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CORA JANE'S MAGIC LOVE

dedicated to Molly

by Allen Mitchell

High school was the most miserable period of Cora Jane Richley's lonely, empty, friendless life. She was the youngest of five children of a lower middle class family. Cora Jane had the misfortune of weighing in at 230 pounds and standing only 5'4" tall, having no pleasant features and poor eyesight demanding she wear thick, ugly glasses. She was shy, withdrawn, and unable to connect with others. She played by herself when smaller and had no other female friends in high school, not to mention her lack of participation in any school activities whatsoever. She was constantly referred to as "the ugly duckling." Each time she heard that it was a stab in the heart that sent her into tears.

Like thousands of other unattractive girls, Cora Jane's situation seemed to give her nothing to live for and to offer nothing to ever look forward to. She could find nothing of interest to spend her time doing. Worst of all, her state of lethargy led her parents and teachers to consider her a borderline "mental case." She was in a state of constant depression. Not even her own father paid her much attention. Her only source of happiness was her secret crush on Randy Powers, the handsome star running-back for the Center Ridge High School football team, the "Cougars." Cora Jane could only dream of being one of the Cougars' cheerleaders.

Randy was the hot heartthrob of most of Center Ridge High's teen girls. Randy had his pick and pick he did. He would always have an active love life. His well built body and handsomely chiseled facial features caused him to stand out from the other boys. Of course, he would take the homecoming queen to the prom. All the girls sighed over Randy Powers.

Cora Jane could not bring herself to attend any of the games. It was just too painful for her to see her love idol in action as well as witness all the hoopla that went along with the game.

In the face of this reality, all poor Cora Jane could do was daydream of an impossible romance with Randy. She was aware of the Prince Charming of folklore. Cora Jane proceeded with her life with her head in the clouds filled with fantasy affairs concerning "Prince Charming" Randy Powers. She was deeply pained to see other couples dating, going to dances and all the other things that teen couples do. From Randy's point of view, Cora Jane was exceptionally hideous in contrast to all of the hot babes he had access to. His teammates ribbed him constantly about his "number one" fanCora Jane. It was all a big joke . . . until Cora Jane heard of it; then, it was the biggest, worst heartbreak of her life.

After graduation from high school, Randy went on to a football scholarship at State University and eventually to a career as a high-powered investor.

Cora Jane, by contrast, having no social skills, wound up in the drudgery world of a cleaning lady in a big hotel. She split her rent for a flat near the railroad tracks with a fellow female hotel worker. Her life of drudgery continued, and she was always dreaming of Randy.

Randy's life, on the other hand, was that of the carefree and adventurous playboy until it came to a sudden end one spring day when his private jet cartwheeled down the side of a mountain in the Colorado Rockies due to a terrible mechanical malfunction.

When Cora Jane heard of Randy's death, she was crushed and wallowed in morbid depression for days. Now even her fantasy lover was gone. She now felt she had nothing. It was shortly after this that her medical deterioration began, starting with a heart problem, then followed by diabetes and frequent dizzy spells. During one of these spells, she thought she had experienced a flash-vision of Randy Powers. Soon she was unable to continue working and was completely hospitalized. While there her condition worsened, and she was usually comatose and unable to recognize even her own family members. During this period, she experienced extreme chest pain and general confusion and disorientation. Everyone had written her off. Well, not everyone.

On a warm spring evening, Cora Jane experienced the last wrenching chest pain. This time even emergency CPS could not restore her. This final wrenching chest pain marked her fatal heart attack, and she died.

Cora Jane was aware of her lifeless body in the hospital bed. She was also aware of an electronic droning sound and a matrix of rotating geometric forms in bright, rich colors. She was in a state of high panic as she knew she was dying and didn't know what to expect. If there were awareness after death, could it be any more miserable than her last thirty-two years of life on earth? She was terrified a little less as the humming sound faded and a field of rich beautiful cobalt blue foreverness stretched out on all sides of her. Suddenly ahead there seemed to be a sort of platform structure holding what appeared to be translucent human figures. She was in a complete state of terror. At this point, the leading figure in the group approached her with arms extended, talking to her softly.

The state of ice-cold panic faded as Cora Jane realized that the head of the angelic figures was her lifelong heartthrob, Randy Powers. How magical! She could never have imagined anything as wonderful as this.

"Cora Jane, you are here at last," Randy said. "I have waited and prepared for this magic moment since my life ended in the world we shared together."

Cora Jane knew who it was instantly. "Yes, yes, yes. . . . Oh, Randy." It was then that she noticed the droning sound had been replaced by angelic singing. At this point, Cora Jane released a flood of tears and heavy sadness she had been holding onto for a lifetime. She was held firmly in Randy's arms as he told her softly:

"Oh, my darling, I am so sorry for the way I and others treated you. I didn't fully realize how miserable you were and how we were all just hurting you so badly. Most of all, I didn't realize how I was wasting my own life. Cora Jane, I have been shown all of your secret daydream love fantasies about me, how we would dance and make love and fly to the stars together. Well, Cora Jane, now fantasy will become reality and our indefinite future together begins right now. However, unlike your real-world fantasies, there will be a few differences in our new life together.

"As to the first of these differences, please notice your new, beautiful heavenly body. You see, our heavenly bodies merely reflect the beauty of our inner souls, who we really are.

"Secondly, my love for you is even deeper than you could have imagined in your daydreams.

"Third, we will be with friends from high school who have preceded us here. Notice we are all twenty-five years of age.

"Now, my dearest love, I believe we have a high school prom reunion to attend and, of course, you are the homecoming Queen and I am your Prince Charming escort. Much happiness awaits to replace all the misery you have ever felt in that world back there. After the prom, we will set forth on our dreamy ocean cruise honeymoon. Then, over time, as we have fulfilled our love, you will join our angel community and you, too, will in turn become a rescue love angel just as I have.

"So, my dear Cora Jane, let your tears of sorrow turn to tears of joy and know that your dream of our love has come true. Rejoice in knowing that all creation's creatures will experience the joy of seeing all of their dreams of infinite happy possibilities come true, and with your help."