Maybe it was the need for the connection to be. Or maybe even from grief, came her destiny. They weren’t strangers by any means, as they have been in each other’s lives for many years and now Paula’s passing had brought them a bit closer. Celia was able to understand Dom’s grief as she had lost loved ones too. Apart from their humour that seemed so similar at times, he was a funny and sensitive man.
A light had gone out, yes. Losing Paula would always be emotionally painful for everyone. It some ways, it would be more emotionally painful for Dom because he knew Paula better, than anyone.
Sitting in the church listening to her sister Helen reading out an extremely moving and much heart felt piece of writing about her best friend Paula. Celia’s mind rewound back to the previous Autumn, only five months before. Where she’d dreamt about Paula, that one and only time. In Celia’s dream Paula was lying down on a bed, her head resting on a pillow and her eyes were closed. She was sleeping and her body was covered in bed linen. It was only her head that remained visible to the naked eye.
For days Celia had shrugged it off as just a random visiual thought during her sleeping time and nothing more than that. Then during a visit to her mother’s a few days later, Celia’s mother confided in Celia about Paula.
“ What about Paula, Mum?”
Celia asked. “Helen…err. It’s bad news. Helen told me a few days ago, that Paula’s been diagnosed with a Brain Tumour, it’s inoperable.”
Celia, could feel an awful shiver down the back of her spine. “Oh my god! I don’t know what to say, mum.” “I know, it’s not fair, Celia.”
“How’s Helen doing, mum?”
“She’s still taking it all in, Celia. She’ll tell you in her own time, as Paula’s only just found out herself, in these last few days.”
Celia, couldn’t help but think of her dream about Paula, from only two days before. There Paula was lying down on a bed asleep, with just her head and only her head visible to the naked eye.
It suddenly all made sense. The dream that appeared so random and abstract at the time, suddenly made sense.
It was all so very clear to Celia now.
Was it some sort of premonition, of the bad news that she received only two days later.
The only person that Celia, told about her dream was her mum, that very day. Her mum didn’t seem surprised at all, when she heard Celia’s dream. As Celia’s mum was aware of Celia’s strong sense of ESP. Besides, it was inherited from her mum’s side of the family. Celia’s third eye, appeared to be more and more awaken with various situations and events in her life.
When Celia was much younger she would often keep information to herself, regarding things that came up through the ESP if it wasn’t very nice outcomes for people. Now many years later, things were changing again and she could feel a deepened intensity, that she couldn’t explain to those around her. As her third eye was responding to things in such clear way, to the point where sometimes she just daren’t say.
As Celia come back to the present moment, listening to her sister’s heartfelt words in the church about those precious times shared with Paula. The tears just fell, faster and faster down Celia’s cheeks. As Celia wiped away her tears with her hand. She watched the photo memories on the large screen, positioned at the front of the church for all to see.
Each photo was a reflection of a moment of life a life lived to the fullest.
As Club Tropicana played as the coffin was being carried out through the church doors, the people followed on.
The same song that was playing at that very moment in the church, Celia was listening to on her own a few times at home, during the morning. While getting herself ready for Paula’s funeral, later that day.
The Angel message that Celia found purely by accident earlier that day at home, sent another huge shiver down her spine. Then before leaving her home for the church, Celia could feel yet another shiver down her spine. A shiver that felt stronger than the previous one. As she drew an card only a few hours before from her Oracle Journey Butterfly deck of cards.
As Celia read through the Order of Service, when she arrived home after the celebration of life - wake.
Celia noticed… She noticed as a shiver went down her spine, that on the very back of it were the words…
Butterfly Funeral Services.
Like a message from beyond the grave in some way. Still connecting with the universe, like a magnetic boomerang, but in the form of a Butterfly.
Paula’s family and friends had created a day full of celebration, memories upon memories, of her life. “She will have been smiling down on everyone today.” Celia thought.
Although, it was a sad occasion,
those happy memories were captured too. After all it was a life being celebrated appreciated and valued.
Paula was free from pain and free at last. A beautiful butterfly flying into the sky,
while everyone that knew her, said “Goodbye.”



(23/02/24)













© Josephine Daniels.