The old man woke up, but didn't open his eyes. As much as he accepted today was the day he was going to kill himself, he still had the instinct to prolong his life as long as possible. It was pathetic and confusing.
He ended up opening his eyes and got out of his worn down bed. He made the bed nice and tidy so no one would have to have a hard time cleaning up after him when he was found dead. How thoughtful!
Even on this special day, he did not break his routine of 59 years. Ever since 1918, he did not fail to rise at 7:00 AM, go to work as a train conductor, come home by 4:36 PM, and have an early dinner. He did not fail to spend Christmas and his birthday by himself, he had no family or friends that lived after 1918.
What happened in 1918, you may wonder. The better question to ask is what did 1918 do to this old man. And the answer, folks, is that the question is poorly worded. It was not just 1918. To be more precise, it was 1916, 1917, and 1918 when this man slowly shattered, just in his teens.
He walked slowly to the train station, wearing his best clothes, in his best shoes. They were old and faded.
He conducted the train all day and all afternoon, telling everyone to have a good day over the speaker over and over again. Each word rung with sincerity, but no one was listening, as expected. He went on home, the sun already setting in the cool October breeze.
The old man sat himself on the porch, surrounded by paper, a pencil, a nail, and a hammer. Time to write a couple last words. But what to write?
He thought for a while, as he was a thoughtful man. What could he write? To whom would he write to? He didn't have anyone to thank, to congratulate, to leave a spiteful message behind to. He was sorry, though, for his sad and tragic life, and for all his old friends and family he never got to grow gray hairs with. He was sorry that his life had to be without them, and sorry for 1918.
A nice message he would not write, either. He decided to write a list instead, of how not to live life the way he did.
Living Happily- Things to do before you die
1. Feed an elephant in the circus.
2. Go see a film in the cinema.
3. Go ice skating on a pond.
4. Go to a piano concert.
5. Climb a mountain.
6. See a play.
7. Have a picnic.
8. Pick fruit.
9. Go fishing.
10. Dance with someone.
11. Star-gaze.
12. Take a ride on a paddle boat.
Do this all with someone important.
The old man looked carefully over his list. He had done some of these things as a small child, with many rowdy friends and some with his parents. He missed them all dearly.
With the hammer and nail, he hung the piece of paper on his door. It was finished.
Inside, he was rummaging around, looking for his old handgun, but it was nowhere to be found. Puzzled, he looked over places he already checked before, wondering if he somehow missed it a couple times. Then he heard someone stamping on the porch.
Ambling over, he swung open the door to find a small girl in a red dress and coat. She looked about six years old. Her arms were high above her head, her eyes fixed on the door- on the paper. Her brown eyes widened at the sight of the bewildered old man.
YOU ARE READING
12 Things To Do Before You Die
Short Story"How old are you?" Rachel inquired. "Seventy-seven," he replied, wondering why his age mattered. "Then let's go back 70 years. 1905." An old man on the verge of suicide meets a child named Rachel. What will she bring him? What happens to the life o...
