I lived in San Juan, Puerto Rico when I was three. I had moved there shortly before I met Sister Anna Marie and the other nuns across the street. Outside of my life with Sister Anna Marie, nothing significant happened except having mumps and removing my tonsils and adenoids. Ether inhalation is a bizarre thing to do, for sure.

My younger brother was operated on first. Before I went into the surgery, the surgeon showed me my brother’s tonsils in a small glass jar. I was unafraid, but I thought showing me such before the operation was strange.

Before I was given ether anaesthesia, the surgeon told me I could earn some money, “Miguel, I want you to count after we put the mask over your face, and I will pay you as much as you counted.”

I replied, “Okay.”

They placed the mask over my face and turned on the ether, which smelled sweet and unpleasant. To maximise my money, I took a deep breath before they placed the mask over my face, counted out loud to 20, exhaled and inhaled to count again. I was a clever boy even then. I remember it took a while for me to pass out.

I remember waking up and having to vomit up blood. My throat was very sore, and my mind was fuzzy. I remember throwing up blood clots for at least one day. The surgeon came to check on us and gave me $2.37.

My brother and I went home two or three days after the surgery. I was upset at having my tonsils out as they had been fine, unlike my younger brother.

One night, after I went to bed, I found myself in a new place. I stood by big stone gates. A gatekeeper was speaking to an elderly man who seemed confused to me. The gatekeeper was kind and patient. Another man came to take the elderly man away.

He turned and kneeled to speak to me. He had a short beard and wore a long robe.

He said, “Hello, Michael. My name is Natan-el. I am an angel. One of my jobs is to greet people who have died. You aren’t afraid, are you, Michael?”

I asked him, “Mr Natan-el, I am not afraid. I feel as if I have been here many times, but I cannot remember for sure. Why am I here? I am only a kid and was fine when I went to bed, other than having my tonsils removed a while back.”

“Michael, you must have died this night since you are here.”

“Funny, but I don’t feel dead at all. My body seems quite solid to me.”

“Regardless of the details, you wouldn’t be here unless you died,” replied Natan-el, “and that is that.”

“Okay, Mr Natan-el, where do I go now?”

“Well, young fellow, you must go to the Judgment Hall to have your sins weighed.”

“That seems dumb to me. How many sins can a three-year-old commit, anyway? Don’t they have playgrounds around here or red beans with rice?”

Suddenly, an elderly gentleman dressed in old-fashioned clothes addressed Mr Natan-el.

“Hello, Natan-el. God is very interested in meeting Michael. In fact, God brought him here tonight to test him. I will take charge of this fine young man and go to the Judgment Hall. Hope you don’t mind?”

Mr Natan-el left to speak with some new arrivals. The elderly man bent down to talk with me at my level.

He said, “Michael, my name is Emanuel Swedenborg. I lived in Sweden and England when I was in my mortal body. I have been on the arrival plane for almost 300 years. When I was alive, the Lord allowed me to visit Heaven and Hell and write commentaries on the Old Testament and many books. Now, I work helping new arrivals adjust to being here before they go to Judgment Hall. God likes to give everyone a second chance to be a good and not a selfish soul. Do you understand, Michael?”

I said, “I think you must be a good man. Nice people help others. That’s a rule I think God made?”

MrSwedenborg smiled, saying, “I believe you are correct about the rule. Our Father, God, gave humanity many excellent rules for living life as he wished for us. And people who like to obey God’s helpful rules are essential, child. Come, take my hand, and I will take you to Judgment Hall as God asked me to do before you arrived.

“Michael, how would you like some hot chocolate and a pastry? I am a little hungry, and some lovely hot tea, scones, and clabbered cream sounds nice.”

“It sounds very nice to me. I was afraid there were no treats here.”

Mr Swedenborg wiggled his nose, and we sat in a garden full of flowers, butterflies, and birds singing. Fresh scones, clabbered cream, hot tea, and chocolate were on the table.

“Mr Swedenborg, can I learn magick too if I have to stay with you?”

“Michael, I do not think you must stay here with me. God has other plans for you. He is very fond of you. Just like a grandfather.”

So, we drank and ate scones. Mr Swedenborg told me about his trips to heaven and hell and how the afterlife works. It was curious, for as he talked and laughed, many images and ideas came into my mind before I was born.

After our tummies were full of scones, Mr Swedenborg said, “Time to go, lad. There is much more for you to see and understand.”