Unforgettable Melody - S01 E71

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Unforgettable Melody - S01 E71

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 71

Chuckling, he replied, “Yep, though truthfully, he gets a bit of a bad rap. Very few of the Apostles have grown to be as thoughtful and insightful as he has over the centuries. Like I said, nobody’s perfect, but he’s responded to his trademark shortcoming brilliantly.”

As Harry finished speaking, they felt a great rumbling in the chamber. Ahead of them, the section of the chamber wall that lacked seats began to split, slowly opening to reveal a bright light within. As the wall fully opened, Mike could see an enormous throne on the other side, which soon was sat upon by a gigantic robed figure. The light from the room was intense and concentrated, blinding him to the point that he could only make out the feet of the figure sitting on the throne.

“Is… that?” Mike stuttered.

“You better believe it… the boss man Himself,” Harry replied with a smile.

With all parties now assembled, Thomas began to speak, his authoritative voice echoing throughout the chamber. “Henry Buchannan, you have passed away from your mortal life and now stand before the Throne of God the Almighty, seeking entry into His kingdom. Before this can happen, you must now answer for your transgressions in life. Said transgressions include, but are not limited to, lying to one’s subjects, theft of money and property by deception from said subjects, multiple accounts of adultery, and corruption of power to an extreme magnitude. Henry Buchannan, do you understand the transgressions as they have been stated to you?”

“Y-Yes, I do,” the man said meekly.

“Very well,” Thomas replied. “How do you answer in regard to lying to your subjects?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Henry said, prompting a derisive snort from Mike.

Not conceding an inch, Thomas held firm, saying, “You are on record in life as making multiple promises to your subjects, such as a refusal to raise taxes or an oath to reduce eminent domain laws, only to intentionally break those exact promises after gaining power. These facts are indisputable. I ask again, how do you answer?”

“I answer that… I always did what was best for my constituents, even if they did not know for themselves what was best. I lived my life without regret,” Henry replied.

“Very well,” Thomas said. “In life you enacted, though were never caught making, policies that allowed you to secretly embezzle money and property from your subjects, frequently using complex language to trick them into paying fees or losing property that was rightfully theirs. How do you answer?”

“Now see here!” Henry replied, becoming more agitated. “Every dollar of funds I raised from my constituents went to worthy causes! That I can guarantee! They themselves refused to donate to those causes, even though God Himself commanded them to do so, leaving me no choice but to use the law to correct this problem. I prayed night and day about that decision, and came to the conclusion that it was what God wanted me to do.”

Thomas responded, “Even if it were true that those funds went to worthy causes, I can personally guarantee you that God the Father never instructed you to do such a thing. As it so happens, however, those funds did not go to ‘worthy causes’ as you claim, instead funding the favorite projects of those who would donate to your reelection campaigns. Do you have anything more to add?”

“No, I have no regrets,” Henry said defiantly.

Thomas continued, “Very well. In regards to the multiple accounts of adultery, how do you answer?”

Henry stood in stunned silence for several moments before finally answering, “I… I loved my wife. I love her still today. There was nothing wrong with her, our marriage was just… boring.”

“Boring?” Thomas asked, amazed at the man’s audacity. “She willingly gave herself to you, body, mind, and soul. She devoted her life to you. Yet all you can say in regards to breaking your vows to her is that she was… boring?”

“Mankind has always become restless at times, seeking new and exciting adventures,” Henry replied, trying to cover for himself. “It’s simply our nature, a nature God imbued in us, so nothing could be wrong about it. Again, I have no regrets.”

Thomas then said, “Finally, in regards to the transgression of corruption, how do you answer?”

Staring straight into the counselor’s eyes, Henry replied, “I hate that word. Corruption is what I fought against my entire life. The very notion that you would call me corrupt is… despicable.”

“So, you claim that you did not engage in corrupt practices?”

“Yes I do.”

Shaking his head, Thomas stated, “Your claim is erroneous, and one that you know to be a falsehood. Throughout your life, you frequently ignored the will and needs of your subjects, rejecting their choices as to who should serve in your offices alongside you as public servants. You would then replace those choices with individuals that would simply do your bidding unquestioningly. All of your actions led you towards one goal: attaining, keeping, growing, and consolidating your own power and influence. Your entire life was one long quest for power over your fellow Man. How do you answer?”

“I am a man of God!” he exclaimed. “Every action I took in service to my constituents was in effort to bring them as close to God as me. The people they would have had me work with were Godless imbeciles! They wouldn’t know the first thing about governing. If the people are misguided in their actions and decisions, it is their leader’s job to correct them, as I did.”

“Very well. Henry Buchannan, this is your final opportunity to speak. Do you have anything more to say before a decision is rendered in regards to your eternal soul?” Thomas asked.

Still defiant, the man simply repeated his mantra once more. “I have no regrets.”

Soon, the chamber began to rumble as God Himself spoke His judgment.

Foolish man. To commit such egregious transgressions and still have no forethought to truly and earnestly repent of them. To knowingly do such deplorable acts and attempt to claim they are done in My name. Thou hypocrite! He who attempts to lead people to God while being willfully ignorant as to His will is truly a failure. He who sees no fault in his shortcomings and only seeks to blame them on his very creation ignores My greatest gift of all: the free will inherent in all of Mankind. You are unworthy to enter My house. Given every opportunity to repent of your sins, you still choose to cling to your own misguided pride. You are UNWORTHY to ever enter My house! I cast you OUT!

The moment He had finished speaking, the platform beneath Henry began to smoke, glowing red. A look of dread and panic spread across his face; he knew he had blown his one shot at redemption. “No… no… no, no, noooooo!!!!” he wailed in desperation. As he cried out, the floor of his platform disappeared beneath him, dropping him into a bottomless, flaming pit.

“Woah… that was intense,” Mike whispered as light slowly returned to the room.

“I know,” Harry said, “but it was important for you to see. I’m not allowed to tell you how to approach your hearing, but I hope that watching poor Henry gave you some vital information as to the answers.”

“I think so. It’s just… I’m now more worried than ever.”

“Don’t be. Remember, you’re a blue, not a yellow. It’s already been determined that you’re not deserving of Henry’s fate. Truthfully, Henry had every opportunity to earn his eternal reward, but that’s not how it ended for him.”

Thinking momentarily, Mike asked, “What would be the worst case scenario for my hearing?”

Nodding, Harry replied, “God would determine that your transgressions and answers to them are not enough to warrant your immediate entry into Heaven. In that case, you would immediately find yourself at the foot of Mount Purgatory, where you would begin to work off those transgressions during your climb, bettering yourself in the process.”

Taking a deep breath, Mike stated, “Ok, I’m ready.”

Walking down several flights of stairs, Harry led him to a small, empty room with a familiar-looking podium standing on a round platform. Shaking his grandson’s hand firmly, Harry said, “I know you’re worried, and that’s perfectly normal. Just remember, regardless of what happens in the Judgment Chamber, that you will see Melody again, you will see me again, you will see all of your loved ones again. It’s only a matter of when. Have faith, Mike.”

“Thanks, Granddaddy.”

Stepping onto the platform, Mike quieted his mind and took his place at the podium. As the circular railing now surrounded him, a column of light engulfed the platform, obscuring everything from Mike’s view. With a flash, he stood on the floor of the Judgment Chamber, face-to-face with Thomas. Though he was nervous, Mike couldn’t help but smile, reminding himself that Melody’s warm embrace could be mere moments away. He allowed these thoughts to envelope him, feeling a wave of courage wash over his conscious. He looked up with a pleasant look on his face, ready for whatever Thomas presented to him. The familiar rumbling began once more, revealing the Throne of God and signaling the start of the hearing.

“Mike Braxton,” Thomas spoke. “You have passed away from your mortal life and now stand before the Throne of God the Almighty, seeking entry into His kingdom. Before this can happen, you must now answer for your transgressions in life. Said transgressions include, but are not limited to, instances of taking the Lord’s name in vain, multiple accounts of sex outside of wedlock, among other… unique situations, which we will delve into. Mike Braxton, do you understand the transgressions as they have been stated to you?”

“Yes sir, I do,” Mike replied.

“Very well. How do you answer in regards to taking the Lord’s name in vain?”