the way station to the next place

• The Way station to the next place
  

fiction
edward w pritchard

The way station to the next place was chaotic and crowded and the workers were unable to handle the rush. It was intolerable how we were treated and the lines and the wait went on for days. We certainly weren't used to this sort of treatment.


Over and over someone would push and shove to the front of the line and demand to speak to someone and then be incredulous that someone of their importance would have to endure this ordeal. However it was to no avail and the workers treated everyone the same and all must wait in the endless lines and then complete the required documentation before they could move on towards their next destination.

In time I noticed that the Buddhists were handling the situation better than the rest of us. They seemed to be sitting quietly and meditating and waiting patiently. The Catholics and Baptists were the most impatient and expected special treatment. The Muslims and the Hindus were trying to follow procedure, at least they weren't making a fuss or a scene and seemed to have accepted that things had changed for them after their demise.  

Eventually I became more patient like the Buddhists. I waited until my turn and I accepted the fact that our status had changed when we died and we just had better follow procedures and wait our turn to move to the next place. I pretended I was very delayed at an airport and I tried to act civilly while I waited to move on.

Yes, eventually I figured out how to follow the new rules.  I was able to move on after my earthly extinction but I didn't like my loss of status and  I certainly  wasn't used to how I was being treated..
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