A Remarkable Life

A black luxury car arrives at the gates of a large estate. The driver pulls up the entry gate and looks at the vertical screen used to greet visitors.

"Micheal Everhart and family, here to visit father," the driver says and after a few moments, the screen confirms the face and voice data and begins opening the gate.

Micheal begins to drive into the estate as his wife, Heather, is checking on the children, an teenage girl and a boy just a few years younger.

"Lily, Thomas, your grandfather is very ill and while we are hoping for the best, the latest reports from his doctor weren't positive. Just to be safe, he is being isolated but we still are able to communicate with him" Heather said.

Micheal replied, "Things aren't looking good. His doctor has been here all week and so has his lawyer. I can only imagine that he is making sure his will is updated."

As Micheal drove the beautiful lawns and gardens of the estate, he reached the garage and after a moment, the door opened and he parked the car inside. The four them walked inside and was greeted by Harold Campbell, his father's butler of at least 4 decades, as well as other staff of the estate.

Harold greeted Micheal upon meeting, "Welcome home sir, your father is currently in his room with Doctor Robinson. I've been informed that you should make you way there when you are settled in."

"Thank you Harold," Micheal turned to Heather, "Sweetie, I'm going up to see him first. Have Harold settle you and the kids in first and I'll come back to get you."

"Alright," Heather replied, "I'll see you in a few minutes then."

Heather, Lily, and Thomas followed Harold down the hallway. Micheal began to make his way to his father's room. He still remembered the house like it was yesterday, photographs of a group of men on Mt. Everest. Another photo showed a man that look almost like him on the International Space Station. He passed by several libraries on the way to his father's room. He knew one was was history, another for science, one for art, and the last one for technology. He knew his father had Eidetic memory and was slightly jealous that he did not.

Micheal arrived at his father's room and knocked twice on the door.

"Come in, we were expecting you to arrive a bit later," an unknown voice called out.

"Thanks Doctor Robinson," Micheal responded, "Traffic wasn't as heavy as predicted, so we made good time."

"Excellent, your father unfortunately doesn't have much longer, but considering that he is 103 years old, it's to be expected." The doctor replied.

"How is he doing?" Micheal asked.

"He is currently stable, but just barely. While we are doing everything we can, in the best possible circumstances, he can hold on for a few more days." The doctor informed Micheal.

"Is it possible to see him?" Micheal inquired.

"Yes we have a clean room and protection suits just to be safe. I have heard that the World Health Organization has designated this virus as Covid-19. But we don't have much information on it currently, so we are using the strictest protocols." Doctor Robinson said.

"We will speak after I talk with him then," Micheal smiled, "we haven't met for awhile, so let's caught up then."

Micheal turned around and his smile disappeared. He entered the room and prepared himself by dressing into the environmental suit and awaited the signal that the door was unlocked. After a minute the light lit up and he enters the room.

Looking around, he noticed the room was still the same as last time. Sport memorabilia, magazines, trophies and awards, and more photographs decorated the room. In the far corner was a large ornate bed with a man laying on it. Micheal could hear the medical machines working, monitoring his father's vital signs as he walked over.

"Father," Micheal spoke.

The man on the bed opens his eyes, his hair white, his face and brow wrinkled. He looked like the man in all the photographs except much older.

"Micheal," Theodore said,his breathing labored, "it's good that your here. Your old man doesn't have much time left. How are you doing? How are Heather, Lily, and Thomas?"

"They are fine," Micheal responded, "they took some time off and came with me. They are just setting up in their rooms. I'll go get them soon."

"Ah, I'm glad that you're here first. Make sure you speak with Brent, my lawyer after this. I have a feeling that things will get complicated soon. I have made my arrangements already and while I'm not worried about you or your sister. I have a feeling that some of the others will have some strong opinions about things."

"Don't worry father, it's not your time yet," Micheal said while suppressing his emotions.

"Ah Micheal, I'm 103 years old. Your mother passed a few years ago and it's now my time to go to her side. Luckily I have enough time to bid everyone farewell," Theodore tried chuckling but ended up coughing, "go ahead and bring Heather and the kids over…cough cough…"

The heart rate monitor began to make sounds and the door opened as Doctor Robinson hurried his was over with two other medical personnel. Micheal began to panic as the monitor was beeping crazily and was about to walk back over to the bed with the doctor stopped him. Micheal was yelling to his father as the doctors began performing resuscitation.

Theodore observed this and couldn't breathe. He couldn't even cough anymore and and he looked around the room, his memories kept flooding into his mind. From his childhood growing up in a trailer park, working his way through high school and college, meeting his wife, the birth of his children, his businesses, and his friends. His vision was narrowing as everything slowly began to turn to darkness.

Theodore waited, the darkness was everywhere. Time seem to disappear, Theodore has no sense of how long he was in this place. He thought to himself, "was I a bad person, does the afterlife really exist and now I'm being punished for not believing?"

Theodore sat in the space and contemplated his life and what mistakes he had made when suddenly he saw light.

"Finally," Theodore thought, "maybe once I meet the man upstairs I can ask more about this experience."

Theodore felt something was odd though because he was moving but he was not moving himself but after some rational thought, he considered that in heaven, the spirits had that power. Using his memory, he began to count time and compare it to how quickly the light was arriving. After what he thought should be 5 hours, the light brighten quickly and the air became cold. Theodore was disoriented and his eye were blurred and everything was noisy. He couldn't understand anything that was being said. He felt his butt being smacked and shockingly went to express his displeasure with the culprits, he opened his mouth and in his horror, he heard the cry of an infant.

Theodore stopped his voice and while his senses were dull, he was an intelligent man. Theodore realized he had been reincarnated into the body of a child.