Ethan's Great Grand Dad

"Hey Dad."

"Hey Bub."

Sitting on the Beloved Back Deck listening to Ziggy Marley "Forward to Love," pondering the birth of our Grandson, my Dad appears out of Heaven where he hosts a weekly Golf tournament and nightly cocktails at "Angel's Bar."

Dad died six years ago but, as they say, it's hard to keep a good man down.

"How you been Dad?" I ask staring at the sun blazing through the Palm Tree with the Oyster Eyes, coconut bra and grass skirt.

"Good!" he snaps. "I won the pool and decided to pop in and celebrate the reason for my winnings."

"What do you bet with in Heaven?" I ask. "There's money?"

"I wish," Dad sighs. "No ... the winner gets to sit beside St. Peter at the Bar. He's heard it all Mike! When he gets going after a few drinks and tells stories of the reasons people make up to get inside ... it's a riot."

"I bet," I laugh opening the sliding screen door to let Winston, The Little Gay Dog, out.

"A baby huh?" Dad laughs. "At your age."

"You're gonna love her," I answer. "You love all the girls ... starting with Angi  ... when Clare Hope gets her, she's gonna steal your heart."

"Che," Dad smirks. "That's clever."

"All Sarah," I smile.

"Well I'm here for Ethan Wilkerson's arrival," he firmly says.

"Pretty exciting ain't it? Your great-grandson?"

"Actually it's kind of anti-climatic," Dad laughs, "I get to see it all from the production end in Heaven. Ethan looks good! ... a handsome fella! ... just like the other Elliott boys."

I nod in agreement.

"I'm here to see Jeremy and Terenca but wanted to stop by and say 'Hey'," he says starting to dissipate.

"Good to see to see you Dad," I yell standing up. "Love ya!"

"Love you too," he says in the distance before I faintly hear him say, "Hey Jeremy."