Heaven (standard:other, 1610 words)
Author: Azezel	Added: Nov 08 2005	Views/Reads: 3218/2042	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A breif precis of what happened when I went to Heaven.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

looks like tonight is Nietzsche versus Kant. It'll be a treat if I'm 
any judge, those two have been tearing at the weak points in one 
another's philosophies since nineteen hundred – and like the man said, 
‘What does not destroy me, makes me stronger'.” 

“Yeah. Maybe I'm on the wrong track here. All this time I've been
thinking about my mind. Perhaps now would be a good time to work on my 
body.” “Ah, healthy body, healthy mind, good thinking. And I know just 
the thing – We'll get off at the next stop and jog to the fitness 
center. Bruce lee does an evening class there, how'd you like to learn 
Kung Fu?” “Bruce Lee?” “Man, you should see him. If you thought he was 
fast in life, well, next to him a laser looks slow and bit shaky these 
days.” “Wait, this is Heaven, so I'm permanently healthy and young, 
right?” “That's right.” “Right, so we'll put the martial arts on the 
back burner, okay?” “You're the boss. Any other thoughts? No rush, 
you've got eternity.” 

“Well, I've often thought about art. I drew cartoons at one point and it
struck me that all I needed was a little practice and a lot of spare 
paper.” “Not at all. What you need is a subject. We'll go to the 
Artist's Quarter and look in on my old mate Titian, I was his guide 
when he came here you know. I'll ask him to look through his rolodex 
and see if we can't track down the girl who posed for the Venus of 
Urbino!” “You're a man of fine tastes Jericho.” “I'm a man, what more 
does one have to be when talking about that painting.” “I thought you 
were an Angel.” “You're forgetting your literature mate. Angel is my 
station, not my nature.” “Touché.” “Once we find the girl we can mooch 
down to Rafael's, I seem to recall he's taking students.” 

“Okay, maybe art isn't the ideal, but the arts are promising. Do you
know where I can get myself a guitar around here?” “No sooner said than 
done. The Musician's Quarter is just down here. Now I know Ted McCarty 
is holding on to an original '58 Moderne for just the right person, and 
he owes me a favour.” “You're joking!” “Heaven, mate, Heaven.” “Right.” 
“Y'know, Jimi and Wolfi hold jam sessions most Saturdays, I bet you'd 
be welcome to join in.” “Jimi and Wolfi?” “Hendrix and Mozart...” “Ah. 
Music is great you know, but thinking about it, I'm more of a listener 
than a maker. Play for my own enjoyment only..” 

“What's the deal here? Everything you suggest, I try and make it happen
and you change your mind. What gives?” “Well...” “Mm?” “I can't do it.” 
“What do you mean?” “It's all been done. No matter what I try I'll 
never achieve anything more than a shadow of these great people you 
mention. I could work for eternity and never achieve what Shakespeare 
of Mozart did in life, and now I learn they've continued excelling in 
the hereafter. What hope is there for me?” “What hope of exceeding 
them? Note a bit mate.” “Well there you go. If I wanted to go for a 
drive you'd warn me to watch out ‘cos Stirling Moss and Michael 
Schumacher will be having a street race at midnight.” 

“Well mate. That's the thing about Heaven. You do what you want to do.
If you want to be the best there is, then you go and do it. It will 
take you eternity, but it's not like you have any pressing 
appointments. Alternatively...” “Alternatively?” 

“Well, we have some pretty good libraries.” “Yeah?” “Oh yes. And the
university have a year round calendar of public lectures. You could go 
to them in the evenings, after a morning's relaxing contemplation in 
the Gardens and a productive afternoon in a big leather armchair at the 
library.” “That sound's quite nice, actually.” “And on weekends why not 
spend a whole day at the debating society's coffee house picking over 
some triviality with conscientious intellectuals? Or take in a gallery, 
there's rarely a day goes by without another masterpiece being 
completed somewhere.” “I think I will.” “But you'll have to finish up 
by mid afternoon if you want time for a good meal before the Concert. 
Queen are on stage tonight.” “Is that a fact?” “And after the show, if 
you can't sleep, why not flip the TV onto the 24 hour Kung-Fu channel?” 


“You paint a damned pretty picture my friend.” “Well thank you. Now how
about we go down to the Writer's Quarter, just in case.” “Don't forget 
the love affair.” “You're right, we'd better go via Titian's.” “Ooh, 
you just made an old man very happy.” “S'what I do.” 

The End. 


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