This is a question which no human can actually tell for sure. It is one of those mysteries which science cannot explain. No definite data is available. After all, we can not experiment on death. If one claims to know the answers, that poor person is viewed with disgust, or fear, or simply, tolerance with a shake of the head and a tsk, tsk, tsk....
Since it is a mystery, it is always interesting to know the takes of different people on this one. As interesting a subject as it is, death has been treated in different views.
Such is the subject of Linda Howard's Death Angel.
In the story, Drea is a kept woman of a drug lord, who is smart enough to play a beautiful dumb arm candy. Until one day, she was 'loaned' by this drug lord to his hired assassin.Even in the beginning, there was already an intense attraction between the gold digger and the killer. Drea was drawn to the killer even at the same time she was scared of him. Eventually, Drea begged the man to take her with him, and was rejected.
Humiliated, Drea turned her anger to the drug lord, and planned her revenge. She escaped from the drug lord taking with her a huge amount from the bank of the drug lord.
Enraged, the drug lord enlisted the services of the assassin to pursue Drea giving him two million dollars for the girl's life.
In her desperation to evade the assassin, Drea lost control of her car and died. After taking all evidence of Drea's death (to give to Salinas, his client) and her means of identification (for Drea's sake), Simon, the assassin called 911 and fled.
After an hour or so, however, Drea miraculously lived. She spent her time living a simple life as a waitress, until her assassin found her again. Apparently, Simon did not leave her alone. He was watching over her from a distance. Together, the two put the drug lord down--for Drea, to make things right, and for Simon, to protect his miracle.
Without touching much on religion or being too preachy, Howard touched on the speculations on what could be beyond this life.
All the time Drea died, she was in this indescribably beautiful peaceful, loving place where she became hypersensitive seemingly all-knowing being. There, she met several beings who were all in their 30's. Each of them total strangers to her, but, oddly enough, she recognized, from their history to their feelings and everything in between. She also was welcomed by this being whom she realized later as her son who was aborted when she was young, an incident that ripped her heart with grief for the only meaningful love in her life that she lost.
It was truly beautiful there she so wanted to stay--she yearned to stay--if only to gaze at her son whom she had carried in her womb for just weeks before it was taken away warm but dead. But she didn't belong there. She had to go. Where, it was for the 'council' to decide. Finally, she was given a chance to go back and earn her spot in that place.
The Christian in me concluded it was heaven Drea went to. All bright and beautiful. Everybody knows everybody through and through: no holds barred. There is calm acceptance of everything. When some of the council disagreed, for example, of Drea's staying in the place, Drea was a bit worried, but accepting. After all, she knew for herself she didn't belong there because of the way she had lived her life on earth. In the same manner, those who argued against Drea's stay, did so without malice but with equality based on some common moral judgment. There was practically no negative vibes. Finally, the one that prompted the ultimate decision to give Drea another chance to live her life again was born of compassion and moral standard.
This picture of after life is not like the ones that are usually described--as expressed by Dr. Meecham: "Was there a tunnel? With light at the end of it?" to which Drea answered: "Light. No tunnel." This might be perhaps because she was going too fast, she skipped some stages of dying.Or maybe her son snatched her 'because everything went so fast.' But then again, maybe it was because, as Drea said, she had a death experience -- a sudden one at that, and not just a near death experience.
Another peculiar picture here is that of angels and spirits and the ones who were supposed to be 'responsible' to decide who would stay or who would stay away.
I was taught that when we die, we would encounter a guard to the gates of heaven. Then our name will be sought from the big book of life. If our name were there, then we could enter the gates. Otherwise, we fall into the endless pit of fire. Here, another picture is being painted. The decision to admit or to reject a soul is given to a 'council' of souls, too. These souls, apparently have lived their purpose on earth during their lifetime. And just like living humans, they, too, argue, albeit a healthy argument and no feelings of resentment--because 'there was no room for resentment here.' Just almost a matter-of-fact kind of argument. Each of the council presents an argument as to why she should or should not stay, and finally, they get to vote on what to do with the newcomer.
The decision to keep her or send her somewhere else (like back to earth), was based on pure love. She loved her child so much she even bargained her life for his. And she was only fifteen at the time and alone. Everyone saw this and understood. And ultimately, they voted that she be given a second chance.
Later in the story, Drea realized that not only her love for her baby saved her. There was another love that must have helped her case.
In the earlier part of the story, Drea felt something intense toward Simon, the assassin. She felt fear and attraction. Simon was able to touch Drea as no man had ever done. She even begged him to take her with him. Simon, for his part, also felt something special for Drea. Although he didn't act on it because he was used to acting and living alone. But he recognized the real person in Drea. Something which no other man had ever done. And then when he saw Drea die, he felt something peculiar. Some kind of sadness and probably emptiness. He knew he was going to miss this woman. And he did, so he went back to find out where she was buried. And when he learned that she was alive, he resolved to turn his life around and play guardian angel to this girl who came back from the dead. He stopped taking demolition jobs and resolved to just take care of Drea. But when Drea's life was again in danger, he stepped in and did what he had sworn not to do anymore. In other words, Simon loved Drea so much he was willing to put himself in the line of fire for Drea's sake.
Although I do not approve of Simon's declaration that he was not remorseful of his job, (it would have been great to see him regret killing) I also understand that it had become a lifestyle to him--the only one he had known and cultivated for a long time in order for him to survive. The brighter side of it was he was beginning to doubt some of his previous beliefs when he found out about Drea's miracle, and he turned his life around.
So in the end, Drea was saved not only by her love to her son, but also by her love for Simon and Simon's love for her. In the same manner, her love for Simon and Simon's love for her saved him.
What did the Great Book say? 'The greatest of them is LOVE.'
Death Angel.
After an hour or so, however, Drea miraculously lived. She spent her time living a simple life as a waitress, until her assassin found her again. Apparently, Simon did not leave her alone. He was watching over her from a distance. Together, the two put the drug lord down--for Drea, to make things right, and for Simon, to protect his miracle.
Without touching much on religion or being too preachy, Howard touched on the speculations on what could be beyond this life.
All the time Drea died, she was in this indescribably beautiful peaceful, loving place where she became hypersensitive seemingly all-knowing being. There, she met several beings who were all in their 30's. Each of them total strangers to her, but, oddly enough, she recognized, from their history to their feelings and everything in between. She also was welcomed by this being whom she realized later as her son who was aborted when she was young, an incident that ripped her heart with grief for the only meaningful love in her life that she lost.
It was truly beautiful there she so wanted to stay--she yearned to stay--if only to gaze at her son whom she had carried in her womb for just weeks before it was taken away warm but dead. But she didn't belong there. She had to go. Where, it was for the 'council' to decide. Finally, she was given a chance to go back and earn her spot in that place.
The Christian in me concluded it was heaven Drea went to. All bright and beautiful. Everybody knows everybody through and through: no holds barred. There is calm acceptance of everything. When some of the council disagreed, for example, of Drea's staying in the place, Drea was a bit worried, but accepting. After all, she knew for herself she didn't belong there because of the way she had lived her life on earth. In the same manner, those who argued against Drea's stay, did so without malice but with equality based on some common moral judgment. There was practically no negative vibes. Finally, the one that prompted the ultimate decision to give Drea another chance to live her life again was born of compassion and moral standard.
This picture of after life is not like the ones that are usually described--as expressed by Dr. Meecham: "Was there a tunnel? With light at the end of it?" to which Drea answered: "Light. No tunnel." This might be perhaps because she was going too fast, she skipped some stages of dying.Or maybe her son snatched her 'because everything went so fast.' But then again, maybe it was because, as Drea said, she had a death experience -- a sudden one at that, and not just a near death experience.
Another peculiar picture here is that of angels and spirits and the ones who were supposed to be 'responsible' to decide who would stay or who would stay away.
I was taught that when we die, we would encounter a guard to the gates of heaven. Then our name will be sought from the big book of life. If our name were there, then we could enter the gates. Otherwise, we fall into the endless pit of fire. Here, another picture is being painted. The decision to admit or to reject a soul is given to a 'council' of souls, too. These souls, apparently have lived their purpose on earth during their lifetime. And just like living humans, they, too, argue, albeit a healthy argument and no feelings of resentment--because 'there was no room for resentment here.' Just almost a matter-of-fact kind of argument. Each of the council presents an argument as to why she should or should not stay, and finally, they get to vote on what to do with the newcomer.
The decision to keep her or send her somewhere else (like back to earth), was based on pure love. She loved her child so much she even bargained her life for his. And she was only fifteen at the time and alone. Everyone saw this and understood. And ultimately, they voted that she be given a second chance.
Later in the story, Drea realized that not only her love for her baby saved her. There was another love that must have helped her case.
In the earlier part of the story, Drea felt something intense toward Simon, the assassin. She felt fear and attraction. Simon was able to touch Drea as no man had ever done. She even begged him to take her with him. Simon, for his part, also felt something special for Drea. Although he didn't act on it because he was used to acting and living alone. But he recognized the real person in Drea. Something which no other man had ever done. And then when he saw Drea die, he felt something peculiar. Some kind of sadness and probably emptiness. He knew he was going to miss this woman. And he did, so he went back to find out where she was buried. And when he learned that she was alive, he resolved to turn his life around and play guardian angel to this girl who came back from the dead. He stopped taking demolition jobs and resolved to just take care of Drea. But when Drea's life was again in danger, he stepped in and did what he had sworn not to do anymore. In other words, Simon loved Drea so much he was willing to put himself in the line of fire for Drea's sake.
Although I do not approve of Simon's declaration that he was not remorseful of his job, (it would have been great to see him regret killing) I also understand that it had become a lifestyle to him--the only one he had known and cultivated for a long time in order for him to survive. The brighter side of it was he was beginning to doubt some of his previous beliefs when he found out about Drea's miracle, and he turned his life around.
So in the end, Drea was saved not only by her love to her son, but also by her love for Simon and Simon's love for her. In the same manner, her love for Simon and Simon's love for her saved him.
What did the Great Book say? 'The greatest of them is LOVE.'
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