The Lower Lights

 

             Sam Pepper always had at least one candle burning on his table.  He was funny that way, he 

would light it when he got up and put it out when he went to bed.  To his thinking it made the 

surroundings pretty.  He also thought that if a candle burnt out on its own someone you knew had

died, and you would soon hear about it.

            One day Sam was listening to a religious radio station.  They started playing someone singing,

"Let Your Lower Lights Be Burning".  At which time for no reason two of his candles blew out for no

reason.  This spooked Sam, and he was certain someone he knew would soon pass on.

            He checked Face Book to see if any one he knew had placed a death notice there.  No one he 

knew had placed a death notice on Face Book.  He then checked his e-mail, and found nothing there 

either.  Last but not least he checked with a friend whose family member was dying, but nothing there 

either.  He shrugged his shoulders as if to say maybe I'm just being superstitious.

            About that time a strong wind came against the house shaking it violently.  The strong wind 

caused the remaining candle to knock over falling on its side catching the newspaper on fire.  Sam

quickly put the fire out with his shoe.  He got the fire out, but as for the newspaper and the shoe they 

were ruined.

              Sam ordered some new shoes from www.Amazon.com, and had them the next day.  As for the 

candle he got a new one of those scented candles at Kroger for nine dollars plus tax.  He took the 

candle home, took it out of the box, and lit it for a couple of hours.

               Sam still had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he'd hear of a death.  Sam watched 

the news to get his mind off things and find out what the weather was going to do.  He did of course, 

remember that they didn't always get the weather right.  After all they were human and even with all 

the years of training they had in school they could still make mistakes.

               As Sam was watching the news a storm blew up.  Sam lit the scented candle he had just 

bought.  He also lit the lamp his great-grandfather had once owned.  When he had done this the phone 

rang, and Sam jumped.  On the other end it was the church leader letting him know a centurion friend

 of theirs had passed on.  At which time the radio switched on, and played, "Let Your Lower Lights Be

Burning".

Paul D. Eccles