ddie is an 83 year old war veteran that works maintaining rides at an amusement park at Ruby Pier. He is described as a “squat, white-haired old man, with a short neck, a barrel chest, thick forearms, and a faded army tattoo on his right shoulder.” We learn that he is a war veteran in this chapter when his wounded knee is mentioned. He is a hard worker that did not plan to live like this before going to war. He dreamed becoming an engineer but left with few opportunities after coming back from the war, he accepted his life. He is described as a “working man” with a cigarette behind his left ear, a ring of keys hooked to his belt, rubber-soled shoes, an old linen cap, and pale brown uniform.
The Blue Man introduces Eddie to the journey that he will be facing. He informs him that he is in Heaven and tells him that he will meet a total of 5 people in Heaven. We learn that the Blue Man was part of the “freaks from the freak show.” The Blue Man is Joseph Corvel Check, the son of a tailor in a small Polish village who came to America in 1894. Joseph was always a “nervous” boy and as a result wet his pants often, which shamed his father. Because of these “nerves” Joseph starts taking silver nitrate, a poison that turns his skin an ashy blue. The Blue Man soon started to work with the circus until one night, he is killed by young Eddie.
Eddie comes to a massive tree where he finds his old Captain from the war. Captain helps Eddie come to terms with the fact that he is really dead. They go back to the times of war where they were captured as prisoners of war. Through this storytelling we learn the struggles and tight bond of Eddie and his Captain. This tight bond is tested when Captain tells Eddie that he is actually the one who shot Eddies leg, in order to save his life. Although Eddie becomes furious and attacks Captain, he accepts Eddies anger. Eddie later finds out through the Captain that the Captain had died in a bombing that saved the lives of Eddie and his fellow soldiers. Eddie learns this and is ashamed that he was angry with his Captain. He also feels extremely guilty, but the Captain teaches him that he sacrificed his life in order to keep his promise with his men and that all sacrifices are made for a reason.
Eddie states that “the damage done by (his) father was neglect, violence, and silence.” Eddies father is described by Eddie as a man of alcohol and cards. Most of the time, he ignored Eddie but would occasionally approve of his deeds when he would come home from fights and fixing old bits around the house. Eddie and his father are alike in many ways. His father worked in maintenance for Ruby Pier, and Eddie later accepts his father's position. When Eddie comes back from war a broken man, his father tries to put him back in line but Eddie “raises his hand” at his father and they don’t speak a word until his death. Eddies father is hospitalized after an incident with a drunken friend and shares a room with Ruby’s husband. He dies by the window in the cold.
Eddie meets Ruby at a diner. She is described as woman with a “gaunt face, with sagging cheeks, rose-colored lipstick, and tightly pulled-back white hair.” Ruby was a poor working girl until she met Emile, a sophisticated, self-earned, rich man. Emile builds Ruby a beautiful, red and creme amusement park and names it Ruby Pier, after Ruby. The amusement park later sets on fire and kills Emile, who tries to save it. He is hospitalized in the same room as Eddies father. Ruby tells Eddie that she wishes that the Pier never existed and explains why she is protecting all those that were harmed by the pier in some way, including Eddie’s father. She is able to show his fathers life through her eyes and helps Eddie forgive his father.
Eddie’s wife, Marguerite, is introduced in the very beginning as a “wound beneath an old bandage… a bandage he had become accustomed to.” She is the love of Eddies life, but dies at the young age of 47. Although both Eddie and Ruby love children, Ruby is not able to conceive and they try to adopt. Ruby, after a car accident is hospitalized and due to the months spent in recovery they are never able to adopt a child. Although this test their marriage, they overcome even this and slowly start to be happier. That is until Marguerite is suddenly diagnosed with a brain tumor and leaves Eddie. Eddie meets Marguerite in heaven and learns that she did not just leave Eddie and that Eddie’s love for her was never weakened due to her death.
Tala is a young asian girl and Eddies last person. She is maybe 5 or 6 years old, “with a beautiful cinnamon complexion, hair the color of a dark plum, a small flat nose, full lips that spread joyfully over her gapped teeth, and the most arresting eyes, as black as a seals hide.” She is excited to see Eddie but this is strange when she tells him that he “burned her.” We find out that she is the little girl/ shadow from the prison camp that Eddie set on fire. Eddie is horrified to hear that he murdered an innocent child and learns repentance. She explains that he had to return to protect all the children at Ruby Pier and that she was actually the hands that Eddie felt when he died.