is the 11th of twelve articles for light holiday reading in my 2020 series of Tom's Summer Shorts. The tales are a blend of my real life experiences, professional insights, personal views and fun stories. My hope is that in them you find joy and inspiration.
My friend Zé lazed back in his rickety wicker chair. He exhaled a perfect ring of blue smoke from his inhalation of aptly named Disque Bleu cigarette and replied, “Hanging out in heaven of course.” Then he smiled contentedly and said nothing. He eyed me as the crazed foreigner which I so clearly was. He had a point. I had asked him 'What was he doing here?' … then instantly regretted it. His response confirmed the inanity of my question.
Zé had been a cordon bleu trained chef, preparing quality cuisine for discerning diners in posh restaurants … before giving it all up and becoming a beach bum! For the ten years preceding our conversation he had lived in a makeshift, tarpaulin and orange-box shack on a small island in the lagoon surrounding where we sat. He lived off fresh fish caught on his 'doorstep', occasional 'donations' from tourists who he regaled with lurid tales of his 'life and adventures' living rough in southern Portugal and 'contributions' of wine, coffee and anything else from local acquaintances such as myself. At that moment we were sipping a rather pleasant Borba I'd brought along to while away a couple of hours chatting in the early evening sunshine. Soon we were joined by Jarvis.
“I heard that,” Jarvis volunteered as he appeared through the sand dunes, “It was a dumb question.” I shrugged in agreement. “What else are we doing, you, me, all three of us, if not hanging out in heaven?” he asked. “Mind you,” he added, as he plumped himself on the pile of driftwood which constituted Zé's 'guest' chair and turned his attention to his 'host', “My idea of heaven is somewhat more refined than yours. How you can live in this midden … ,” here he swept an outstretched arm around at the junk of Zé's existence, “ … beats me. I like the natural life, sure I do, but I need my creature comforts too.”
Jarvis did indeed like his creature comforts. Home to him was a spacious villa with extensive grounds in an affluent neighbourhood. It was lavishly furnished and boasted a sauna, large swimming pool and tennis court. He wore designer brand clothes, drove an expensive sports coupé and dined regularly in the same upmarket restaurants where Zé had formerly worked. The two had in fact met many years past while Jarvis was eating in a 'Zé restaurant' and had remained friends since. I sat back and tuned in to their good-natured banter.
It occurred to me listening to them that both men were, most assuredly, 'hanging out in heaven'. For that matter, so was I. Yet our concepts of that heaven varied considerably. Yes, the physical world we shared was the same. We inhabited the same blissful, geographical location. But how we each chose to experience our existence there differed greatly.
Zé had experienced the 'high life', then gave it up in favour of an ultra simple, non-materialistic world in which only the 'today' mattered. Jarvis continued to pursue and enjoy all the trappings of affluence and the hectic social whirl surrounding it. For me, the peace, tranquility and freedom of my 'heaven' reigned supreme.
As I drained my cracked clay mug of the last of my wine, I bade my farewells to my two friends, still cackling merrily by Zé's camp fire, and wandered home. I reflected that 'hanging out in heaven' meant different things to different people but that, more so than anything, it is not so much governed by your physical presence or location. Rather, it is a choice you make, a choice which comes from and resides within you. In that respect anyone can be 'hanging out in heaven' anywhere, any time. It's not a case of you hanging out in heaven, it's a case of choosing to have heaven hanging out in you!
I am Tom Riach. I live and write in the sunny south of Portugal.
My latest novel is 'Too Early For A Glass Of Wine?' Claim your copy by clicking on the image below.
HANGING OUT IN HEAVEN is an original copyright Tom Riach feature.
I hope you enjoyed this Summer Short and found it to be of value.
To learn more please visit me on my Author Page.
See you there! Regards, Tom.
Comments
Robin Robinson This is a really great post. Check it out.
Thank you Robin, by showing your appreciation you are adding your own bit of heaven to my work. What goes around comes around!