第18章：另一位天使
Chapter 18: Another Angel
當我開始改變自己的態度與行為時，我回想起曾出現在我生命中的那些美好人物。其中一位是我從小一起長大的年輕女子。Leslee 在我死前幾週打電話邀請我與她和她的朋友們共度一天，可我當時以為自己「有更重要的事要做」而婉拒了她的約請。事實上，Leslee 將宗教視為生活中心，而我則忙於工作與與朋友相聚，慢慢疏離了教會。
As I made changes in my attitude and actions, I thought about all the good people who had been in my life. One of them was a young woman who I had grown up with. Leslee had called me a few weeks before I died and asked me if I wanted to spend a day with her and her friends. I had turned down her invitation because I thought I had “better things to do.” The truth was that Leslee had made religion a central part of her life, while I had been filling my time with work and friends. I had been drifting away from my church.
當我死去再回到這個世界後，我才發現，那些我曾經疏遠的家人和朋友，比起我過去混跡的任何社交圈，都更是我生命中不可或缺的一部分。康復後不久，當我在手機上刪除舊聯絡人時，看到 Leslee 的名字，我突然感到「你必須給她回個電話」。於是我在一個星期二給她打了電話。
After I died and returned to this world, I realized that the friends and family that I had been turning away from were far more important in my life than any of the other social circles that I had been running with. A few months after my recovery, I was deleting old contacts on my phone when I saw Leslee’s name and had the impression, “You need to call her back.” I called her on a Tuesday.
「哈囉？」電話那頭傳來她的聲音。「嗨，Leslee，我是 Vinney。」
“Hello?” her voice came through the phone. “Hi, Leslee. This is Vinney.”
「Vinney！」她興奮地回道，「你最近怎麼樣？」「我還不錯，你呢？」
“Vinney!” she said enthusiastically. “How have you been?” “I’ve been pretty good. How about you?”
「太好了，有什麼事嗎？」
“Great. What’s up?”
「還記得幾週前你邀我出去玩，可我那時候說沒空嗎？」
“So, remember a few weeks ago when you invited me to hang out, but I said I couldn’t?”
回應是肯定的：「可以。」
“Yes.”
「那麼，我在想，可不可以兌換那次約定，咱們聚在一起做點什麼？」
“Well, I was wondering if I could cash in a rain check and get together and do something.”
「當然。今晚我和幾個朋友要去打保齡球，你要不要一起來？」
“Sure. Some friends and I are going bowling tonight. Do you want to come?”
「絕對願意。」
“Absolutely.”
「太好了。如果你有空，大約七點來我家，我們會聚在那裡，一起玩。」
“Great. If you want, you can come over to my house about seven o’clock and hang out. A bunch of us will be there already.”
「謝謝你。」
“Thank you.”
「不客氣，我很期待再見到你。」
“You’re welcome. I look forward to seeing you again.”
我有足夠的時間準備好，然後便出發前往那裡。其實 Leslee 就住在附近，就在街尾，我把車停在路邊，走到門口時便聽到裡面傳來男聲的談笑聲。
I had plenty of time to get ready, and then made my way there. Leslee didn’t live far away, just down the street, actually. I parked my car on the street and walked up to the door. I could hear men’s voices inside, talking and laughing.
我輕輕敲了敲門，但沒有人回應，裡面的談話聲也未曾中斷。我等了一分鐘，再次重重敲門，依然沒有回應。
I knocked, but there was no answer. Not even a break in the conversation. I waited for a minute, then knocked harder. Still no answer.
不想錯過與朋友重聚的機會，我決心大力猛敲了一記。突然，我聽到屋內有女孩喊道：「有人要回應嗎？」那聲音讓我感到陌生。
Determined to not let another chance to reconnect with friends pass me by, I gave the door a solid knuckle pound. I heard a girl yell from somewhere in the house, “Is anyone going to answer that?” I didn’t recognize her voice.
她的喊話也未獲回應。片刻後，我聽到腳步聲急促地從樓上傳下，到門口時門隨即打開。門口站著一位金髮、漂亮、約莫二十歲左右的年輕女子，整個人散發著光芒。
No one answered her, either. Then I heard footsteps rush down the stairs to the door, and it opened. The young woman who stood there was blonde, pretty, maybe twenty years old. And she was glowing.
所謂她光彩照人，是指我用肉眼就能看到的那道光，好似與我曾在彼岸體驗過的光芒相同，從她身上自然流露出來。
When I say she was glowing, I could see, with my physical eyes, the same light that I had experienced on the other side radiating from her.
我一時無言，她也是如此。我們就這樣靜靜對視了許久。
I was speechless. So was she. We just stared at each other for what felt like minutes.
最終，我問道：「我可以進來嗎？」
Finally, I asked, “Can I come in?”
「當然可以。我們正打算上樓打一桌撞球，你想一起來嗎？」
“Yes, of course. We were just going to play pool upstairs. Do you want to play?”
「當然，我很樂意。」
“Sure. I’d like that.”
我跟著她上了樓，到了撞球室時，裡面沒有人。於是，我們兩人便一邊玩撞球，一邊聊天。
I followed her up the stairs. When we reached the pool room, there was no one else there. We played, just the two of us. And we talked.
她告訴我她叫 Andrea。她並不是那種我過去一定會被吸引或交往的女孩，因為我以前總喜歡跟髮色較深、個性也較沉穩的女生約會。但我能感受到 Andrea 與眾不同，她身上彌漫著一種發自內心的善良氣質，如同光芒般閃耀。真的，我能看見那光芒。
She told me that her name was Andrea. She wasn’t the kind of girl that I would have necessarily been attracted to or dated in the past. I had always dated girls with darker hair, and even darker personas. I could see that Andrea was different than any other girl I had ever known. She had a goodness about her that shone. Literally. I could see it.
我們聊得投機、笑聲不斷。不知不覺，夕陽西下，我們就準備前往保齡球館。
We talked and laughed a lot. Before I knew it, the sun was going down, and we were on our way to the bowling alley.
Andrea 坐上了 Leslee 車的副駕駛座，而我之前聽到的談笑之聲來自於 Leslee 的哥哥和他的五位朋友，他們一起搭乘一輛廂型車。反觀我則自駕而行，想獨自靜一靜，好好理清心中那難以言喻的感受。我不明白眼前的一切，每當靠近她，我都能感覺到全身微微震動，彷彿我們的靈魂在共鳴，這既令我感到畏懼，又讓我著迷。
Andrea climbed into the passenger seat of Leslee’s car. The men I had heard talking were Leslee’s brother and five of his friends; they all piled into a van together. I drove my car. I wanted to be alone to think about what I was feeling. I didn’t understand what was happening. I could feel my being vibrate whenever I was close to her, as if our spirits resonated with each other. It both frightened and fascinated me.
在保齡球館又有另外五個人加入：Leslee 哥哥的另外三位朋友，以及我的哥哥和他的室友。那保齡球館人潮擁擠，令我失望的是 Andrea 正在離我球道遙遠的另一端打球。我發覺自己不再用肉眼直視她那耀眼的光芒，但每次看向她，都能真切地感受到那份光輝。平常我從不會特意追蹤一個女孩，但對於 Andrea，我卻無法自拔。我只能說，她擁有一種獨特、充滿靈性甜美吸引力，與我過去見過的任何人都截然不同，我明白她散發著一種來自上帝的純淨與珍貴的天真。
Five more people met us at the bowling alley: three more of Leslee’s brother’s friends, and my brother and his roommate. The bowling alley was crowded, so, to my disappointment, Andrea was playing in a lane far from mine. I realized that I no longer saw her radiant glow with my physical eyes, but I could feel it every time I looked at her. It was not my usual style to keep track of a girl, but with Andrea, I couldn’t resist. I don’t know how else to describe it other than that she had a spiritually sweet attraction unlike anyone I had ever met. I recognized that she had a pure and precious innocence that came from God.
我注意到她所有的朋友都叫她 Ange。
I noticed that all of her friends called her Ange.
「為什麼大家都叫她 Ange？」我問道，「我以為她叫 Andrea。」
“Why does everyone call her Ange?” I asked. “I thought her name was Andrea.”
「正是啊，她總像個天使般出現，所以我們便開始叫她 Angel，簡稱 Ange。」
“It is. She’s such an angel all the time that we just started calling her Angel—Ange for short.”
Andrea 的比賽最先結束，她隨後漫步走向街機遊戲室。等我的遊戲結束後，我趕上她，說道：「今晚見到你真是太棒了，我可以之後打電話給你嗎？」
Andrea’s game finished first, and she wandered over to the arcade room. I caught up to her as soon as my game ended and said, “It was great meeting you tonight. Can I call you sometime?”
她猶豫了一下，回答道：「不如你把你的號碼給我，也許我會打給你。」
She demurred. “Why don’t you give me your number, and maybe I’ll call you.”
這已是我能得到的最好結果了，所以我便把我的電話號碼給了她。那天已深，我還得第二天早起上班；而我父母家離這裡不遠，又有空房讓我住，所以我決定就在那裡過夜，而不是一路開車回家。
It was the best I was going to get, so I gave her my phone number. It was late, and I had to get up early for work. My parents’ house was close by, and they had a spare room I could use, so I decided to sleep there instead of driving all the way home.
在駕車途中，我不由自主地回想起從她身上散發出的那道真實光芒。我知道 Andrea 與眾不同，她真的很特別。儘管我腦中一直惦記著想要返回另一個世界，但我不禁懷疑：也許她就是那道能把我從迷失黑暗中帶回來的光。
As I drove, I reflected on the very real light I saw emanating from her. I knew that Andrea was different, and that she was very special. And despite my persistent thoughts that I still wanted to go back to the other world, I wondered if she might be the light that pulled me out of the darkness I was lost in.
隔天早晨，我打電話給 Leslee，詢問她當天下午是否願意再聚一聚。她答應了，還帶上了 Andrea。Leslee 沒有久留，說自己有事要辦，會在半小時後回來。結果她離開了超過三個小時，這讓我和 Andrea 有了更多彼此了解的時間。
I called Leslee the next morning to see if she wanted to get together again that afternoon. She did, and she brought Andrea with her. Leslee didn’t stay long; she said that she had to run an errand but would return in half an hour. She was gone for more than three hours, which gave Andrea and me a chance to get to know each other better.
Andrea 對任何話題都十分開放，我們的談話從流星、量子物理，到生命奧秘及各種隱秘話題，都滔滔不絕。最重要的是，在她身邊我感覺截然不同，她啟發了我內心全新的能量。
Andrea seemed to be open to talking about anything, and our conversations ranged from falling stars to quantum physics, the mysteries of life, and a myriad of other subjects. Most important, I felt different around her. She sparked a new energy within me.
幾天後，Andrea 和我一起共進午餐。送來飲料與小菜的女服務生笑著說：「我真喜歡看到幸福的夫妻，你們結婚多久了？」
A few days later, Andrea and I had lunch together. The waitress who delivered our drinks and appetizers said, “I just love seeing happy married couples. How long have you two been married?”
我們都大為驚訝，我答道：「我們其實才剛認識。」對方又驚訝地說：「真的嗎？我以為你們早就結婚了。」這樣的問題，我們似乎早就習以為常了。
We were both surprised. I replied, “We actually just met.” “Really? I could have sworn that you two were married.” It was a question we got used to hearing.
星期六早上，Andrea 給我打來電話。
Andrea called me Saturday morning.
「嘿，我在想你是否願意跟我和家人一起去猶他湖餵鴨子？」
“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and my family to feed ducks at Utah Lake.”
我難以抑制內心的激動，問道：「幾點？」她回答：「我和妹妹一個小時後來接你。」
I struggled to contain my excitement. “What time?” “My sister and I will pick you up in an hour.”
Andrea 與她的妹妹 Chelsie 來接我，我們一起駕車前往 Provo 河注入猶他湖的地方，並在那裡遇到了她的父親、十五歲的妹妹 Kim 和十二歲的弟弟 Jacob。
Andrea and her younger sister, Chelsie, picked me up, and we drove to where the Provo River empties into Utah Lake. Her dad, her fifteen-year- old sister Kim, and her twelve-year-old brother Jacob, met us there.
那天我與她父親並沒太多交流，因為他正忙著照顧那兩個小孩；而 Chelsie 則一直靠近我，顯得對我頗有好奇。當時我尚未察覺，但後來在星期三晚上，Andrea 回家後，她叫醒了 Chelsie，並花了兩個小時回憶我們那晚的情景。
I didn’t interact with her dad much on that day, as he was distracted with the two younger siblings. Chelsie, however, stayed close by and seemed very curious about me. I didn’t know it then, but after Andrea arrived home Wednesday night, she woke Chelsie up and spent two hours recounting our evening together.
當我們三人站在岸邊丟食物給喧鬧的鴨子時，一位女士經過，說道：「你們兩個真是一對美滿的夫妻，你們結婚多久了？」
As the three of us stood on the shore throwing food to the noisy ducks, a woman walked by. She said, “You two are such a beautiful couple. How long have you been married?”
Andrea 與我只是默默對視，而 Chelsie 則帶著笑聲打破了那尷尬的沉默，說：「哦，不，他們只是朋友啦。」
Andrea and I just looked at each other. Chelsie broke the awkward silence with a laugh and said, “Oh, no. They’re just friends.”
我們跟著她一起笑了，但那位女士卻露出困惑的表情，搖著頭，好似在思索究竟是什麼促使她提出這個問題。
We all laughed along with her, but the lady looked confused. She shook her head as if she was trying to figure out what prompted her to even ask the question.
Andrea 與我幾乎天天見面。我的母親對我們常常相聚感到欣慰，但 Andrea 的家人則少了興奮，他們打聽得知我有些「壞男孩」的名聲，生活散漫且不斷更換女伴，他們自然憂心忡忡。
Andrea and I saw each other almost every day. My mother was happy that we were seeing so much of each other, but Andrea’s family was far less excited. Her parents had asked around and learned that I had a bit of a reputation as a bad boy who had “lived a wild life” and cycled through girlfriends. They were understandably worried.
Andrea 當然也聽過那些傳聞。儘管她承認與我相處時能感受到積極的能量，但她也擔心我只是想尋找下一次征服心。儘管如此，我們仍然越走越近。
Andrea, of course, had heard the same stories. Even though she acknowledged the positive energy that she felt when we were together, she also had concerns that I was simply looking for another conquest. Still, we continued to grow closer.
我內心深處一直堅信，上帝將我們牽引在一起，我們之間流露出某種特別連結。就在那天餵鴨子之後，我在每晚向上帝反省時問道：「難道我應該跟 Andrea 結婚嗎？」
I felt deep within me that God had brought us together, and that there was something special in our connection. The same day we fed the ducks at Utah Lake, I was doing my nightly check-in with God, and asked, “Am I supposed to marry Andrea?”
我猶如聽見一眾嚮導齊聲回應：「是的，你終於看到了。」這股力量由我直覺再三強化。
I felt a resounding “Yes. You’re finally seeing it,” from what felt like a chorus of my guides and reinforced by my own intuition.
我仍然心存懷疑，便又問了一次，並得到更強烈的回應；再第三次追問時，一股平靜的海浪般的寧靜淹沒了我。雖然我依然擔心這一切將如何發展，也不知它應如何實現，但同時又感到莫名地釋然。那答案解釋了我們間的共鳴，也說明了我們迅速萌芽關係的力量。那晚，我躺下後便很快入睡。
Still doubting myself, I asked again, and received an even more powerful response. I asked a third time, and I felt a wave of peace wash over me. I was still worried because I didn’t know how any of this would work out, or how it was supposed to happen, but I felt relieved at the same time. The answer explained the resonance between us and the strength of our blossoming relationship. That night, I lay down in bed and went straight to sleep.
隔天早晨，我與 Andrea 一同前往我父母位於 Provo 峽谷南支的小屋參加家庭聚會——這是她第一次見到我的父母。由於前一晚得到的答案壓在我心頭，我們在車上異常沉默。我非常想與她討論這件事，但又懼怕可能會發生什麼。
The next morning, Andrea and I attended a family gathering at my parents’ cabin in the south fork of Provo Canyon. It would be the first time she met my parents. We were both unusually silent on the drive as the answer I had received the night before weighed heavily on my mind. I desperately wanted to discuss it with her but was afraid of what might happen.
我強烈地感覺到，Andrea 昨晚也問了同樣的問題，並獲得了相同的回答。那回答暗示，在我們之間的能量恢復正常之前，我必須有勇氣把這件事提起。
I felt a strong impression that Andrea had asked the same question last night and had received the same answer. They told me that I had to have the courage to bring it up before the energy between us could return to normal.
我問道：「你昨晚有沒有為某件重要的事情祈禱？」
I asked, “Did you happen to pray about something important last night?”
Andrea 轉過身看著我，我聽出她語氣中帶著些許不安，回答說：「有啊，你呢？」
Andrea turned to look at me. I could hear the apprehension in her voice. “Yes. Did you?”
我向我的嚮導詢問：「我要怎麼告訴她，我們註定要結婚？」
I asked my guides, How do I tell her that we’re supposed to get married?
回應很簡單地傳來：「就照做吧。」
“Just do it,” the answer came.
我說：「我祈禱的確是關於一件非常重要 (Importance) 的事，我為了確定答案，連續祈禱了三次。」
“I prayed about something pretty important,” I said. “I asked three times just to be sure.”
她問道：「你祈禱的是什麼？」
“What did you pray about?” she asked.
我深吸一口氣，然後說：「我祈求的是，想知道我們是否註定要結婚。」
I took a deep breath, then said, “I prayed to know if we’re supposed to get married.”
她瞪得大大的眼睛，問道：「那你的答案是什麼？」
Her eyes opened wide. “What was your answer?”
我回答：「我們註定要結婚。」
“That we’re supposed to get married.”
她驚喜地說：「彷彿你能讀懂我的心思，我昨晚也連續祈禱了三次，問是否該與你結婚，得到的答案也是如此。」隨後，我們之間的緊張氣氛立刻消散。
“It’s like you’re reading my mind,” she said. “I prayed three times last night, too, and asked if I’m supposed to marry you. I got the same answer.” The tension between us evaporated.
我們抵達了小屋。雖然我們尚未準備好公開訂婚的消息，但我母親早已知曉；她後來告訴我，當我第一次提起 Andrea 時，就已預感到事情會走向如今這般發展。
We arrived at the cabin. We weren’t ready to announce an engagement, but my mom already knew. She told me later that she had known where this was going the first time I told her about Andrea.
Andrea 向我展示了一個人如何能與靈性之光連結並調諧到更高頻率。雖然我必須經歷臨死般的邊緣體驗才能明白上帝臨在的感受，但對她而言一切都自然而然。
Andrea showed me how well someone could connect with spiritual light and be in tune with higher frequencies. I had to die to know what it feels like to feel God’s presence, but it came naturally for her.
除了幫助我走出重返凡間黑暗的困境外，Andrea 還打開了我的心扉，讓我體驗到更豐盛、更圓滿的凡人生活。她以自己的視角向我展示這個世界，為我的生活帶來純淨與驚奇。和她在一起，我才發覺自己每天都在錯失幸福。
In addition to helping me through the darkness of re-entry into the mortal world, Andrea opened my heart to a richer, more fulfilling mortal experience. She showed me the world through her eyes, bringing purity and wonder into my life. With her, I realized that I was passing up happiness every day.
Andrea 也幫助我從其他方面提升生活品質。受我建築事業及同事們影響，我對語言和娛樂的要求本來很低。即便有了那次體驗，我仍需努力成長，改掉那些舊有的塵世習慣。有一天，我問她是否願意和我一同去戲院看一部新上映的電影。
Andrea helped me elevate my life in other ways. My standards for language and entertainment were quite low, influenced by my career in construction and the people I worked with. Even after my experience, I still had a lot of growing to do in order to reform my old earthly habits. One day, I asked her if she wanted to go to the theater to watch a newly released movie with me.
她問道：「那部電影有什麼吸引人的地方？你是什麼意思？」
“What’s in it?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
“像是有多暴力？有性愛鏡頭嗎？那他們用的語言又如何？”
“Like how much violence? Are there sex scenes? What about the kind of language they use?”
“我不知道，我只聽說那部電影真的很棒。”
“I don’t know. I just heard it’s really good.”
她雙手叉腰說：“Vinney，你一直在教我怎麼吃得更健康，多注意我攝入的東西，對吧？那如果我們去吃自助餐，我開始什麼都拿一點上盤子怎麼辦？”
She put her hands on her hips. “Vinney, you’ve been teaching me how to eat better and pay more attention to what I put in my body, right? What if we went to a buffet and I started putting some of everything on my plate?”
“我會說，如果你能更加注意你吃的食物，身體肯定會感覺更好。”
“I’d say that you’d feel better if you were more careful about what you ate.”
“難道這跟你心裡裝的是不是也一樣嗎？”
“Isn’t it the same with what you put in your mind?”
我幾乎能感受到 Drake 在耳邊低語：“看到了吧？這正是我們剛才談論的。”
I could almost feel Drake telling me, “See? That’s what we were talking about.”
那只是她激勵並鼓勵我提高頻率的無數方式之一，她的榜樣與影響啟發我變得更好。
That was just one of the many ways that she inspired and encouraged me to raise my frequency. Her example and influence inspired me to be better.
最重要 (Importance) 的是，Andrea 讓我明白家人才是人生中最值得珍惜的。漸漸地我發覺，自己的家庭就是一個應該去愛、去培養的寶藏。以前每次家庭聚會，我總會找藉口推脫，做點「更重要」的事；而對於 Andrea 來說，家庭就是首要任務，這也漸漸成為了我的首要關懷。正是這份全新對家庭的認識，最終讓我堅信我在彼岸所經歷的一切確實發生過。
Above all, Andrea helped me to understand that family is the most important thing in life. I grew to know that my own family was something to cherish, and that the way to share and develop that love was through spending time with them. In my old life, whenever my family had a get- together, I always found something “more important” to do. Family, including my own, was such a priority for Andrea that it became a priority for me. It was this new appreciation of family that led to the event that confirmed to me once and for all that what I’d experienced on the other side had really happened.
第18章：另一位天使
Chapter 18: Another Angel
當我改變我的態度和行為時，我想到了我生活中所有的好人。其中一位是我從小一起長大的年輕女性。萊斯莉在我死前幾週給我打過電話，問我是否想和她及她的朋友們一起度過一天。我拒絕了她的邀請，因為我認為我有「更重要的事情要做。」事實上，萊斯莉將宗教作為她生活的中心，而我則在忙於工作和朋友中消磨時間。我一直在遠離我的教會。
As I made changes in my attitude and actions, I thought about all the good people who had been in my life. One of them was a young woman who I had grown up with. Leslee had called me a few weeks before I died and asked me if I wanted to spend a day with her and her friends. I had turned down her invitation because I thought I had “better things to do.” The truth was that Leslee had made religion a central part of her life, while I had been filling my time with work and friends. I had been drifting away from my church.
在我死去並回到這個世界後，我意識到我一直在遠離的朋友和家人對我的生活來說比我所參與的其他社交圈重要得多。在我康復幾個月後，我在手機上刪除舊聯絡人時看到了萊斯莉的名字，心中浮現出「你需要回電給她。」的印象。我在星期二給她打了電話。
After I died and returned to this world, I realized that the friends and family that I had been turning away from were far more important in my life than any of the other social circles that I had been running with. A few months after my recovery, I was deleting old contacts on my phone when I saw Leslee’s name and had the impression, “You need to call her back.” I called her on a Tuesday.
「你好？」她的聲音透過電話傳來。「嗨，萊斯莉。我是文尼。」
“Hello?” her voice came through the phone. “Hi, Leslee. This is Vinney.”
「文尼！」她熱情地說。「你最近怎麼樣？」 「我還不錯。你呢？」
“Vinney!” she said enthusiastically. “How have you been?” “I’ve been pretty good. How about you?”
「很好。怎麼了？」
“Great. What’s up?”
「所以，還記得幾週前你邀請我一起出去，但我說我不能嗎？」
“So, remember a few weeks ago when you invited me to hang out, but I said I couldn’t?”
「可以。」
“Yes.”
「好吧，我想知道我是否可以兌現這個雨天票，聚在一起做些事情。」
“Well, I was wondering if I could cash in a rain check and get together and do something.”
「當然。我和一些朋友今晚要去保齡球館。你想來嗎？」
“Sure. Some friends and I are going bowling tonight. Do you want to come?”
「當然。」
“Absolutely.”
「太好了。如果你想的話，可以在七點左右來我家聚聚。我們一群人會提前到那裡。」
“Great. If you want, you can come over to my house about seven o’clock and hang out. A bunch of us will be there already.”
「謝謝你。」
“Thank you.”
「不客氣。我期待再次見到你。」
“You’re welcome. I look forward to seeing you again.”
我有足夠的時間準備，然後朝那裡走去。萊斯莉住得不遠，實際上就在街的另一頭。我把車停在街上，走到門口。我能聽到裡面有男人的聲音，在談話和笑鬧。
I had plenty of time to get ready, and then made my way there. Leslee didn’t live far away, just down the street, actually. I parked my car on the street and walked up to the door. I could hear men’s voices inside, talking and laughing.
我敲了敲門，但沒有回應。甚至連對話都沒有中斷。我等了一分鐘，然後用力敲了敲。仍然沒有回應。
I knocked, but there was no answer. Not even a break in the conversation. I waited for a minute, then knocked harder. Still no answer.
決心不讓再次與朋友聯繫的機會溜走，我用力敲了敲門。我聽到屋子裡有個女孩大喊：「有沒有人要回答那個？」我不認識她的聲音。
Determined to not let another chance to reconnect with friends pass me by, I gave the door a solid knuckle pound. I heard a girl yell from somewhere in the house, “Is anyone going to answer that?” I didn’t recognize her voice.
沒有人回答她。然後我聽到腳步聲匆匆下樓來到門口，門打開了。站在那裡的年輕女子金髮碧眼，漂亮，可能二十歲。她散發著光芒。
No one answered her, either. Then I heard footsteps rush down the stairs to the door, and it opened. The young woman who stood there was blonde, pretty, maybe twenty years old. And she was glowing.
當我說她散發著光芒時，我用肉眼能看到，從她身上散發出我在另一邊經歷過的同樣光芒。
When I say she was glowing, I could see, with my physical eyes, the same light that I had experienced on the other side radiating from her.
我無言以對。她也是。我們彼此凝視著，感覺像過了好幾分鐘。
I was speechless. So was she. We just stared at each other for what felt like minutes.
最後，我問：「我可以進去嗎？」
Finally, I asked, “Can I come in?”
「是的，當然。我們正打算去樓上打桌球。你想一起玩嗎？」
“Yes, of course. We were just going to play pool upstairs. Do you want to play?”
「好的。我很想玩。」
“Sure. I’d like that.”
我跟著她上了樓。我們到達桌球室時，裡面沒有其他人。我們就只有兩個人一起玩，並且聊天。
I followed her up the stairs. When we reached the pool room, there was no one else there. We played, just the two of us. And we talked.
她告訴我她的名字是安德莉亞。她不是我過去會特別吸引或約會的那種女孩。我一直喜歡有著深色頭髮的女孩，甚至是性格較為陰暗的女孩。我能看出安德莉亞與我曾經認識的其他女孩不同。她身上散發著一種光輝的善良，字面上來說，我能看見這一點。
She told me that her name was Andrea. She wasn’t the kind of girl that I would have necessarily been attracted to or dated in the past. I had always dated girls with darker hair, and even darker personas. I could see that Andrea was different than any other girl I had ever known. She had a goodness about her that shone. Literally. I could see it.
我們聊了很多，笑了很多。不知不覺中，太陽就下山了，我們正前往保齡球館。
We talked and laughed a lot. Before I knew it, the sun was going down, and we were on our way to the bowling alley.
安德莉亞爬進了萊斯莉的車的副駕駛座。我聽到的男人聲音是萊斯莉的哥哥和他的五個朋友；他們一起擠進了一輛面包車。我開著自己的車。我想一個人靜靜地思考我所感受到的情感。我不明白發生了什麼事。每當我靠近她時，我能感受到我的存在在振動，彷彿我們的靈魂彼此共鳴。這讓我既感到害怕又著迷。
Andrea climbed into the passenger seat of Leslee’s car. The men I had heard talking were Leslee’s brother and five of his friends; they all piled into a van together. I drove my car. I wanted to be alone to think about what I was feeling. I didn’t understand what was happening. I could feel my being vibrate whenever I was close to her, as if our spirits resonated with each other. It both frightened and fascinated me.
在保齡球館，我們又遇到了五個人：萊斯莉哥哥的三個朋友，以及我的兄弟和他的室友。保齡球館裡擠滿了人，讓我失望的是，安德莉亞在遠離我所在的球道上玩。我意識到我不再用肉眼看到她那耀眼的光芒，但每次看著她時，我都能感受到它。跟蹤一個女孩並不是我平常的風格，但對於安德莉亞，我無法抗拒。我不知道該怎麼形容，除了她擁有一種靈性甜美的吸引力，與我遇到過的任何人都不同。我認識到她擁有來自上帝的純真和珍貴的無邪。
Five more people met us at the bowling alley: three more of Leslee’s brother’s friends, and my brother and his roommate. The bowling alley was crowded, so, to my disappointment, Andrea was playing in a lane far from mine. I realized that I no longer saw her radiant glow with my physical eyes, but I could feel it every time I looked at her. It was not my usual style to keep track of a girl, but with Andrea, I couldn’t resist. I don’t know how else to describe it other than that she had a spiritually sweet attraction unlike anyone I had ever met. I recognized that she had a pure and precious innocence that came from God.
我注意到她的所有朋友都叫她安吉。
I noticed that all of her friends called her Ange.
「為什麼大家都叫她安吉？」我問。「我以為她的名字是安德莉亞。」
“Why does everyone call her Ange?” I asked. “I thought her name was Andrea.”
「是的。她總是像天使一樣，所以我們就開始叫她安吉——安吉是簡稱。」
“It is. She’s such an angel all the time that we just started calling her Angel—Ange for short.”
安德莉亞的比賽最先結束，她漫步到遊戲室。我在我的比賽結束後立刻追上了她，說：「今晚見到你真好。我可以找你聊天嗎？」
Andrea’s game finished first, and she wandered over to the arcade room. I caught up to her as soon as my game ended and said, “It was great meeting you tonight. Can I call you sometime?”
她猶豫了一下。「你把你的號碼給我吧，也許我會打給你。」
She demurred. “Why don’t you give me your number, and maybe I’ll call you.”
這是我能得到的最好結果，所以我給了她我的電話號碼。那時已經很晚了，我明天早上還要早起上班。我父母的家就在附近，他們有一間空房間我可以用，所以我決定在那裡過夜，而不是開車回家。
It was the best I was going to get, so I gave her my phone number. It was late, and I had to get up early for work. My parents’ house was close by, and they had a spare room I could use, so I decided to sleep there instead of driving all the way home.
開車的時候，我反思著從她身上散發出的那道真實的光。我知道安德莉亞不同，她非常特別。儘管我心中仍然渴望回到另一個世界，但我想知道她是否是那道能把我從迷失的黑暗中拉出來的光。
As I drove, I reflected on the very real light I saw emanating from her. I knew that Andrea was different, and that she was very special. And despite my persistent thoughts that I still wanted to go back to the other world, I wondered if she might be the light that pulled me out of the darkness I was lost in.
第二天早上，我打電話給萊斯莉，看看她是否想在下午再見面。她答應了，並帶上了安德莉亞。萊斯莉沒有待太久；她說她有事要辦，但會在半小時內回來。她離開了超過三個小時，這讓安德莉亞和我有機會更好地了解彼此。
I called Leslee the next morning to see if she wanted to get together again that afternoon. She did, and she brought Andrea with her. Leslee didn’t stay long; she said that she had to run an errand but would return in half an hour. She was gone for more than three hours, which gave Andrea and me a chance to get to know each other better.
安德莉亞似乎對任何話題都很開放，我們的對話從流星到量子物理、生命的奧秘，以及無數其他主題。最重要的是，我在她身邊感覺不同。她在我內心點燃了一種新的能量。
Andrea seemed to be open to talking about anything, and our conversations ranged from falling stars to quantum physics, the mysteries of life, and a myriad of other subjects. Most important, I felt different around her. She sparked a new energy within me.
幾天後，安德莉亞和我一起吃午餐。送來我們飲料和開胃菜的女服務生說：「我真的很喜歡看到快樂的已婚夫婦。你們結婚多久了？」
A few days later, Andrea and I had lunch together. The waitress who delivered our drinks and appetizers said, “I just love seeing happy married couples. How long have you two been married?”
我們都感到驚訝。我回答：「我們其實才剛認識。」 「真的嗎？我還以為你們兩個已經結婚了。」這是我們習慣聽到的問題。
We were both surprised. I replied, “We actually just met.” “Really? I could have sworn that you two were married.” It was a question we got used to hearing.
安德莉亞在星期六早上打電話給我。
Andrea called me Saturday morning.
「嘿，我在想你是否想和我和我的家人一起去猶他湖餵鴨子。」
“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and my family to feed ducks at Utah Lake.”
我努力抑制內心的興奮。「幾點？」 「我和我姐姐一個小時後來接你。」
I struggled to contain my excitement. “What time?” “My sister and I will pick you up in an hour.”
安德莉亞和她的妹妹切爾西來接我，我們開車前往普羅沃河流入猶他湖的地方。她的爸爸、十五歲的姐姐金和十二歲的弟弟雅各在那裡等我們。
Andrea and her younger sister, Chelsie, picked me up, and we drove to where the Provo River empties into Utah Lake. Her dad, her fifteen-year- old sister Kim, and her twelve-year-old brother Jacob, met us there.
那天我與她爸爸的互動不多，因為他被兩個年幼的兄弟姐妹分散了注意力。然而，切爾西一直待在我身邊，似乎對我非常好奇。我當時不知道，但在安德莉亞星期三晚上回到家後，她叫醒了切爾西，花了兩個小時講述我們的晚會。
I didn’t interact with her dad much on that day, as he was distracted with the two younger siblings. Chelsie, however, stayed close by and seemed very curious about me. I didn’t know it then, but after Andrea arrived home Wednesday night, she woke Chelsie up and spent two hours recounting our evening together.
當我們三個人站在岸邊向吵鬧的鴨子扔食物時，一位女士經過。她說：「你們兩個真是一對美麗的情侶。你們結婚多久了？」
As the three of us stood on the shore throwing food to the noisy ducks, a woman walked by. She said, “You two are such a beautiful couple. How long have you been married?”
安德莉亞和我只是互相對視。切爾西用一聲笑打破了尷尬的沉默，說：「哦，不。他們只是朋友。」
Andrea and I just looked at each other. Chelsie broke the awkward silence with a laugh and said, “Oh, no. They’re just friends.”
我們都跟著她笑，但那位女士看起來很困惑。她搖了搖頭，彷彿在試圖弄清楚自己為什麼會問這個問題。
We all laughed along with her, but the lady looked confused. She shook her head as if she was trying to figure out what prompted her to even ask the question.
安德莉亞和我幾乎每天都見面。我母親對我們見面這麼多感到高興，但安德莉亞的家人則不太興奮。她的父母打聽了一下，得知我有一點壞男孩的名聲，曾經「過著狂野的生活」，而且經常更換女友。他們自然感到擔憂。
Andrea and I saw each other almost every day. My mother was happy that we were seeing so much of each other, but Andrea’s family was far less excited. Her parents had asked around and learned that I had a bit of a reputation as a bad boy who had “lived a wild life” and cycled through girlfriends. They were understandably worried.
當然，安德莉亞也聽過同樣的故事。儘管她承認在我們在一起時感受到的正能量，但她也擔心我只是想尋找另一個征服對象。不過，我們仍然繼續變得親近。
Andrea, of course, had heard the same stories. Even though she acknowledged the positive energy that she felt when we were together, she also had concerns that I was simply looking for another conquest. Still, we continued to grow closer.
我深深感受到上帝把我們帶到一起，並且我們之間的聯繫有著特別的意義。在我們餵鴨子的那一天，我在晚上進行了與上帝的檢查，問道：「我應該娶安德莉亞嗎？」
I felt deep within me that God had brought us together, and that there was something special in our connection. The same day we fed the ducks at Utah Lake, I was doing my nightly check-in with God, and asked, “Am I supposed to marry Andrea?”
我感受到一個響亮的「是的。你終於看到了。」這感覺像是一群指導者的合唱，並且得到了我自己直覺的強化。
I felt a resounding “Yes. You’re finally seeing it,” from what felt like a chorus of my guides and reinforced by my own intuition.
雖然我仍然懷疑自己，但我再次詢問，得到了更強烈的回應。我第三次詢問時，感受到一陣平靜的浪潮湧過我。我仍然感到擔憂，因為我不知道這一切將如何發展，或應該如何發生，但同時我感到如釋重負。這個答案解釋了我們之間的共鳴以及我們日益增長的關係的力量。那晚，我躺下來，馬上就睡著了。
Still doubting myself, I asked again, and received an even more powerful response. I asked a third time, and I felt a wave of peace wash over me. I was still worried because I didn’t know how any of this would work out, or how it was supposed to happen, but I felt relieved at the same time. The answer explained the resonance between us and the strength of our blossoming relationship. That night, I lay down in bed and went straight to sleep.
第二天早上，安德莉亞和我一起參加了我父母在普羅沃峽谷南支的小屋舉辦的家庭聚會。這將是她第一次見到我的父母。在開車的過程中，我們都異常沉默，因為我前晚收到的答案在我心中沉重。我非常想和她討論這件事，但又害怕會發生什麼。
The next morning, Andrea and I attended a family gathering at my parents’ cabin in the south fork of Provo Canyon. It would be the first time she met my parents. We were both unusually silent on the drive as the answer I had received the night before weighed heavily on my mind. I desperately wanted to discuss it with her but was afraid of what might happen.
我感受到一種強烈的印象，認為安德莉亞昨晚也問過同樣的問題，並得到了相同的答案。他們告訴我，我必須有勇氣在我們之間的能量恢復正常之前提出這個話題。
I felt a strong impression that Andrea had asked the same question last night and had received the same answer. They told me that I had to have the courage to bring it up before the energy between us could return to normal.
我問：「你昨晚有沒有為什麼重要的事情祈禱？」
I asked, “Did you happen to pray about something important last night?”
安德莉亞轉過身來看著我。我能聽出她聲音中的不安。「有的。你呢？」
Andrea turned to look at me. I could hear the apprehension in her voice. “Yes. Did you?”
我問我的指導者，我該怎麼告訴她我們應該結婚？
I asked my guides, How do I tell her that we’re supposed to get married?
「就這樣做。」答案來了。
“Just do it,” the answer came.
「我為一件相當重要的事情祈禱，」我說。「我問了三次以確保。」
“I prayed about something pretty important,” I said. “I asked three times just to be sure.”
「你祈禱了什麼？」她問。
“What did you pray about?” she asked.
我深吸一口氣，然後說：「我祈禱想知道我們是否應該結婚。」
I took a deep breath, then said, “I prayed to know if we’re supposed to get married.”
她的眼睛睜得很大。「你的答案是什麼？」
Her eyes opened wide. “What was your answer?”
「我們應該結婚。」
“That we’re supposed to get married.”
「就像你在讀我的心思，」她說。「我昨晚也祈禱了三次，問我是否應該嫁給你。我得到了相同的答案。」我們之間的緊張氣氛消散了。
“It’s like you’re reading my mind,” she said. “I prayed three times last night, too, and asked if I’m supposed to marry you. I got the same answer.” The tension between us evaporated.
我們到達了小屋。我們還沒有準備好宣布訂婚，但我媽媽已經知道了。她後來告訴我，第一次我告訴她關於安德莉亞的事時，她就知道這會發展成什麼樣子。
We arrived at the cabin. We weren’t ready to announce an engagement, but my mom already knew. She told me later that she had known where this was going the first time I told her about Andrea.
安德莉亞向我展示了人們如何能夠與靈性光明連結，並與更高的頻率保持和諧。我必須死去才能知道感受上帝存在的感覺，但這對她來說是自然而然的。
Andrea showed me how well someone could connect with spiritual light and be in tune with higher frequencies. I had to die to know what it feels like to feel God’s presence, but it came naturally for her.
除了幫助我度過重返凡間的黑暗，安德莉亞還讓我的心靈開放，體驗到更豐富、更充實的凡人生活。她透過她的眼睛向我展示了這個世界，為我的生活帶來了純真和驚奇。與她在一起，我意識到我每天都在放棄快樂。
In addition to helping me through the darkness of re-entry into the mortal world, Andrea opened my heart to a richer, more fulfilling mortal experience. She showed me the world through her eyes, bringing purity and wonder into my life. With her, I realized that I was passing up happiness every day.
安德莉亞還幫助我在其他方面提升我的生活。我對語言和娛樂的標準相當低，受到我在建築行業和與我共事的人影響。即使在我的經歷之後，我仍然有很多成長的空間，以便改變我舊有的世俗習慣。有一天，我問她是否想和我一起去電影院看一部新上映的電影。
Andrea helped me elevate my life in other ways. My standards for language and entertainment were quite low, influenced by my career in construction and the people I worked with. Even after my experience, I still had a lot of growing to do in order to reform my old earthly habits. One day, I asked her if she wanted to go to the theater to watch a newly released movie with me.
「裡面有什麼？」她問。「你是什麼意思？」
“What’s in it?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
「像是有多少暴力？有性場景嗎？他們使用的語言怎麼樣？」
“Like how much violence? Are there sex scenes? What about the kind of language they use?”
「我不知道。我只是聽說這部電影真的很好。」
“I don’t know. I just heard it’s really good.”
她雙手叉腰。「文尼，你一直在教我如何吃得更健康，並更注意我放進身體的食物，對吧？如果我們去自助餐，我開始把所有的食物都放在我的盤子上怎麼辦？」
She put her hands on her hips. “Vinney, you’ve been teaching me how to eat better and pay more attention to what I put in my body, right? What if we went to a buffet and I started putting some of everything on my plate?”
「我會說如果你對自己吃的東西更謹慎，你會感覺更好。」
“I’d say that you’d feel better if you were more careful about what you ate.”
「放進你心裡的東西不也是一樣嗎？」
“Isn’t it the same with what you put in your mind?”
我幾乎能感受到德瑞克在告訴我：「看吧？這就是我們所談論的。」
I could almost feel Drake telling me, “See? That’s what we were talking about.”
這只是她激勵和鼓勵我提升頻率的眾多方式之一。她的榜樣和影響力激勵我變得更好。
That was just one of the many ways that she inspired and encouraged me to raise my frequency. Her example and influence inspired me to be better.
最重要的是，安德莉亞幫助我理解家庭是生活中最重要的事情。我漸漸明白自己的家庭是值得珍惜的，而分享和發展那份愛的方式就是花時間與他們在一起。在我以前的生活中，每當我的家人聚會時，我總是會找到「更重要」的事情去做。對安德莉亞來說，家庭，包括我自己的家庭，是如此重要，以至於這也成為了我的優先事項。正是這種對家庭的新認識，導致了那個事件，讓我一次又一次地確認我在另一邊所經歷的事情確實發生過。
Above all, Andrea helped me to understand that family is the most important thing in life. I grew to know that my own family was something to cherish, and that the way to share and develop that love was through spending time with them. In my old life, whenever my family had a get- together, I always found something “more important” to do. Family, including my own, was such a priority for Andrea that it became a priority for me. It was this new appreciation of family that led to the event that confirmed to me once and for all that what I’d experienced on the other side had really happened.
第18章：另一位天使
Chapter 18: Another Angel
當我改變態度和行為時，我想到了我生命中所有的好人。其中之一是我從小一起長大的年輕女子。Leslee在我去世前幾週打電話給我，問我是否想和她及她的朋友們共度一天。我拒絕了她的邀請，因為我認為我有“更重要的事情要做”。事實是，Leslee把宗教作為她生活的核心，而我則把時間花在工作和朋友上。我一直在遠離我的教會。
As I made changes in my attitude and actions, I thought about all the good people who had been in my life. One of them was a young woman who I had grown up with. Leslee had called me a few weeks before I died and asked me if I wanted to spend a day with her and her friends. I had turned down her invitation because I thought I had “better things to do.” The truth was that Leslee had made religion a central part of her life, while I had been filling my time with work and friends. I had been drifting away from my church.
當我死後回到這個世界，我意識到我一直在遠離的朋友和家人在我的生活中比我一直混跡的其他社交圈更重要。康復幾個月後，我在手機上刪除舊聯絡人時看到了Leslee的名字，心中有一個印象：“你需要回電給她。”我在星期二打電話給她。
After I died and returned to this world, I realized that the friends and family that I had been turning away from were far more important in my life than any of the other social circles that I had been running with. A few months after my recovery, I was deleting old contacts on my phone when I saw Leslee’s name and had the impression, “You need to call her back.” I called her on a Tuesday.
“你好？”她的聲音從電話裡傳來。“嗨，Leslee。我是Vinney。”
“Hello?” her voice came through the phone. “Hi, Leslee. This is Vinney.”
“Vinney！”她熱情地說。“你最近怎麼樣？”“我很好。你呢？”
“Vinney!” she said enthusiastically. “How have you been?” “I’ve been pretty good. How about you?”
“很好。怎麼了？”
“Great. What’s up?”
“還記得幾週前你邀請我出去玩，但我說我不能嗎？”
“So, remember a few weeks ago when you invited me to hang out, but I said I couldn’t?”
“可以。”
“Yes.”
“嗯，我在想我能不能兌現那次的承諾，聚在一起做點什麼。”
“Well, I was wondering if I could cash in a rain check and get together and do something.”
“當然可以。今晚我和一些朋友要去打保齡球。你想來嗎？”
“Sure. Some friends and I are going bowling tonight. Do you want to come?”
“當然。”
“Absolutely.”
“太好了。如果你願意，你可以大約七點來我家聚聚。我們會有一群人在那裡。”
“Great. If you want, you can come over to my house about seven o’clock and hang out. A bunch of us will be there already.”
“謝謝你。”
“Thank you.”
“不客氣。我期待再次見到你。”
“You’re welcome. I look forward to seeing you again.”
我有足夠的時間準備，然後出發去那裡。Leslee住得不遠，就在街道的盡頭。我把車停在路邊，走到門口。我能聽到裡面有男人的聲音，談笑風生。
I had plenty of time to get ready, and then made my way there. Leslee didn’t live far away, just down the street, actually. I parked my car on the street and walked up to the door. I could hear men’s voices inside, talking and laughing.
我敲了門，但沒有人回答。對話甚至沒有中斷。我等了一分鐘，然後用力敲門。仍然沒有回答。
I knocked, but there was no answer. Not even a break in the conversation. I waited for a minute, then knocked harder. Still no answer.
決心不再讓與朋友重新聯繫的機會溜走，我用力敲了門。我聽到屋裡有個女孩喊道：“有人要去開門嗎？”我不認識她的聲音。
Determined to not let another chance to reconnect with friends pass me by, I gave the door a solid knuckle pound. I heard a girl yell from somewhere in the house, “Is anyone going to answer that?” I didn’t recognize her voice.
也沒有人回答她。然後我聽到腳步聲匆匆下樓，門開了。站在那裡的年輕女子是金髮，漂亮，大約二十歲。她在發光。
No one answered her, either. Then I heard footsteps rush down the stairs to the door, and it opened. The young woman who stood there was blonde, pretty, maybe twenty years old. And she was glowing.
當我說她在發光時，我能用肉眼看到從她身上散發出來的，和我在另一邊經歷過的同樣的光。
When I say she was glowing, I could see, with my physical eyes, the same light that I had experienced on the other side radiating from her.
我說不出話來。她也是。我們只是互相凝視，感覺像過了好幾分鐘。
I was speechless. So was she. We just stared at each other for what felt like minutes.
最後，我問：“我可以進來嗎？”
Finally, I asked, “Can I come in?”
“當然可以。我們正要去樓上打桌球。你想玩嗎？”
“Yes, of course. We were just going to play pool upstairs. Do you want to play?”
“當然。我很樂意。”
“Sure. I’d like that.”
我跟著她上樓。當我們到達桌球室時，裡面沒有其他人。我們就兩個人玩。也聊了很多。
I followed her up the stairs. When we reached the pool room, there was no one else there. We played, just the two of us. And we talked.
她告訴我她叫Andrea。她不是我過去會被吸引或約會的那種女孩。我以前總是和頭髮較深，性格較陰沉的女孩約會。我能看出Andrea與我認識的任何女孩都不同。她有一種光芒四射的善良。我真的能看到。
She told me that her name was Andrea. She wasn’t the kind of girl that I would have necessarily been attracted to or dated in the past. I had always dated girls with darker hair, and even darker personas. I could see that Andrea was different than any other girl I had ever known. She had a goodness about her that shone. Literally. I could see it.
我們聊了很多，也笑了很多。不知不覺中，太陽下山了，我們正前往保齡球館。
We talked and laughed a lot. Before I knew it, the sun was going down, and we were on our way to the bowling alley.
Andrea坐上了Leslee的車的乘客座。我聽到的那些男人是Leslee的哥哥和他的五個朋友；他們都擠進了一輛麵包車。我自己開車。我想一個人靜靜地思考我所感受到的。我不明白發生了什麼。每當我靠近她時，我能感覺到自己的存在在震動，彷彿我們的靈魂在共鳴。這既讓我害怕又讓我著迷。
Andrea climbed into the passenger seat of Leslee’s car. The men I had heard talking were Leslee’s brother and five of his friends; they all piled into a van together. I drove my car. I wanted to be alone to think about what I was feeling. I didn’t understand what was happening. I could feel my being vibrate whenever I was close to her, as if our spirits resonated with each other. It both frightened and fascinated me.
又有五個人在保齡球館與我們會合：Leslee哥哥的另外三個朋友，我的哥哥和他的室友。保齡球館很擁擠，所以讓我失望的是，Andrea在離我很遠的球道上玩。我意識到我不再能用肉眼看到她的光芒，但每次我看著她，我都能感受到它。這不是我通常的風格去關注一個女孩，但對於Andrea，我無法抗拒。我不知道該怎麼形容，除了她有一種我從未遇過的靈性甜美的吸引力。我認識到她擁有一種來自上帝的純真和珍貴的天真。
Five more people met us at the bowling alley: three more of Leslee’s brother’s friends, and my brother and his roommate. The bowling alley was crowded, so, to my disappointment, Andrea was playing in a lane far from mine. I realized that I no longer saw her radiant glow with my physical eyes, but I could feel it every time I looked at her. It was not my usual style to keep track of a girl, but with Andrea, I couldn’t resist. I don’t know how else to describe it other than that she had a spiritually sweet attraction unlike anyone I had ever met. I recognized that she had a pure and precious innocence that came from God.
我注意到她的朋友們都叫她Ange。
I noticed that all of her friends called her Ange.
“為什麼大家都叫她Ange？”我問。“我以為她叫Andrea。”
“Why does everyone call her Ange?” I asked. “I thought her name was Andrea.”
“是的。她總是像個天使，所以我們開始叫她Angel，簡稱Ange。”
“It is. She’s such an angel all the time that we just started calling her Angel—Ange for short.”
Andrea的比賽先結束，她走到了遊戲廳。我一結束比賽就追上她，說：“今晚認識你真好。我可以打電話給你嗎？”
Andrea’s game finished first, and she wandered over to the arcade room. I caught up to her as soon as my game ended and said, “It was great meeting you tonight. Can I call you sometime?”
她婉拒道：“你為什麼不給我你的號碼，也許我會打給你。”
She demurred. “Why don’t you give me your number, and maybe I’ll call you.”
這是我能得到的最好結果，所以我給了她我的電話號碼。已經很晚了，我得早起上班。我父母的家就在附近，他們有一個空房間我可以用，所以我決定在那裡過夜，而不是開車回家。
It was the best I was going to get, so I gave her my phone number. It was late, and I had to get up early for work. My parents’ house was close by, and they had a spare room I could use, so I decided to sleep there instead of driving all the way home.
開車時，我回想起從她身上散發出的真實光芒。我知道Andrea與眾不同，而且非常特別。儘管我一直想回到另一個世界，但我想知道她是否會是將我從迷失的黑暗中拉出來的光。
As I drove, I reflected on the very real light I saw emanating from her. I knew that Andrea was different, and that she was very special. And despite my persistent thoughts that I still wanted to go back to the other world, I wondered if she might be the light that pulled me out of the darkness I was lost in.
第二天早上，我打電話給Leslee，看看她下午是否想再聚一次。她同意了，還帶了Andrea來。Leslee沒有待很久；她說她有事要辦，但會在半小時內回來。結果她走了三個多小時，這讓我和Andrea有機會更好地了解彼此。
I called Leslee the next morning to see if she wanted to get together again that afternoon. She did, and she brought Andrea with her. Leslee didn’t stay long; she said that she had to run an errand but would return in half an hour. She was gone for more than three hours, which gave Andrea and me a chance to get to know each other better.
Andrea似乎對任何話題都很開放，我們的對話從流星到量子物理、生命的奧秘以及其他無數主題。最重要的是，我在她身邊感覺不同。她激發了我內心的新能量。
Andrea seemed to be open to talking about anything, and our conversations ranged from falling stars to quantum physics, the mysteries of life, and a myriad of other subjects. Most important, I felt different around her. She sparked a new energy within me.
幾天後，Andrea和我一起吃午飯。送飲料和開胃菜的服務員說：“我就是喜歡看到幸福的夫妻。你們結婚多久了？”
A few days later, Andrea and I had lunch together. The waitress who delivered our drinks and appetizers said, “I just love seeing happy married couples. How long have you two been married?”
我們都很驚訝。我回答：“我們其實剛認識。”“真的嗎？我還以為你們已經結婚了。”這是我們習慣聽到的問題。
We were both surprised. I replied, “We actually just met.” “Really? I could have sworn that you two were married.” It was a question we got used to hearing.
Andrea在星期六早上打電話給我。
Andrea called me Saturday morning.
“嘿，我在想你是否想和我及我的家人一起去猶他湖餵鴨子。”
“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and my family to feed ducks at Utah Lake.”
我努力壓抑住興奮。“什麼時候？”“我和我妹妹一小時後來接你。”
I struggled to contain my excitement. “What time?” “My sister and I will pick you up in an hour.”
Andrea和她的妹妹Chelsie來接我，我們開車到普羅沃河流入猶他湖的地方。她的爸爸、十五歲的妹妹Kim和十二歲的弟弟Jacob在那裡和我們會合。
Andrea and her younger sister, Chelsie, picked me up, and we drove to where the Provo River empties into Utah Lake. Her dad, her fifteen-year- old sister Kim, and her twelve-year-old brother Jacob, met us there.
那天我和她爸爸互動不多，因為他忙著照顧兩個小的。然而，Chelsie一直待在附近，似乎對我很好奇。我當時不知道，但Andrea在星期三晚上回家後，叫醒了Chelsie，花了兩個小時回憶我們的晚上。
I didn’t interact with her dad much on that day, as he was distracted with the two younger siblings. Chelsie, however, stayed close by and seemed very curious about me. I didn’t know it then, but after Andrea arrived home Wednesday night, she woke Chelsie up and spent two hours recounting our evening together.
當我們三個站在岸邊給吵鬧的鴨子投食時，一位女士走過來。她說：“你們真是一對美麗的夫妻。你們結婚多久了？”
As the three of us stood on the shore throwing food to the noisy ducks, a woman walked by. She said, “You two are such a beautiful couple. How long have you been married?”
Andrea和我只是互相看著。Chelsie打破了尷尬的沉默，笑著說：“哦，不。他們只是朋友。”
Andrea and I just looked at each other. Chelsie broke the awkward silence with a laugh and said, “Oh, no. They’re just friends.”
我們都跟著她笑了，但那位女士看起來很困惑。她搖了搖頭，似乎在想為什麼自己會問這個問題。
We all laughed along with her, but the lady looked confused. She shook her head as if she was trying to figure out what prompted her to even ask the question.
Andrea和我幾乎每天都見面。我媽媽很高興我們經常見面，但Andrea的家人卻不那麼興奮。她的父母打聽了一下，得知我有點壞男孩的名聲，過著“狂野的生活”，並且換女朋友很頻繁。他們自然很擔心。
Andrea and I saw each other almost every day. My mother was happy that we were seeing so much of each other, but Andrea’s family was far less excited. Her parents had asked around and learned that I had a bit of a reputation as a bad boy who had “lived a wild life” and cycled through girlfriends. They were understandably worried.
Andrea當然也聽過這些故事。儘管她承認我們在一起時感受到的正能量，她也擔心我只是想找另一個征服對象。然而，我們仍然越來越親近。
Andrea, of course, had heard the same stories. Even though she acknowledged the positive energy that she felt when we were together, she also had concerns that I was simply looking for another conquest. Still, we continued to grow closer.
我內心深處感覺上帝把我們帶到一起，我們的聯繫中有一些特別的東西。在我們在猶他湖餵鴨子的同一天，我在晚上與上帝交流時問：“我應該和Andrea結婚嗎？”
I felt deep within me that God had brought us together, and that there was something special in our connection. The same day we fed the ducks at Utah Lake, I was doing my nightly check-in with God, and asked, “Am I supposed to marry Andrea?”
我感受到一個響亮的“是的。你終於看到了”，這感覺像是我指導者的合唱，並由我自己的直覺加強。
I felt a resounding “Yes. You’re finally seeing it,” from what felt like a chorus of my guides and reinforced by my own intuition.
仍然懷疑自己，我再次問，得到了更強烈的回應。我第三次問，感到一陣平靜的浪潮洗過我。我仍然擔心，因為我不知道這一切會如何發展，或者應該如何發生，但我同時感到如釋重負。這個答案解釋了我們之間的共鳴和我們萌芽關係的力量。那天晚上，我躺在床上，很快就睡著了。
Still doubting myself, I asked again, and received an even more powerful response. I asked a third time, and I felt a wave of peace wash over me. I was still worried because I didn’t know how any of this would work out, or how it was supposed to happen, but I felt relieved at the same time. The answer explained the resonance between us and the strength of our blossoming relationship. That night, I lay down in bed and went straight to sleep.
第二天早上，Andrea和我參加了在我父母位於普羅沃峽谷南叉的小屋舉行的家庭聚會。這將是她第一次見我的父母。我們在路上都異常沉默，因為我昨晚得到的答案讓我心情沉重。我非常想和她討論，但又害怕會發生什麼。
The next morning, Andrea and I attended a family gathering at my parents’ cabin in the south fork of Provo Canyon. It would be the first time she met my parents. We were both unusually silent on the drive as the answer I had received the night before weighed heavily on my mind. I desperately wanted to discuss it with her but was afraid of what might happen.
我強烈感受到Andrea昨晚也問了同樣的問題，並得到了同樣的答案。他們告訴我，我必須有勇氣提出這個問題，才能讓我們之間的能量恢復正常。
I felt a strong impression that Andrea had asked the same question last night and had received the same answer. They told me that I had to have the courage to bring it up before the energy between us could return to normal.
我問：“你昨晚是否為某件重要的事情祈禱過？”
I asked, “Did you happen to pray about something important last night?”
Andrea轉過頭看著我。我能聽出她聲音中的不安。“是的。你呢？”
Andrea turned to look at me. I could hear the apprehension in her voice. “Yes. Did you?”
我問我的指導者，我該怎麼告訴她我們應該結婚？
I asked my guides, How do I tell her that we’re supposed to get married?
“直接說出來，”答案傳來。
“Just do it,” the answer came.
“我為一件非常重要的事情祈禱過，”我說。“我問了三次以確保無誤。”
“I prayed about something pretty important,” I said. “I asked three times just to be sure.”
“你祈禱了什麼？”她問。
“What did you pray about?” she asked.
我深吸一口氣，然後說：“我祈禱想知道我們是否應該結婚。”
I took a deep breath, then said, “I prayed to know if we’re supposed to get married.”
她的眼睛睜得大大的。“你的答案是什麼？”
Her eyes opened wide. “What was your answer?”
“我們應該結婚。”
“That we’re supposed to get married.”
“就像你在讀我的心思，”她說。“我昨晚也祈禱了三次，問我是否應該嫁給你。我得到了一樣的答案。”我們之間的緊張氣氛消失了。
“It’s like you’re reading my mind,” she said. “I prayed three times last night, too, and asked if I’m supposed to marry you. I got the same answer.” The tension between us evaporated.
我們到了小屋。我們還沒準備好宣布訂婚，但我媽媽已經知道了。她後來告訴我，第一次我告訴她Andrea的時候，她就知道會發展到這一步。
We arrived at the cabin. We weren’t ready to announce an engagement, but my mom already knew. She told me later that she had known where this was going the first time I told her about Andrea.
Andrea讓我看到一個人如何能與靈性之光連接，並與更高的頻率協調。我必須經歷死亡才能知道感受到上帝存在的感覺，但對她來說這是自然而然的。
Andrea showed me how well someone could connect with spiritual light and be in tune with higher frequencies. I had to die to know what it feels like to feel God’s presence, but it came naturally for her.
除了幫助我度過重返凡間世界的黑暗，Andrea還讓我心靈開放，體驗到更豐富、更滿足的凡人生活。她讓我透過她的眼睛看世界，為我的生活帶來純淨和驚奇。和她在一起，我意識到自己每天都在錯過幸福。
In addition to helping me through the darkness of re-entry into the mortal world, Andrea opened my heart to a richer, more fulfilling mortal experience. She showed me the world through her eyes, bringing purity and wonder into my life. With her, I realized that I was passing up happiness every day.
Andrea以其他方式幫助我提升生活。我在語言和娛樂方面的標準相當低，受到我在建築業的職業和同事的影響。即使在我的經歷之後，我仍然需要成長很多來改變我舊有的習慣。有一天，我問她是否想和我一起去看一部新上映的電影。
Andrea helped me elevate my life in other ways. My standards for language and entertainment were quite low, influenced by my career in construction and the people I worked with. Even after my experience, I still had a lot of growing to do in order to reform my old earthly habits. One day, I asked her if she wanted to go to the theater to watch a newly released movie with me.
“裡面有什麼？”她問。“你是什麼意思？”
“What’s in it?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
“比如有多少暴力？有沒有性愛場景？他們用的語言怎麼樣？”
“Like how much violence? Are there sex scenes? What about the kind of language they use?”
“我不知道。我只是聽說這部電影很好。”
“I don’t know. I just heard it’s really good.”
她雙手叉腰。“Vinney，你一直在教我如何吃得更好，更注意我放進身體裡的東西，對吧？如果我們去自助餐廳，我開始把所有東西都放在盤子上呢？”
She put her hands on her hips. “Vinney, you’ve been teaching me how to eat better and pay more attention to what I put in my body, right? What if we went to a buffet and I started putting some of everything on my plate?”
“我會說，如果你對吃的東西更小心，你會感覺更好。”
“I’d say that you’d feel better if you were more careful about what you ate.”
“那你放進腦子裡的東西不是一樣的道理嗎？”
“Isn’t it the same with what you put in your mind?”
我幾乎能感覺到德雷克在告訴我：“看吧？這就是我們在談論的。”
I could almost feel Drake telling me, “See? That’s what we were talking about.”
這只是她激勵和鼓勵我提高頻率的眾多方式之一。她的榜樣和影響激勵我變得更好。
That was just one of the many ways that she inspired and encouraged me to raise my frequency. Her example and influence inspired me to be better.
最重要的是，Andrea幫助我理解家庭是生活中最重要的事情。我逐漸明白自己的家庭是值得珍惜的，而分享和發展這份愛的方法就是花時間與他們在一起。在我過去的生活中，每當我的家人聚會時，我總是找到一些“更重要”的事情去做。家庭，包括我自己的家庭，對Andrea來說是如此重要，以至於它成為了我的優先事項。正是對家庭的新認識，導致了一個事件，讓我最終確認我在另一邊經歷的事情確實發生過。
Above all, Andrea helped me to understand that family is the most important thing in life. I grew to know that my own family was something to cherish, and that the way to share and develop that love was through spending time with them. In my old life, whenever my family had a get- together, I always found something “more important” to do. Family, including my own, was such a priority for Andrea that it became a priority for me. It was this new appreciation of family that led to the event that confirmed to me once and for all that what I’d experienced on the other side had really happened.
第十八章：另一位天使
Chapter 18: Another Angel
當我改變我的態度和行動時，我想起了我生命中所有好人。其中之一是我小時候一起長大的年輕女子萊斯莉。她在我死前幾週打電話問我是否想與她和她的朋友共度一天。我拒絕了她的邀請，因為我覺得有「更重要的事情」要做。事實是，萊斯莉將宗教作為她生活的核心，而我一直在用工作和朋友填滿我的時間。我一直在遠離我的教會。
As I made changes in my attitude and actions, I thought about all the good people who had been in my life. One of them was a young woman who I had grown up with. Leslee had called me a few weeks before I died and asked me if I wanted to spend a day with her and her friends. I had turned down her invitation because I thought I had “better things to do.” The truth was that Leslee had made religion a central part of her life, while I had been filling my time with work and friends. I had been drifting away from my church.
在我死而復生回到這個世界後，我意識到我一直在疏遠的朋友和家人比我當時交往的其他社交圈重要得多。康復幾個月後，我在手機上刪除舊聯繫人時，看到萊斯莉的名字，感到一個印象：「你需要回電給她。」我在星期二打給她。
After I died and returned to this world, I realized that the friends and family that I had been turning away from were far more important in my life than any of the other social circles that I had been running with. A few months after my recovery, I was deleting old contacts on my phone when I saw Leslee’s name and had the impression, “You need to call her back.” I called her on a Tuesday.
「喂？」她的聲音從電話傳來。「嗨，萊斯莉。我是維尼。」
“Hello?” her voice came through the phone. “Hi, Leslee. This is Vinney.”
「維尼！」她熱情地說。「你最近好吗？」「挺好的。你呢？」
“Vinney!” she said enthusiastically. “How have you been?” “I’ve been pretty good. How about you?”
「很好。有什麼事？」
“Great. What’s up?”
「記得幾週前你邀我一起出去，但我說不行？」
“So, remember a few weeks ago when you invited me to hang out, but I said I couldn’t?”
「可以。」
“Yes.”
「我在想能不能兌現一個延期支票，一起做點什麼。」
“Well, I was wondering if I could cash in a rain check and get together and do something.”
「當然可以。我和一些朋友今晚要去保齡球。你想來吗？」
“Sure. Some friends and I are going bowling tonight. Do you want to come?”
「絕對想。」
“Absolutely.”
「太好了。如果你願意，七點左右可以來我家聚聚。已經有幾個人在那了。」
“Great. If you want, you can come over to my house about seven o’clock and hang out. A bunch of us will be there already.”
「謝謝。」
“Thank you.”
「不客氣。期待再次見到你。」
“You’re welcome. I look forward to seeing you again.”
我有足夠的時間準備，然後前往那裡。萊斯莉住得不遠，實際上就在街邊。我把車停在街上，走上門廊。我能聽到屋內男人的聲音，談笑風生。
I had plenty of time to get ready, and then made my way there. Leslee didn’t live far away, just down the street, actually. I parked my car on the street and walked up to the door. I could hear men’s voices inside, talking and laughing.
我敲門，但沒人回應。談話聲甚至沒停。我等了一分鐘，然後更用力敲門。還是沒回應。
I knocked, but there was no answer. Not even a break in the conversation. I waited for a minute, then knocked harder. Still no answer.
決心不讓再次與朋友聯繫的機會溜走，我用力敲門。我聽到屋內某處一個女孩喊道：「有人要去開門吗？」我不認識她的聲音。
Determined to not let another chance to reconnect with friends pass me by, I gave the door a solid knuckle pound. I heard a girl yell from somewhere in the house, “Is anyone going to answer that?” I didn’t recognize her voice.
沒人回答她。然後我聽到腳步聲衝下樓梯到門口，門開了。站在那裡的是一個金髮、漂亮、約二十歲的年輕女子。她在發光。
No one answered her, either. Then I heard footsteps rush down the stairs to the door, and it opened. The young woman who stood there was blonde, pretty, maybe twenty years old. And she was glowing.
當我說她在發光時，我能用肉眼看到從她身上散發出我在另一邊體驗過的同樣光芒。
When I say she was glowing, I could see, with my physical eyes, the same light that I had experienced on the other side radiating from her.
我無言以對。她也是。我們只是對視了感覺像是幾分鐘。
I was speechless. So was she. We just stared at each other for what felt like minutes.
最終，我問：「我可以進來吗？」
Finally, I asked, “Can I come in?”
「是的，當然。我們正準備上樓玩桌球。你想玩吗？」
“Yes, of course. We were just going to play pool upstairs. Do you want to play?”
「當然。我很想。」
“Sure. I’d like that.”
我跟她上樓。當我們到達桌球室時，裡面沒其他人。我們倆玩了起來。我們談了很多。
I followed her up the stairs. When we reached the pool room, there was no one else there. We played, just the two of us. And we talked.
她告訴我她的名字是安德莉亞。她不是我過去會被吸引或約會的那種女孩。我一直約會深色頭髮、甚至更深沉性格的女孩。我能看到安德莉亞與我認識的任何女孩都不同。她的善良閃耀。真的。我能看到。
She told me that her name was Andrea. She wasn’t the kind of girl that I would have necessarily been attracted to or dated in the past. I had always dated girls with darker hair, and even darker personas. I could see that Andrea was different than any other girl I had ever known. She had a goodness about her that shone. Literally. I could see it.
我們談了很多，笑了很多。不知不覺，太陽下山了，我們正前往保齡球館。
We talked and laughed a lot. Before I knew it, the sun was going down, and we were on our way to the bowling alley.
安德莉亞坐進萊斯莉車的副駕駛座。我聽到的男人聲音是萊斯莉的哥哥和他的五個朋友；他們都擠進一輛麵包車。我開自己的車。我想獨自思考我的感受。我不明白發生了什麼。每當我靠近她，我能感覺到我的存在在震動，彷彿我們的靈魂彼此共鳴。這既讓我害怕又讓我著迷。
Andrea climbed into the passenger seat of Leslee’s car. The men I had heard talking were Leslee’s brother and five of his friends; they all piled into a van together. I drove my car. I wanted to be alone to think about what I was feeling. I didn’t understand what was happening. I could feel my being vibrate whenever I was close to her, as if our spirits resonated with each other. It both frightened and fascinated me.
在保齡球館又有五個人加入我們：萊斯莉哥哥的三個朋友、我的哥哥和他的室友。保齡球館很擁擠，所以讓我失望的是，安德莉亞在離我很遠的球道玩。我意識到我不再用肉眼看到她的光芒，但每次看她時我都能感覺到。我通常不會追蹤一個女孩，但對安德莉亞，我無法抗拒。我不知道如何形容，只能說她有種靈性的甜美吸引力，是我從未遇過的。我認出她有種來自上帝的純粹而珍貴的純真。
Five more people met us at the bowling alley: three more of Leslee’s brother’s friends, and my brother and his roommate. The bowling alley was crowded, so, to my disappointment, Andrea was playing in a lane far from mine. I realized that I no longer saw her radiant glow with my physical eyes, but I could feel it every time I looked at her. It was not my usual style to keep track of a girl, but with Andrea, I couldn’t resist. I don’t know how else to describe it other than that she had a spiritually sweet attraction unlike anyone I had ever met. I recognized that she had a pure and precious innocence that came from God.
我注意到她的朋友都叫她安琪。
I noticed that all of her friends called her Ange.
「為什麼大家都叫她安琪？」我問。「我以為她的名字是安德莉亞。」
“Why does everyone call her Ange?” I asked. “I thought her name was Andrea.”
「是安德莉亞。她總是像天使一樣，所以我們開始叫她天使——簡稱安琪。」
“It is. She’s such an angel all the time that we just started calling her Angel—Ange for short.”
安德莉亞的比賽先結束，她走向遊戲室。我一結束比賽就追上她，說：「今晚認識你真好。我可以哪天打給你吗？」
Andrea’s game finished first, and she wandered over to the arcade room. I caught up to her as soon as my game ended and said, “It was great meeting you tonight. Can I call you sometime?”
她婉拒了。「不如你給我你的號碼，也許我會打給你。」
She demurred. “Why don’t you give me your number, and maybe I’ll call you.”
這是我能得到的最好結果，所以我給了她我的電話號碼。時間晚了，我得早起上班。我父母的房子就在附近，他們有間空房我可以用，所以我決定睡在那裡，而不是開車回家。
It was the best I was going to get, so I gave her my phone number. It was late, and I had to get up early for work. My parents’ house was close by, and they had a spare room I could use, so I decided to sleep there instead of driving all the way home.
開車時，我回想從她身上散發的真實光芒。我知道安德莉亞與眾不同，非常特別。儘管我仍然想回到另一個世界，我懷疑她是否是將我從迷失的黑暗中拉出的光芒。
As I drove, I reflected on the very real light I saw emanating from her. I knew that Andrea was different, and that she was very special. And despite my persistent thoughts that I still wanted to go back to the other world, I wondered if she might be the light that pulled me out of the darkness I was lost in.
第二天早上，我打電話給萊斯莉，看她下午是否想再聚聚。她願意，並帶了安德莉亞。萊斯莉沒待多久；她說有事要辦，半小時後回來。她離開了三個多小時，這給了我和安德莉亞更多相處的機會。
I called Leslee the next morning to see if she wanted to get together again that afternoon. She did, and she brought Andrea with her. Leslee didn’t stay long; she said that she had to run an errand but would return in half an hour. She was gone for more than three hours, which gave Andrea and me a chance to get to know each other better.
安德莉亞似乎對任何話題都敞開心扉，我們的談話從流星到量子物理、生活的奧秘等各種主題。最重要的是，她在我身邊讓我感覺不同。她在我內心點燃了新的能量。
Andrea seemed to be open to talking about anything, and our conversations ranged from falling stars to quantum physics, the mysteries of life, and a myriad of other subjects. Most important, I felt different around her. She sparked a new energy within me.
幾天後，我和安德莉亞一起吃午餐。送飲料和開胃菜的服務員說：「我愛看快樂的夫妻。你們結婚多久了？」
A few days later, Andrea and I had lunch together. The waitress who delivered our drinks and appetizers said, “I just love seeing happy married couples. How long have you two been married?”
我們都很驚訝。我回答：「我們其實才剛認識。」「真的？我還以為你們結婚了。」這是我們習慣聽到的問題。
We were both surprised. I replied, “We actually just met.” “Really? I could have sworn that you two were married.” It was a question we got used to hearing.
安德莉亞在星期六早上打電話給我。
Andrea called me Saturday morning.
「嘿，我想知道你想不想和我家人一起去猶他湖餵鴨子。」
“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and my family to feed ducks at Utah Lake.”
我努力壓抑我的興奮。「什麼時候？」「我和我妹妹一小時後來接你。」
I struggled to contain my excitement. “What time?” “My sister and I will pick you up in an hour.”
安德莉亞和她妹妹切爾西來接我，我們開車到普羅沃河匯入猶他湖的地方。她的父親、十五歲的妹妹金姆和十二歲的弟弟雅各在那裡等我們。
Andrea and her younger sister, Chelsie, picked me up, and we drove to where the Provo River empties into Utah Lake. Her dad, her fifteen-year- old sister Kim, and her twelve-year-old brother Jacob, met us there.
那天我沒怎麼和她父親互動，他忙於照顧兩個年幼的弟妹。切爾西則一直待在附近，似乎對我很好奇。我當時不知道，但安德莉亞星期三晚上回家後，叫醒切爾西，花了兩小時講述我們那晚的相處。
I didn’t interact with her dad much on that day, as he was distracted with the two younger siblings. Chelsie, however, stayed close by and seemed very curious about me. I didn’t know it then, but after Andrea arrived home Wednesday night, she woke Chelsie up and spent two hours recounting our evening together.
我們三人在岸邊扔食物給吵鬧的鴨子時，一個女人走過。她說：「你們倆真是漂亮的一對。結婚多久了？」
As the three of us stood on the shore throwing food to the noisy ducks, a woman walked by. She said, “You two are such a beautiful couple. How long have you been married?”
我和安德莉亞對視一眼。切爾西打破尷尬的沉默，笑著說：「哦，不。他們只是朋友。」
Andrea and I just looked at each other. Chelsie broke the awkward silence with a laugh and said, “Oh, no. They’re just friends.”
我們都跟著笑了，但那位女士看起來很困惑。她搖搖頭，像是試圖弄清楚為什麼她會問這個問題。
We all laughed along with her, but the lady looked confused. She shook her head as if she was trying to figure out what prompted her to even ask the question.
我和安德莉亞幾乎每天都見面。我母親很高興我們這麼常見面，但安德莉亞的家人遠沒有那麼興奮。她的父母打聽後得知我有點「壞男孩」的名聲，曾「過著狂野的生活」並頻繁更換女友。他們的擔憂可以理解。
Andrea and I saw each other almost every day. My mother was happy that we were seeing so much of each other, but Andrea’s family was far less excited. Her parents had asked around and learned that I had a bit of a reputation as a bad boy who had “lived a wild life” and cycled through girlfriends. They were understandably worried.
安德莉亞當然也聽說了這些傳聞。雖然她承認我們在一起時感受到的正面能量，但她也擔心我只是想再征服一個人。儘管如此，我們還是越來越親近。
Andrea, of course, had heard the same stories. Even though she acknowledged the positive energy that she felt when we were together, she also had concerns that I was simply looking for another conquest. Still, we continued to grow closer.
我內心深處感覺上帝讓我們相遇，我們的聯繫有種特別的東西。在我們去猶他湖餵鴨子的那天晚上，我在與上帝的夜間對話中問：「我應該娶安德莉亞嗎？」
I felt deep within me that God had brought us together, and that there was something special in our connection. The same day we fed the ducks at Utah Lake, I was doing my nightly check-in with God, and asked, “Am I supposed to marry Andrea?”
我感受到一個響亮的「是的。你終於看到了，」像是來自我的引導者們的合唱，並由我自己的直覺強化。
I felt a resounding “Yes. You’re finally seeing it,” from what felt like a chorus of my guides and reinforced by my own intuition.
仍然懷疑自己，我再次問，得到更強烈的回應。我第三次問，感到一股平靜的波浪席捲我。我仍然擔心，因為我不知道這會怎麼實現，或者應該怎麼發生，但同時我感到寬慰。這個答案解釋了我們之間的共鳴和我們萌芽關係的強度。那晚，我躺在床上，直接睡著了。
Still doubting myself, I asked again, and received an even more powerful response. I asked a third time, and I felt a wave of peace wash over me. I was still worried because I didn’t know how any of this would work out, or how it was supposed to happen, but I felt relieved at the same time. The answer explained the resonance between us and the strength of our blossoming relationship. That night, I lay down in bed and went straight to sleep.
第二天早上，我和安德莉亞參加了我父母在普羅沃峽谷南叉的 cabin 的家庭聚會。這是她第一次見我的父母。我們開車時都異常沉默，前晚的答案在我腦海中沉重。我拼命想與她討論，但害怕會發生什麼。
The next morning, Andrea and I attended a family gathering at my parents’ cabin in the south fork of Provo Canyon. It would be the first time she met my parents. We were both unusually silent on the drive as the answer I had received the night before weighed heavily on my mind. I desperately wanted to discuss it with her but was afraid of what might happen.
我強烈感覺到安德莉亞昨晚問了同樣的問題，也得到了同樣的答案。他們告訴我，我必須有勇氣提出來，我們之間的能量才能恢復正常。
I felt a strong impression that Andrea had asked the same question last night and had received the same answer. They told me that I had to have the courage to bring it up before the energy between us could return to normal.
我問：「你昨晚有沒有為什麼重要的事情祈禱？」
I asked, “Did you happen to pray about something important last night?”
安德莉亞轉頭看我。我能聽到她聲音中的不安。「有。你呢？」
Andrea turned to look at me. I could hear the apprehension in her voice. “Yes. Did you?”
我問我的引導者：我要怎麼告訴她我們應該結婚？
I asked my guides, How do I tell her that we’re supposed to get married?
「直接說，」答案來了。
“Just do it,” the answer came.
「我為一件很重要的事祈禱，」我說。「我問了三次，確定無誤。」
“I prayed about something pretty important,” I said. “I asked three times just to be sure.”
「你祈禱什麼？」她問。
“What did you pray about?” she asked.
我深吸一口氣，然後說：「我祈禱想知道我們是否應該結婚。」
I took a deep breath, then said, “I prayed to know if we’re supposed to get married.”
她的眼睛瞪大。「你的答案是什麼？」
Her eyes opened wide. “What was your answer?”
「我們應該結婚。」
“That we’re supposed to get married.”
「就像你在讀我的心，」她說。「我昨晚也問了三次，問我是否應該嫁給你。我得到同樣的答案。」我們之間的緊張感消失了。
“It’s like you’re reading my mind,” she said. “I prayed three times last night, too, and asked if I’m supposed to marry you. I got the same answer.” The tension between us evaporated.
我們到達 cabin。我們還沒準備好宣布訂婚，但我媽已經知道了。她後來告訴我，第一次聽我談到安德莉亞時，她就知道會有這樣的發展。
We arrived at the cabin. We weren’t ready to announce an engagement, but my mom already knew. She told me later that she had known where this was going the first time I told her about Andrea.
安德莉亞向我展示了如何與靈性光芒連繫並與更高頻率共鳴。我必須死去才能知道感受到上帝存在的感覺，但對她來說這是自然而然的。
Andrea showed me how well someone could connect with spiritual light and be in tune with higher frequencies. I had to die to know what it feels like to feel God’s presence, but it came naturally for her.
除了幫助我度過重返凡人世界的黑暗，安德莉亞還讓我體驗到更豐富、更充實的凡人經歷。她通過她的眼睛向我展示了世界，為我的生活帶來純粹和驚奇。與她在一起，我意識到我每天都在錯過幸福。
In addition to helping me through the darkness of re-entry into the mortal world, Andrea opened my heart to a richer, more fulfilling mortal experience. She showed me the world through her eyes, bringing purity and wonder into my life. With her, I realized that I was passing up happiness every day.
安德莉亞還以其他方式幫助我提升生活。我的語言和娛樂標準相當低，受我在建築行業的工作和同事影響。即使經歷了這些，我仍有很多成長要做，以改掉舊的世俗習慣。一天，我問她是否想去電影院看一部新上映的電影。
Andrea helped me elevate my life in other ways. My standards for language and entertainment were quite low, influenced by my career in construction and the people I worked with. Even after my experience, I still had a lot of growing to do in order to reform my old earthly habits. One day, I asked her if she wanted to go to the theater to watch a newly released movie with me.
「裡面有什麼？」她問。「什麼意思？」
“What’s in it?” she asked. “What do you mean?”
「比如有多少暴力？有沒有性愛場景？他們用的語言怎麼樣？」
“Like how much violence? Are there sex scenes? What about the kind of language they use?”
「我不知道。我只聽說很好看。」
“I don’t know. I just heard it’s really good.”
她雙手叉腰。「維尼，你一直在教我吃得更好，注意我放進身體的東西，對吧？如果我們去自助餐廳，我開始把每樣東西都放在盤子上呢？」
She put her hands on her hips. “Vinney, you’ve been teaching me how to eat better and pay more attention to what I put in my body, right? What if we went to a buffet and I started putting some of everything on my plate?”
「我會說如果你更小心吃的東西，你會感覺更好。」
“I’d say that you’d feel better if you were more careful about what you ate.”
「這不就像你放進腦子裡的東西一樣吗？」
“Isn’t it the same with what you put in your mind?”
我幾乎能感覺到德雷克在說：「看？這就是我們談到的。」
I could almost feel Drake telling me, “See? That’s what we were talking about.”
這只是她激勵和鼓勵我提升頻率的眾多方式之一。她的榜樣和影響激勵我變得更好。
That was just one of the many ways that she inspired and encouraged me to raise my frequency. Her example and influence inspired me to be better.
最重要的是，安德莉亞幫助我理解家庭是生活中最重要的事情。我逐漸明白自己的家庭是值得珍惜的，分享和發展這種愛的方式是與他們共度時光。在我舊的生活中，每當家人聚會，我總會找到「更重要」的事情做。家庭，包括我自己的，對安德莉亞來說是如此優先，這也成為我的優先。這份對家庭的新認識，引領我到了一個最終確信我在另一邊經歷真實的事件。
Above all, Andrea helped me to understand that family is the most important thing in life. I grew to know that my own family was something to cherish, and that the way to share and develop that love was through spending time with them. In my old life, whenever my family had a get- together, I always found something “more important” to do. Family, including my own, was such a priority for Andrea that it became a priority for me. It was this new appreciation of family that led to the event that confirmed to me once and for all that what I’d experienced on the other side had really happened.