No One Comes Ahead of Their Time

Chuck is ninety-seven and fed up, angrier today than ever before. He just received news about his grandson and he is furious with God. Chuck’s knees are arthritic, his back aches constantly, his bowels don’t move. He wants cancer or a heart attack, he would welcome death. Instead, death took away his great grandson at sixteen? Chuck was so angry when he heard that Larry was dead on arrival. Dead on arrival! Dead on arrival! He cannot get this out of his brain. Why didn’t you take me? He yells at God. He is screaming mad. Texting while driving, his granddaughter tells him. How do you know? He was in the middle of a word. Whatever that means…. Larry watches this with one of his guardians from his catbird seat. What can I do to help him? He asks. The guardian smiles, giving him no answer. When can he come up here? When it’s his time, the angel replies. It doesn’t seem fair, Larry says. I want him here now. He is not finished with his work yet. No one comes ahead of their time.