Chapter 2 – Everyone’s a Critic
Some of the people that Daniel, Azrael, and Cherub are people that Daniel recognize not only in his life but from recent history as well.
The question comes to his mind so he asks Azrael, “How long do people stay in Purgatory?”
“As long as they need to, there is no time limit to being here.”
“I’ve heard of some of these people. They must’ve been here for decades.”
“Not everyone can get let go of the past and accept purification like you Daniel. One of the previous people I watched over took a while to accept the reality of his death and the reasons why people go to Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Cherub comments.
“And you didn’t help Cherub! You just kept quiet for the most part while making fun of me or my friend.”
“It’s not like you had any better ideas. Even the best reasons and arguments cannot penetrate a stubborn mind.”
“Looks who’s talking.”
As the two bicker, Daniel tries talking to people he passes by. They don’t seem to hear him, but the guardian angels do and wave at him with a smile. He tries to touch them, but his hand goes through them.
“Why can’t I interact with them?” Daniel asks.
Azrael stops his arguing with Cherub and says, “You are not part of their purification process and they are not part of yours. If you were, then they would hear you and you could interact with them. Some can’t even see you because you would derail their purification.”
“But why can I?”
“Because we know you won’t get too distracted by them.”
Daniel takes one look at the people he passes before deciding not to worry about them anymore.
The next place Azrael takes Daniel to is a courthouse. They go into the building and Azrael hands one of Daniel’s luggage to a desk attendant who looks similar to him.
He then opens the courtroom door for Daniel then says, “Sit in the judge’s seat. It’s the most comfortable one in the room.”
Once Daniel enters the room, Azrael closes the door behind him. Taking the advice of his guardian angel, Daniel sits at the judge’s seat. It is definitely a comfortable seat that’s more comfortable than any chair that Daniel has sat in recently. Daniel looks around the room and wonders what’s going to happen. When his eyes come back to the center of the room, he sees a strange but familiar man in front of the judge’s stand. The man has a grin that could scare adults with teeth on top of teeth. His nose is long, and it appears that parts of his face like his eyelids smile along with his mouth.
“Grant me mercy,” the man says with his uncanny smile.
Memories of him come back to Daniel. This man was a beggar who didn’t want to work a job or help others. He just wanted to live a lazy life where people gave him what he wanted. It was a wonder why so many people kept giving to him even though he never tried to improve his life.
“Why should you get mercy?” Daniel asks the grinning man.
“Aren’t all men worthy of mercy?” he asks.
“Most are, but not everyone makes the most of the mercy they are given.”
“What is your verdict then?”
“If I were a real judge, then you would get no mercy.”
The man changes to a woman Daniel knew. She was a friend of his, but she always be a problem. She always wanted charity from him and his family and friends. The woman could never get a husband or even hold a boyfriend for a while so she craved everyone’s pity.
“Grant me mercy,” she says.
“Why?” Daniel asks.
“Because I’m a good person. People say that I’m a joy to be around. Isn’t that enough?”
“I wouldn’t say so. Everyone thinks they’re the hero of their story. If I were a real judge, then you would get no mercy. You are no different than a parasite.”
The woman changes into another man that Daniel knew. A close friend who got up and left town because he fell in love with a woman who wasn’t even good for him. Everyone he knew tried to convince Daniel’s friend to stay away from this woman, but he didn’t listen.
“Grant me mercy,” he says.
Daniel can’t decide if he wants to hug his friend or punch him in his face. He says, “Why should I?”
“I listened to the sweet lies of a venomous woman. Every lonely man is weak to women like this. I’m sorry that I did this and hurt the people who actually loved me. You knew me better than she did. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”
“Of course I can brother.”
The friend changes into a woman Daniel wishes he could see while she didn’t see him at the same time.
“Husband,” she says, “Grant me mercy.”
“No, please grant me mercy, Rosemary. You should be in this seat judging me.”
“But you are the judge.”
“I do not want to be a judge.”
His wife changes into himself.
He says to himself, “Grant me mercy.”
“I’d grant you no mercy if I wasn’t already being given mercy in Purgatory,” Daniel says while standing up.
The other Daniel disappears. Daniel sits down and thinks about what’s being shown to him. Azrael enters the courtroom and stands besides Daniel.
Azrael says that, “Life is too short to hold onto to hate and eternity is too long to have it hold power over you. Tell me, why is it that you’ve held onto your hatred of certain people for so long?”
“They never gave me sufficient reason to think otherwise.”
“I’m sure if certain people you know did everything in their power to redeem themselves, you still wouldn’t forgive them.”
“What should I do then?”
“Let go of your anger. Say in your heart, “I forgive you” to them. Hatred is poison for the soul.”
Daniel closes his eyes and concentrates on getting rid of the hate within his heart, but to him, it feels like tearing off a leech that won’t let go.
“Just rip it off. It’s not like you can die again from the pain,” Azrael says.
Daniel does so, but it’s extremely painful.
“I didn’t say it wouldn’t hurt though. Congratulations Daniel.”
A shower of relief washes over Daniel as he gets rid of an unhealthy attachment. With this trial out of the way, he walks out of the courthouse feeling lighter than ever before.
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