick
in the butt.

I agreed and said yes. At that moment, I saw energy from both our bodies expand and
somehow reach out to each other. We felt this tug to likewise move towards each other.
We hugged and kissed and the energy encapsulated us with beautiful colors of red and
yellow. We felt as one. As if nothing else mattered and nothing ever would. Then I felt
more energy come down from the ball of light. It showered us from above. I felt it enter
the top of my head as it crawled down my spinal column. Then it expanded through my
body and exploded into other colors of the rainbow. Cris at this time managed to
experience the same.

The brilliant light display attracted other people and they watched in amazement. Never
had they seen the energy in such a spiritual, loving as well as lustful manner. It was truly
a reconciliation of heaven and earth.

As we separated our bodies, we noticed that we were still connected with different
threads of light. And we were enclosed in one large shell. We were truly one. So different
from other religious weddings where ambience, clothes and food try to make up for the
lack of love from some married couples. We were truly in love.

Then I reminisced on my past earthly life. How I would miss my family, my friends.
Steve smiled. He said that our physical bodies were still intact we both would eventually
make a full recovery. Cris and I looked each other.

7
Then in an instant we felt ourselves travelling again. Holding hands we cried in
anticipation of our future. We saw the earth closing fast. Then we entered the hospital
where our physical bodies lay. We entered our bodies and felt the new reality of being
trapped in a broken and almost lifeless body.

We shall persevere. We always had and we always will.

Epilogue

Joanne and Cris would then be able to walk side by side after six months of
hospitalization. In the next few years they would then be married and have two wonderful
children. It would be a civil wedding though and only for legal concerns. They would
never have a religious wedding.

They would never forget their experience with the light from the other side.