Back To Life

I remember that evening well. It was late at night and I was getting ready for bed. Claudia was looking a little "funny", nothing I could put my finger on, but I was uneasy. My kid, Alvaro, thought something was very wrong and said I should get her to a doctor. I didn't because, well, I couldn't quite see what was happening. It was one of those times when I felt something was going on, but the puzzle pieces didn't quite fit together yet.

We went to bed and Claudia immediately fell asleep.  Around midnight I woke up suddenly when I rolled over and touched my wife. For some reason I became alarmed - she was not moving. She was breathing, but did not respond to anything. I tried everything I could think of to wake her up to no avail. And she was cold, so cold. Colder than I knew a living, breathing body could be and still be alive.

Claudia had been having some health problems for about two years, and there were several times I had to get her to the hospital quickly. On two of those occasions I wanted to call 911 but Claudia wouldn't hear of it. For whatever reason, she didn't want to go to the hospital in an ambulance. In fact, she told me that if I ever called the paramedics she would divorce me.

Thus it was with a very heavy heart that I called 911. I knew Claudia and I figured we were as good as divorced, but I didn't care - the love of my life was in serious danger and I did what I had to do.

Four minutes after calling, six big paramedics arrived in my living room. They looked at Claudia sleeping in the bed, and poked and prodded her just like I did. After a couple of minutes my love was picked up like a rag doll and moved to the living room. She was given some shots and an IV was hooked up - and still she didn't react at all.

It was quite a site, watching six big paramedics (five men and one woman) pick up my wife and haul her out of the apartment. Actually, it was kind of scary, because Claudia didn't move through the whole thing.

I followed the ambulance to the hospital, which was a whole block away (I live next door to a major hospital), parked and waited. The doctors would not let me in to see my wife, and I knew that I had to get into her room. Somehow, I had to get in.

Finally, I managed to sweet talk one of the nurses into letting me visit my love. Claudia was laying in bed, still not moving, with a whole bunch of wires, tubes and strange machines hooked up to her.

But I was not looking at her body. Instead, my eyes went over the bed to an area about two feet up. I was not surprised as I already guessed the truth ... my wife's soul was hovering over her body, looking down on it with some sadness. I received a clear communication ... Claudia had decided to die. She had been waiting for me, for one last look before moving on.

Within a millisecond I pulled myself together, shoved away all of the emotions and pulled all of my strength from every corner of my spirit and delivered a command. I told my wife "STOP" in the most forceful voice that I ever done. It worked, I saw her spirit stop it's movement away from her body. I knew that Claudia was looking at me, waiting to see what I would do next.

I knew I had one chance, only one shot. I spoke the most important words that I have ever spoken in my entire life. I took a deep breath and said the one thing that I knew might work. "Claudia", I said, "You promised me 40 years, and if you leave me alone I will marry the most gorgeous blonde that I can find."

I felt an incredibly rush of anger! Man, was Claudia angry. Her spirit literally turned red and I saw her fly straight back into her body! She hit her body so hard I saw it jump up. I suspect she still has the bruises from that impact ...

Claudia was in intensive care for a couple more days and finally was released from the hospital after 5 days. It's taken almost a year now, but she's doing much better. Every day she looks and feels better, and my love and respect for her grows and grows.

She does not remember a thing from the moment that she passed out that evening. It's probably for the best, as I'm not sure I want her to remember the part about the blonde.

Now she's turning into a graphics artist and webmistress. What a turn-around!