Hourglass

He knew there wasn't much time to live. His heart had plotted to doom him. Death was constantly on his mind and, understandably, he was frightened.

Had I been a good enough man? he thought. And what of religion? Is it necessary?

One night he dreamed he had been given an hourglass by some faceless, formless entity, who told him that--when it drained--he would die and face the music.

When he awoke, he was astounded to see the same hourglass on his bedside table. It had been running for some time and only had a little sand left on top.

"So, what's this?" asked the visiting nurse.

"This is how much longer I have to live," he answered.

"That's not very funny," she said, scolding him.

"Don't I know it!" he huffed.

"Getting a little short there? Why don't you just flip it back over, like Dorothy should've."

"Who?"

"Like in the Wizard of Oz. Anyway, I'm going to check on your medications and will return shortly." She stopped and turned. "Oh, do you mind?" she asked, and turned the hourglass back over. "We need all the time we can get."

She smiled at their private little joke.

She must have forgotten, he concluded, after she hadn't returned. It was just as well, because he was slipping in and out of sleep. And dreamed. He dreamed of unfinished business. He dreamed of his great unrequited love. He dreamed of people wronged by him. And each time he awoke, he turned the hour glass back over.

In fitful episodes of sleep, he tended to the unfinished business; he understood the unrequited love and made peace with the reasons for estrangement; and for the wrongs done had contructed mental scenarios in his sleeping mind to reconcile with his victims.

When the nurse returned, the hour glass was almost finished. "Oh, we must turn that back over, don't you think?"

"Not anymore."

As the last grain dropped through, he fell asleep again for the last time. The nurse did not push the "code" button, according to his living will. Still, she answered a temptation, reached over him, and turned the glass over again.

But it was too late.