Scene: Walking through the neighborhood.
Nick: Dad?
Me: Yes.
Nick: Tell about Baxter.
Me: Well, Baxter was the dog we had before Jessie. Before you were born.
Nick: Where Baxter go?
Me: Baxter died.
Nick: But where he go?
Me: Well… no one really knows what happens when people die. Some people think we go somewhere else.
Nick: Where?
Me: Well… okay… some people think that we go to a place called Heaven.
Nick: Where’s Heaven?
Me: No one really knows. No one knows if it’s something that’s…that’s… all around us or if it’s just an idea or if it’s inside of us…
Nick: Maybe when we die, we know.
Me: Maybe.
Nick: Daddy?
Me: Yes.
Nick: Did Baxter die when Beethoven died?
Me: No. They were many years apart.
Nick: Oh. Daddy?
Me: Yes.
Nick: Why Baxter die?
Me: Well…um… he was getting sick. And we could tell he wasn’t feeling well so we took him to the doctor and the doctor said he was very sick. So we brought him home and we took care of him until he died. It was very sad and very scary.
Nick: Maybe when we die, we see him!
Me: Try not to sound too excited about that, okay?
Nick: Why?
Me: Because when we die we don’t come back. The important thing is to enjoy life and love each other for as long as we’re… you know… not …dead.
(Neighbors walk by, walking a dog.)
Nick: Hi!
Neighbor: Hi, there.
Nick: I HAVE A DOG TOO!
Neighbor: You do?
Nick: UH-HUH! NAMED JESSIE! WE USED TO HAVE A DOG NAMED BAXTER! BUT HE DIED! NOW HE’S IN A SPECIAL PLACE THAT YOU CAN ONLY SEE WITH BINOCULARS!
Neighbor: Oh! Uh-huh. (pause) Well, bye!
Nick: BYE! Daddy?
Me: Yes.
Nick: If we walk far will we find heaven?
Me: No. No one knows where Heaven really is.
Nick: Maybe we have to walk again tomorrow night. Maybe we find it then.
Me: Maybe.
David Lee White 