Experience description:

"SOME TIME LEFT YET . . ."

          Dennis, my husband, had had some rough days and nights and on the evening of Sunday, 28th December, 1975, just 5 weeks after my mother had passed on, he decided he would have to take a sleeping tablet which his doctor had prescribed for him, but which he had so far resisted taking. 

           About half-an-hour after taking the prescribed tablet, he felt extremely tired and I had to help him up to bed and get undressed. I left him in a deep sleep, supported by his five pillows, necessary to help with his breathing problem of emphysema.  I then came downstairs again to see to all the many birds and animals under my care at the time.

          A little later, there was a call from the bedroom "Lyn! Who are all these people here?"

         Thinking Den must have come to' again and that there must have been an accident outside the house which he was watching from the window, I raced upstairs at the double, only to find him exactly as I left him, in bed, on his high pillows, and breathing deep laborious breaths.

        "All what people, Den?"

        All these people around me!"

        I cant see anyone around you.  Do you recognize any of them?"

        Yes, your Mum is here!

        "That's lovely!  How is she?"

        "Fine, but she's looking very annoyed!"

        "Why?"

         "Because I wouldn't let her pay for the meal we had at the Magpie in the summer!"

         "I didnt know you took Mum out to the Magpie for a meal in the summer!"

         "I don't tell you everything, you know:"

         My mother was a stickler for always paying her way wherever she was and whoever she was with; if she ever owed anyone a penny, she would make sure she repaid with much more; there were many things she refused to tolerate.  I asked my husband. "Is she really still annoyed?"   "No - she's laughing now; she's looking very well. Oh - and here's my father..." 

            Den's father had died some years previously in Swindon; his mother some time later.  "Can you see your mother, Den?"  "No, she's not here.  Dad is just smiling, but not saying anything."

Then Den saw others who had passed on, as well as some friends who were still very much in this world, and began telling me what they were doing. He was surprised to find a Couple in his office were going to have a baby though they had told no-one about it - it was confirmed the following week, however, when Den asked them! I was getting more than a little concerned by this time and asked if he would like me to get the doctor, but this he refused, saying if he still felt poorly when he got out of bed in the morning, perhaps it would be wise then.

            He then asked if I would contact his very dear friend, Ed, the next day, and ask him to call to have a chat.  They were great buddies and worked extremely well together, enjoying each other's companionship in the Army Cadet Force, planning the Cadets' activities, camps, lessons, exams, parades, training sessions, etc.  I said yes, of course, I would ask Ed to come and see him as soon as he could, the next day.  

           His next question was "What's the time Lyn?"  Its gone 11:30pm, love, why?"  "I feel very tired now, but they have told me I have some time left yet....  I think Ill go to sleep now . . .

My blood was running cold by this time who were They?  And how much time was there left?  A night? Another day? .A week? A month?  I dare not ask in case they told us how much longer he had and although I think I would rather have known, it would probably not have done Den much good to know.   He went into a deep sleep again and after staying with him for a while, I hurried downstairs again to finish all essential work, then quickly prepare to go to bed myself, lying there awake, half expecting to hear the breathing stopping any minute but not daring to get the doctor as he would have been furious had I done so against his wishes.

           The next morning I kept hovering around him until he finally came to, feeling very groggy and tired.  Bringing his breakfast in, on a tray, I asked how he was feeling, to which he replied he wasn't quite sure yet.

         Although he had recently heard his name called aloud, twice, in an empty office at work, which worried him, he did not believe in anything and I think his motto was "If you can't see it, it doesn't exist"  So I was keen to find out what he now thought about the previous night's experience, of course.  "Do you believe in life after death now, then, Den?"  "Why on earth should I?"  "Well after what happened last night!"  "What happened last night to make me think any differently?"  "Well , you saw my Mum and spoke with her -then you saw your Dad and several others, as well as some of your office people and some of our friends and told me what they were doing - and so-and-so is going to have a baby. .."  "No she's not - and what are you talking about????"

before had no idea he had a notion of anything happening the night me of everyone he could see and spoken with.  How I wished Id dashed and got the tape-recorder, but of course, I had no idea what was about to happen at the time -and Den still had no idea whatsoever that anything unusual took place.  I never told him that "They" said, he had "some time left yet", of course, but regretted I had not questioned further on this at the time, then, thinking that he had been fully aware and would remember the whole episode.

         Each day I wondered if the time would be up that day, and each night would lie awake listening to the breathing and fearing it would stop. Gradually the weeks turned into months and life settled into its routine -masses to do and little time to do it all in- I was still immersed in healing people, animals and birds, vast amounts of correspondence, animal welfare work and the small bird and animal sanctuary.  I was still running on an 'even thinner shoe string. worried sick how to make ends meet each day.

         Fifteen months went by and I had put "them" and the "time left" at the back of my mind, and we both got on with day-to-day living and working, as usual.

         On Wednesday evening, 23rd March., 1977, Den and I had our evening meal, as usual, and as he was home that evening I did not make any healing appointments -usually this took up to 7 days of the week in between writing letters in answer to the scores which poured in every week, and caring for the many birds and animals which had been brought in for help.

        About 8:45pm I told him I was just going to write a note to a friend about her next healing appointment, and then go down the town to make a telephone call to someone who wanted healing for their paralyzed dog. The note written; I put on a coat, got some money for the telephone call and popped my head round the lounge door to tell Den I was gone for a short while.

         His head had moved over to one side in his sleep. I saw, and was resting on the fish-tank table by the side of his chair.  Gently I went over to move his head to the back of the armchair. 

         Den. like Thor, had silently slipped out or his body and was gone... .I stood there. shattered! Even more shattered for Den -that he had gone to sleep here and woken up ...where?????  How was he feeling?  I knew how I was feeling - a 'can't believe it's true' numbness.  What does one do?  The evening paper was open on the table before him, his feet and his hands were still crossed as though in a lovely sleep.  It was a great relief to know from this that his transition was not traumatic for him -no pain or alarm, for his hands and feet would have registered this most strongly.  Just slipping into the next world through sleep.  A wonderful way to depart from this one, not enjoyed by many, unfortunately.