her eyes felt heavy and the heat of that late summer afternoon began to take its toll. She allowed herself to rest her fairies and her imagination for a while, closing her eyes while the sun warmed her young face.

The breeze playfully brushed the bushes, sending out a calm rustle of sound, her face cooled, her mind falling into the scarlet dream world that the sun beating on her face had created. Shapes from her imagination danced as her eyes focused onto what it could, she lay still, listening to the voices of nature calling her.

Amelia…

She awoke with a start. Looking around to see only the surrounding bushes and trees nodding their greetings to each other. It must have been her mother from the house she thought, and lay gently back into her previous blissful position.

Amelia…

Her eyes remained shut as her ears and brain worked together to home in on the noise, a voice that she half recognised. Almost that of angel. The voice invited her forward, with a beautiful choral sound, complimenting the singing of the birds.

Amelia…

She opened her eyes to see standing before her a woman, but not any woman, the most beautiful woman that she had ever seen. The sun glowed through her, revealing her perfect shape. Sharp rays of light seeped through her thin summer dress. She could swear that this heavenly creature before her, who was perfect in every aspect, was holding out her arm and extending her hand.

Come.

The order sounded so natural, as if this lady knew that the answer would be yes. Amelia felt herself rise and take a step toward the Goddess in front of her. This was where she wanted to be; this was the exact place, no fear, no hurt, just beauty, calm and grace. They took each other’s hands and glided across the grass, which followed their movements with pleasure. There they danced, in pure joy, neither had ever felt so happy, trees and bushes tapped their branches in time, at one with the beautiful couple. To fly and hover felt as natural as lying on a bed of soft feather. The late afternoon sun dutifully offering them a spotlight to take centre stage, both adjoined as if never apart. The birds all around, humming in chorus for this last dance; It felt so perfect in every way, the wars felt like yesterday’s nightmares, her mothers duties belonged to another life. She did not dwell on this planet, but somewhere far better, somewhere deep within her imagination. My grandmother looked into the eyes of the lady, she stared back and offered my grandmother a smile that would stay with her for the rest of her life. The apparition put my grandmother down onto the grass, which gently parted under her feet.

Goodbye my sweet precious Amelia.

          ‘Goodbye mummy’

As soon as it had begun, it had finished. The clouds gently blocked out the sunlight and the air turned a shade cooler. She opened her eyes and stood alone, arms out but holding nothing but air. Everything came flooding back as a drop of rain landed on the tip of her nose. She ran indoors just as the master of the house ran through the back door shouting for an ambulance.

My grandmother told me that story a week before she died; it was her most treasured possession and one that she wanted to share with me. She was never happier than in those brief minutes of dancing, she always said that to prepare for life you should not be afraid of death. My Grandmother died happily during the balmy summer of 1999, smiling and holding her hands out to the ceiling.