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Epilogue


Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions, if that wasn't the truth, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again to take you there to be with me.

"These are the words the scriptures give us. But how can our hearts not be troubled when faced with death? How can we smile when faced with the loss of someone we hold so dear to ourselves?

"We are gathered here today to lament the passing of Francis James Simonyi, our dear husband and brother. A member of our church. An officer of the law in our community. A friend. A man we loved.

"It is our love for Frank that binds us together, brings us here to share our grief. We know that some day we'll see him again.

"And we know that God has taken him into a perfect love. It is the very fact of death that allows us to know that God loves us, as we are taken from this imperfect world into the perfection of heaven where the saints and angels gather.

"We wander this desert, as Moses did. For forty years he wandered in the desert. Trial after trial. Tribulation after tribulation. Such is life. But we are told and we believe that there is a promised land. One day our trials will be over and we too will leave behind love ones who grieve our loss but are happy for our passing into perfection.

"Frank believed in heaven. He believed in the power of prayer and the intercession of the saints. Let his faith be a comfort to us all in this time of pain. Let that faith strengthen us as we wander this desert without him.

"Paul said to us, 'I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God.'

"Frank has gone on to God's love. That is the hope, and the joy, that we have on this, the day of our final good-bye to our dear friend Frank."

The thin branches of the willow tree fell around Ford like a curtain. He could see the line of people waiting to throw their flowers or a handful of dirt down to Simonyi's coffin. Widow Simonyi stood on the other side, next to the pastor, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. The sun shone brightly, as if nature hadn't a care that Frank was gone. Life went on; out of the entire world, only the handful of people who were present here acknowledged that there was a difference between today and yesterday.

"That was a beautiful sermon," Ford said, breaking the spring silence. A breeze rustled through the leaves of the willow, overpowering the sounds of Mrs. Simonyi's sobbing.

"Yeah, it was beautiful," Frank said, standing next to Ford. "That was a nice touch, that part about Moses."

"I liked the Hooters' version better," Ford said.

They stood silently under the tree, watching as, one by one, the people said their goodbyes, then drifted off to their cars.

"What's it like?" Ford asked. "On the other side I mean."

"I couldn't tell you that even if I was allowed to," Simonyi replied.

Ford nodded.

"I know a lot more than I did before," Simonyi laughed. "That's for sure. For instance, I know that little girl told you everything that was going to happen."

"But I didn't believe her," Ford said.

"You didn't want to, but that didn't stop you from trying to keep me away from that house."

"It didn't work."

"That was my fault," Simonyi said, "not yours."

"I know," Ford replied. "In my head, I know. My heart will learn it in time. It's funny that she told me everything but the guy's shoe size, I just refused to believe it until it was too late."

"You didn't want to believe the other thing she told you. That kept you from accepting any of it."

Ford nodded, but said nothing. He tucked his hands in the pocket of his leather jacket and continued staring as the men started shoveling dirt into the open grave. After a moment, he spoke up again.

"Knowing that I was going to kill him didn't make it any easier."

"I 'spect not."

"I could have brought him back to stand trial, but that didn't seem just. It was exactly what he wanted."

"Chris," Simonyi said with a certain seriousness. "If he had shot you down you can damn well bet I would have killed him too."

"I always thought you considered me a kook."

"I did," Simonyi laughed. "But you're an all right kook. You're one of the good guys, and I'm glad to have known you."

"Thanks, Fish," Ford said, the tears finally starting to come. He chose not to wipe them away. "That really means a lot."

"I know," Simonyi said, a pained smile on his face. "Chris, I have to go now."

"Yeah," Ford said. "Just tell me a little of what it's like. I'm curious."

"You ever see the movie 'Ghost'?"

"Yeah."

"It's kinda like that."

With that, and with another smile, Simonyi faded from sight as if carried away on the breeze.

Ford laughed. He laughed until he couldn't laugh any more, until the muscles of his cheeks ached and his stomach hurt. Then he cried. And when at last he was empty, he went home.

A similar breeze found Ford standing on the street outside of Morley's apartment. He was fifteen minutes late for what would be his last chance to interview the girl who was his future incarnation. Elizabeth and her family were moving to Pennsylvania and, even with Morley's connections, there was no chance Ford would ever be able to pose another question to her after today.

He stood for a moment, looking up at Morley's window, then shrugged and got into the Misery Machine and drove to Red's for a burger.

"Whatever else happens will be a surprise," he said to nobody in particular. "And that suits me just fine."


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