Time to be Reborn

         Time to be Reborn

Suzanne Marsh

Seventy five years, three quarters of a century. For years Gloria Maynard wanted to go into space. She thought about space, a place where there was no hurt, no pain, just simply space. Life had not been kind to Gloria over the years. NASA rejected her application, to go into space. The space station did not want anyone “that old” in its program. Gloria had run out of options, her family had for sometime thought she was a little odd, but she wasn’t hurting anyone so they opted to let her continue her dreams.

Gloria, one night went to sleep, a very deep sleep. She began to dream, she met in her dreams, an alien, who became her friend. He would sit a her bedside at night, telling her about his adventures in space. He became a true friend and companion to Gloria. The alien, whose name she thought sounded a great deal like Abner, asked if she would like to go to a planet where it was green and lovely. Gloria, jumped on the chance to go. She told Abner how she had tried to get into several space programs but was told she was to old. Abner simply nodded his over-sized head in agreement. He promised her she would have her chance in space.

A few years later, Gloria, once again was having problems coping with her world. She wished Abner would once again come to her. She went to sleep, a very deep sleep. Abner arrived, his space ship hovering over Gloria's home. He picked her up, carried to his ship. He prepared her for flight, placing her in a capsule, to keep her safe during their flight. The space ship lifted off in a whirl of wind. He knew that his home planet of ID would welcome Gloria with open arms. Most of his species wished to make the acquaintance of a real human being.

Abner’s space ship flew on into space, the coordinates set taking them to the planet Mirh. He dozed off for almost a light year, when he awoke, he noticed that Gloria’s white hair had become a dark brown, her skin had no wrinkles. She was beautiful, he hoped when she awakened she would be joyful to see herself as she had been sixty years ago, in earth time. He was pleased that he could make her happy. The space ship continued to soar into the heavens. Abner thought once again of awakening his sleeping beauty, he had no idea what would happen if he opened the capsule before she could be decontaminated from the grunge of the earth. Abner began by contacting Orber, a scientist on his planet:

“Ober, Aberner here, I have a earthing aged seventy five, what would happen should I wake her

and remove her from her sleeping capsule? Would I harm her in any way?

Ober thought about this for several moments:

“Aberner, I do not think there would be a problem with her, seventy five is not a great age

perhaps for earthlings it is but for Mirhans it is still very young. Be sure you depressurize

her capsule before you awake her. That is all.”

Abner, was pleased by Ober’s answer, he wanted to awaken Gloria, yet there was something that was bothering him about it. Earthlings, he knew, think differently than Mirhans, would waking her be a mistake. He put awakening her off for another light year, as he thought things through. He wondered how he would feel if he were Gloria. Waking up and finding a little blue man could scare her, but he decided that he would awaken her now.

Abner began by opening the capsule, then he began to decompress Gloria. Gloria, turned away from the bright light inside the space ship, it was so very bright. She was not frightened, not by any means. Finally she began to streach, she looked around. Her mind wondered where she was, this certainly not her bedroom! Abner floated over to her:

“Gloria, do you know where you are?”

Gloria, glared at him:

“Who are you? Where am I? What happened? I am so confused.” She cried out from the capsule. Abner began to sooth her:

“Gloria, I am Abner, you are in my space ship. I took you from your home, I want to

make you happy. We are going to my planet, Mirh where you will see green trees and grass

animals that are unlike what you have on earth. Please don’t be unhappy. I know this

is a shock for you.”

He aided Gloria in stepping out of the capsule, she gasped:

“My goodness you are blue, I thought all your sort were green. Will you turn me blue?”

Abner laughed:

“I wanted you to see me as I am Gloria, not a dream. I can transform myself to look as

I did in your dreams.”

Gloria, was unsure of how she felt being abducted by this cute little blue man. She was fully awake when Abner handed her a rather odd looking mirror:

“Gloria, use this to see yourself. I think it will please you.”

Gloria, held the mirror, gasped and fainted. When she came to, Abner was rubbing her hand. How could she have changed so much in such a short time? Abner, quietly took the mirror she handded him:

“Gloria, what do you think? You are so beautiful, at least to me.” Gloria, was unsettled:

“Abner, I look like I did when I was young. My hair is the brown color it was, no gray

anywhere on my head. The wrinkles and crows feet are gone, I am thirty pounds lighter.

Are you sure this is not heaven?”

Abner, was very pleased:

“No, Gloria this is not heaven, as I told you this is my space ship, we are bound for

Mirh. We will be there in another two light years. Would you like to stay awake or

would you rather sleep in the capsule until we arrive.”

Gloria strode around the space ship, there was a small window, she peered out into the darkness of space, with the feeling that life as she had known it was gone. She had to some how get word to her family she was fine. She sat in front of the small window watching then turned to Abner:

“Abner, can we get word to my children that I am fine and safe?”

Abner, moved silently toward a gizzmo that appeared to be a radio:

“Gloria, use this radio, it is telepathic, you can contact only one person.”

Gloria, accepted that, she spoke to her daughter for a matter of moments:

“I am fine honey, I am with Abner. The pain is gone completely. Remember I love

you, and your brothers. Goodbye darling.”

Gloria felt as if she had been reborn in that instant.