The Grim Reaper

My Grandmother's Little Notebook

On a full moon night, a little girl was lost in the woods. She wandered around for hours and more until she gave up and sat down. Wondering how she got herself in such a predicament, she tried to recall everything that happened but somehow she can't think very well. She wept with the thought that no one might find her and gave up all hope to get out from the woods.

Sounds of someone approaching slowly caught her attention as she dried her tears and silenced her mouth. Each moment, the sounds were becoming more clear and a bit loud as a silhouette of a man came into view. The girl stayed still for fright of a dangerous atmosphere lurking around the man. Slowly, the man's body and face came to view as he stopped and looked at the frightened little girl.

He stood still staring while the little girl was curled up with half of her face hidden yet her eyes mesmerized by the quiet man who did not move from his place.

With no exchanging of words between the two, the man continued on his walk as he passed through while the little girl only stayed where she is until the man was far enough for her to calm down. Lying still and watching the man walk away, she was curious by the thought of why would such a man walk deeper into the woods?

Soon after, the little girl followed behind few paces away from the man. Silently following day by day for the man does not stop walking in broad daylight yet retires above the trees at night.

The long journey soon came to an end, both parties finally found a town. Even though they had come across such a place, the man did not stop but just passed by each building and every person while the little girl still followed behind him.

Not long after, the man stopped in his tracks and stood in front of a certain home and looked behind him. Staring into the eyes of the little girl once more before stepping inside the house. The little girl did not hesitate to come in after him.

What she found inside was not the man but other people: a man and a woman as well as four other children. As funny as it was, those people are her family and they all just stood there stunned to see the little girl. She ran towards them and hugged each one of them so tight as they all cried and laughed together.

A party that night was held for the little girl's return. With so many things going on, the little girl only wondered if the man already knew who she was when they first met.

Many years passed by, the "little girl" is now a woman with a family of her own and was celebrating her daughter's eighteenth birthday. While driving on the road towards the venue, she looked for a shop to buy a present. She saw one right away and parked few blocks away from the store. After shopping, she was about to unlock her car when she saw a glimpse of a person standing a few meter away from her.

As she turned to look, she was stunned to see that it was the man who helped her get out of the woods and brought her back to her family. She only took five steps away from her car and seconds later, a truck crashed right behind her car. She was scared stiff by what she heard but she still turned to look at where her car is crushed and horribly destroyed in between the front of another shop's wall and the truck.

A lot of people gathered around her and asked how lucky she was yet she, herself, turned to look at the man who is now passing through the crowd and walking towards the driver who was inside the truck unconscious. As he opened the door, he held the driver's hand and kissed it and left without a moments delay.

The ambulance and the police arrived later on, one of the police were asking her questions while another one was giving her medical attention. Soon, the other officers announced that the driver was already dead, though a lot of witness say that he was just unconscious a moment ago.

After the commotion, the girl was now on her way towards her daughter's venue. She couldn't stop smiling by the thought that she was saved again by that man but it puzzled her that he hasn't aged a bit as he looked exactly the same as he did when they first met.

The "little girl's" years are soon coming to end as she has become a shriveling old grandma. With little strength she had left, she spent her days writing on a little notebook filled with memories of her life. The night before she died, she gave her little notebook to her favorite grandchild.

That's me; Marisa, the story teller of my grandmother Emilia's life when she met the "Grim Reaper".

......

On that same night when my grandma gave me her little notebook with her last minutes of life, I was beside her that whole night and I was only staring at her that time. She looked to the other side of the bed and heard her last words as she said this; "You're finally here. Thank you." and she passed away right in front of my eyes facing the other way with a faint smile on her face.