The Heavenly Grille Café (Heavenly Grille Cafe Book 1) Read online

  THE

  HEAVENLY GRILLE

  CAFÉ

  By

  J. T. Livingston

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Read more Heavenly Grille Café!

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  CHAPTER 40

  Read more Heavenly Grille Café!

  The Heavenly Grille Café

  Copyright © 2015 by Joyce Livingston

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the express permission of the author, except in the case of brief embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, businesses, places events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Published by Piscataqua Press

  An imprint of RiverRun Bookstore, Inc.

  142 Fleet Street | Portsmouth, NH | 03801

  www.riverrunbookstore.com

  www.piscataquapress.com

  ISBN: 978-1-979379-73-5

  To purchase the next book in the Heavenly Grille Café series:

  Four-Footed Angels

  Click here

  or read the first chapter here

  To purchase book 3 in the Heavenly Grille Café series:

  Star-Spangled Rejects

  Click here

  or read the first chapter here

  PROLOGUE

  We’ve all heard stories about it, just as we’ve all wondered whether or not it really exists. We’ve wondered what it’s really like – will we all live in mansions built on streets of gold; will our pets be there; will homosexuals, perverts, rapists, or murderers live among us; will Aunt Jane have to pick among the five husbands she outlived; will there be toilets and fast foods; will we be expected to work, or will we just lay around eating bonbons and brownies all day? Oh, yes, we have all heard the stories associated with that wonderful place that really does exist. Far above the earth’s atmosphere lies a beautiful, tranquil encampment known to mere mortals as HEAVEN. Words have yet to be created that would fully and accurately describe the beauty, as well as the encompassing peace and serenity, associated with this truly miraculous, spiritual domain.

  Since Heaven really does exist, then we also have to wonder about the stories that have been told for centuries about its inhabitants – those inhabitants known to us as ANGELS. You see, just as there really is a Heaven, there are also angels who inhabit it; and, you have to realize what a fabulously collective group of souls these inhabitants of Heaven present. Our human visualization of them probably finds them floating around on their designated clouds, adjusting their brilliant halos throughout the day, and flapping their earned wings in pride – but the truth of the matter is that some of those angels are actually allowed to return to earth, in hopes of persuading more of us mere mortals to turn our lives over to the Lord – you know…before it is too late. For those of us who have read the entire sixteen-volume set of the “Left Behind” series, we know what life will be like for all the non-believers, don’t we? That brings us to the focal point of this particular story. It is a story about a group of angels, once again… quite a special, collective group of angels…who have been assigned their earthly duties working at a dining establishment known as the Heavenly Grille Café.

  Max is the angel-in-charge of the Heavenly Grille Café. Somewhere in his distant past, Max had a last name, but in his role as an angel, he does not require one. There is no need for angels to use their given last names because there simply is no need for them in Heaven. So what happens if there are two million angels named Max in Heaven, you might wonder? Fear not, because the explanation is not a complicated one. Quite simply, the angels just know. All they have to do is close their eyes and visualize the Max they need to talk to, and – POOF! – just like that, they are immediately transported into the presence of that person. Just imagine the savings in fuel costs alone once we get to Heaven!

  Not every angel is allowed the privilege of returning to earth, and even fewer angels ever acquire the privilege, and responsibility, of working with Max at the Heavenly Grille. Quite the contrary, working with Max at the Heavenly Grille is an honor bestowed only upon those angels who have truly earned their figurative wings - not necessarily through longevity, but through proven obedience, dedication, and love to their Heavenly Father. It is one of the most prestigious positions any angel may hope to achieve, and since Max is the angel-in-charge, he is given free authority to select his “employees” for the Heavenly Grille. Naturally, Max has to answer to someone, too, so he is always extremely careful to select just the right group of angels to accompany him on his assignments. Most of the angels working with Max at the café stay for a five-year assignment because that is usually the longest time that the Heavenly Grille remains in any one location. There has been one exception to the five-year assignment; it involves an angel who has been with Max at the café, every day, for the last fifty years. That angel’s name is Bertie - just Bertie - no last name.

  Now that you have a better, general idea of Heaven and how some of its angels operate, what do you say about kicking back and making yourself comfortable for a bit? Go ahead, grab a snack, turn off the television, give your computer a much-needed rest, prop up your tired feet, and allow yourself to be entertained by this wonderful group of angelic characters. Who knows, maybe they’ll even recruit YOU before the book ends. There is no doubt that you will be forever glad that you welcomed them into your life!

  “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

  -Psalm 91:11(NKJV)

  CHAPTER 1

  Summer 2011

  Bertie checked herself in the wall mirror that hung outside the ladies’ restroom door. She dabbed on some pink lipstick, her favorite color, pinched her cheeks for some extra, natural color, and ran her fingers through her thick curls; she was careful not to disturb the halo headband perched upon her head. “You are one fine looking woman!” she laughed as she gave her reflection a final nod of approval and straightened her crisp, white apron. She was still laughing when she reached the front door and flipped the CLOSED sign to OPEN. It was seven o’clock on a beautiful Monday morning and she couldn’t wait for the day to begin. She took a long, deep breath, closed her eyes, and whispered the prayer with which she began every day. “Okay, good morning, God! Here we go! I hope this will be a blessed day for you, filled with few disappointments; and, to start your day off on a positive note, I si
ncerely promise that I will do my best to hold my tongue today and to make you proud. As always, Lord, use me to do your will. Amen!”

  Bertie opened her eyes and glanced quickly over her shoulder at the enormous black man, who was whistling loudly and extremely out of tune, and smiling back at her from the café’s kitchen. She shook her head and grinned back at the man. Who knew anyone could actually whistle out of tune! “Looks like the first car is here. Get the fire started, Max!”

  Max chuckled and nodded. “Oh, don’t you worry none, Bertie; this fire stays lit!” He gave her a thumbs up. “It’s going to be a good day, Bertie, oh, yes it is!”

  Max was the owner/operator of the Heavenly Grille Café, a pristine diner with flashing neon lights that welcomed its customers continuously. The café’s current location was situated along an isolated stretch of Highway 19, close to the Florida and Georgia state lines. Instead of golden arches that monopolized the interstate, the Heavenly Grille hosted a huge, golden halo that seemed to actually float above its roof. Visitors to the café never failed to wonder, and ask, how the halo managed to stay afloat, because there were no obvious means of support beams or wires to hold it in place. Max always laughed and winked, telling everyone that God kept it afloat. Some people would smile and wink back, others would nod in agreement, and, some would look at him like he had grown two heads before they quickly exited the café. As much as people wondered about the physics involved with the floating halo, no one seemed to really question or challenge Max’s explanations; nevertheless, that didn’t stop them from continuing to wonder about it and to tell their friends and neighbors about it. If their curiosity about the halo ever reached a point of overt concern, and that had happened once or twice in the past, then Max would simply pack up and move the café to another small town. He had tried relocating the café to the larger cities, because residents there tended to be more concerned with catching cabs and making a buck than in wondering how the café’s halo stayed afloat, but he preferred the spiritual intimacy that he found so exhilarating in the smaller cities and towns across America.

  Max would routinely relocate the Heavenly Grille every five years, regardless of people’s curiosity, because of one important factor – he didn’t want people to begin to wonder why he and the other café employees never seemed to age. Of course there was a very logical explanation as to why they didn’t age, but Max wasn’t at liberty to divulge that information. The fact of the matter was that all of the employees of the café never aged because they were angels. That’s right – angels! It was important to Max, not to mention to God, that he reach as many people as possible while operating the Heavenly Grille; and, over the past one hundred years, Max and his employees had managed to reach thousands upon thousands of people – some, just in the nick of time, too.

  Bertie was the only café employee who had been with Max for more than the normal five-year assignment, and she was very, very good at her job. She usually served a dual role as both hostess and waitress, and was the first person people met upon entering the establishment. She stood 5’2” tall and weighed a healthy 140 pounds. She currently wore her curly, dark brown hair at chin-length, always tucked behind her ears; but, over the past century, she had sported every hairstyle imaginable, from braids to buns. Although her hairstyle may have changed many times over the years, it was the light in Bertie’s intense blue eyes that never changed. Her eyes were both captivating and illuminating on their own, but it was her exuberant smile and boisterous personality that seemed to most capture and engulf the attention of her audience.

  Bertie took a last look around before opening the doors to the café’s first customers that Monday morning. Yes, everything was in place. The blue- and white-checkered tablecloths were clean and crisp; they looked so pretty against the pale blue walls accentuated with large, cumulous clouds. The cherub salt and pepper shakers, like Bertie, also served a dual purpose; they also held a slot for the café’s customized napkins, which were engraved with the Heavenly Grille Café logo – a golden halo with the words, “God loves YOU!” embossed on them.

  Bertie took personal pride and satisfaction in knowing that the café was ready for the day’s real job. It was true that while the customers might leave with positive thoughts about the friendly service and the scrumptious meal they had received, and simply go on about their day, they would also leave with a little something extra. They would leave the café knowing that they had to return for more – for something more than just the good food and pleasant employees. They might not realize initially what that “something more” was, so it was Bertie’s job to ensure that they would eventually find answers to the many questions for which they inwardly searched.

  Bertie adjusted the halo hairband on her head, removed the key from her apron pocket, and unlocked the front door. A little girl around the age of four walked in, her mother trailing behind her, and smiled up at Bertie.

  “Well, good morning, beautiful!” Bertie smiled as she bent down to look into the child’s innocent and bewildered eyes.

  The little girl’s smile widened as she continued to beam at Bertie. She tugged at her mother’s shirt, pointed at Bertie’s halo, and whispered, “Look, Mommy! She’s an angel!”

  “Out of the mouths of babes!” Bertie laughed as she patted the child on the shoulder.

  CHAPTER 2

  -Heaven-

  Martin Assigns A New Angel

  Max’s primary assistant in Heaven was an angel by the name of Martin, who, like Max, was a tall, black man. However, the color of their skin and their height were their only similar physical features. Where Max was muscular and robust, Martin was thin and weakly in appearance. Where Max was personable and outgoing, Martin was perspicuous and rather introverted. Regardless of their physical and emotional differences, the two men had been best friends in their former, earthly lives, and their relationship only intensified and strengthened when they obtained their wings from their Heavenly Father. The other angels often joked among themselves that the most prestigious assignments must go only to those angels whose names began with an “M”. Naturally, that wasn’t true – just merely coincidental.

  Martin was not only Max’s best friend in life and in death, but he also served as mentor to some of the senior angels – one of which, and to his often regret, was Bertie. Even though Bertie had been an angel for one hundred years, there was still much for her to learn, and Martin was more often than not challenged, yet also determined, to perform his job to perfection. Bertie had proven, on more than one occasion, to be one of his biggest challenges. He took immense satisfaction, not pride – because he was convinced that pride was indeed a sin - in knowing that his mentoring and persistence had helped produce an angel of Bertie’s qualifications and caliber, even though it had taken her fifty years to attain her figurative wings. His patience was tested every time she argued with him about those wings; she refused to acknowledge the fact that there was a difference between the wings representing a figurative symbol, and not a literal symbol, of angelic achievements.

  Martin was tedious and particular about angels fully meeting all qualifications and readiness for their respective assignments, so he was surprised at the uneasy feeling and second thoughts he was now having about the latest assignment for Doug, his newest protégé. He was recommending Doug for one of the prestigious assignments at the Heavenly Grille Café. He and Max had discussed the situation at length, but Martin still had some doubts as to Doug’s readiness to return to earth. One of the reasons triggering Martin’s doubts was the fact that Doug had only been dead for fifty-eight years; so, there was always the slight possibility that someone might still be alive who could recognize him. However, at the end of the day, Martin agreed to take the risk because he knew that Doug needed this assignment in order to truly move on – to finally let go of his past life and accept the one that awaited him.

  Martin rubbed his chin between his bony thumb and index finger, and began pacing back and forth, eventually forming a c
omplete circle with his thoughts and concerns about Doug. There was nothing in Martin’s heavenly space to distract him from his prayers and thoughts. There were no phones, no buzzers, no sirens – nothing to distract him from the final decision he had made regarding Doug. He was surrounded by an endless, subtle aura of whiteness – a whiteness whose eternal partner was a peaceful, serene bright light made up of shards of gold and white beams. The only tangible object in the area at the moment was a HUGE white screen with scrolling black lettering moving slowly from left to right. The screen served as Martin’s data base containing information on events pertaining to every angel’s life, death, and hereafter experiences. Neither a touch pad nor voice activation were required to operate the screen; it operated simply and efficiently, never crashing or requiring rebooting, via Martin’s thoughts and prayers – and only his. Even Heaven requires some form of security – for the time being at least.

  Martin opened his eyes from prayer and focused, once again, on the information emanating from the huge screen. A brief outline of Doug’s life, and angelic qualifications, quickly appeared on the screen.

  Angel was born on January 1, 1933 to parents, Joseph and Camille.

  Angel was younger brother to sisters, Emily and Rachel.

  Angel was baptized at the age of 10.

  Angel joined the United States Army in 1951 at the age of 18.

  Angel became one of the estimated 33,686 battle deaths during the Korean War; angel died at the age of 20 on July 16, 1953, the last day for the Battle of Pork Chop Hill.

  Angel lived a Christian-filled life until his untimely death.

  Angel has achieved exemplary angelic ratings and performances since his arrival in July 1953.

  Angel has met all angelic requirements for return-to-earth-assignments (first of which is to have been dead a minimum of 50 years).