Remembering Hell Read Online Free PDF

can’t believe I’m
looking at you again. It’s so great to see you here.” He lifts me up like a
ragdoll and starts spinning me around, laughing like we are teenagers.
    “Hank, my stomach may be imaginary,
but I swear I am going to puke if you don’t cut it out!” I scream through my
own laughter.
    “Sorry, Lou,” Hank replies,
breathless now as he puts me down. “I just keep forgetting that we are still
old folks. I feel so young.” Then he stops and really looks at me. “But look at
you. You are still young. And pretty as a picture!” he says with true
admiration.
    I don’t know whether to be
uncomfortable or flattered. “I don’t remember you being such a charmer, back
when I was alive.” My surprise came through my newly high pitched voice.
    “Well,” he started, teasing me.
“Way back then you scared the shit out of me!” A look of slight panic entered
his eyes, and I start to laugh out loud.
    “Don’t worry, cussing doesn’t
disqualify you. But it will cost you a quarter. Really. I wish I was kidding,
but I can show you my personal bank statements that will prove to you exactly
how much it can add up to,” I say.
    Now it is his turn to laugh. “Why
doesn’t that shock me? Oh yeah, because I know you.”
    “So, why did I seem scary to you?”
I question.
    “Let’s see, you were Linda’s
trash-talking, anti-establishment, marriage-hating best friend.”
    Once again, my face starts to flush
with embarrassment. “I guess I have owed you an apology for a very long time.”
    “Not at all. You are partially
responsible for creating the person I spent most of my life with. For that, you
don’t owe me anything at all,” he answered, his blush rising to meet mine.
    Fuck me running. So he doesn’t
know, or doesn’t remember. Will someone else tell him while he is at his
welcoming party? Should I hope someone does, or would it be better coming from
me? These questions are running through my head as Hank leans close to my ear.
    “But, Lou, I have some questions
that I am not really comfortable asking anyone else.” He looks around quickly,
like he is about to say something terribly secret or perhaps off-color. “I know
these people are family, but they all feel strange to me.” He looks at me
hopefully.
    “I’ll be happy to help in any way,”
I say. “I’m taking a new assignment tomorrow, so I won’t be available during
the day. If you don’t mind waiting until the evening, we can make plans to get
together?”
    “That is awesome of you, Lou,” he says
with gratitude. “I would not only be willing to wait, I will look forward to
it.” Hank sounds so pleased, like he was my best friend, not married and
eventually killed by her.
    “Me too,” I say warmly. “But for
now, enjoy your party and spend some time with people you haven’t seen in a
while.” I stand and open my arms to embrace him. “You are going to be very
happy here,” I whisper in his ear.
    “Tomorrow night,” he says through
eyes that are starting to fill. “Don’t forget!”
    “No worries. I will be here,” I
say, then suddenly remembering where I will be coming from, I add, “And I could
quite possibly have bells on!” He does not get my half-joke, but I make a
promise to myself that I’ll explain tomorrow night.
    I start to move through the room,
waving cordially to folks I do not know and stopping to say hi to those that I
do. I stop and give my mom a hug and a kiss. I am not surprised when my dad
insists on walking me out. We make our escape quietly and walk arm-in-arm
toward my condo. It is just a few blocks and the weather, as usual, is perfect.
We walk by my old place of employment IP&FW—Internet Porn and Fetish
Web—the only internet service available in Hell. I worked in their call center
when I first arrived.
    You see, Heaven and Hell exist
within the same space. We actually sometimes walk the same streets, live in
adjoining neighborhoods, everything. The difference is the residents. While