To Die at 99

"TO DIE AT 99"

Today is the following morning of Albert's 99th birthday, Its 9 am, the room is bright, the walls are white and the noise of heart monitors of other patients in the room sound their many bleeps. Albert is laying on his hospital bed with the headrest up, he looks at the small wooden topped hospital trolley at the end of his bed with a look of disgust, his eyebrows are semi--frowned, and the gaze is strongly directed at this blue iced cupcake with a single birthday candle placed right in its center, he thinks to himself "if I could move id hurl that stupid thing across the room". Albert never really liked birthdays but, then again, Albert never really liked anything. Albert hasn't had a great life, both his parents died in a car accident when he was 6 years old. At 10 years old he was abused by his uncle, physically and sexually. when Albert confronted some bullies in the park after school once when he was 15, they pinned him to the ground and made him watch a random dog being strangled by one of the bullies at school. In his late teens and earlier 20's instead of partying and chasing girls around the place, Albert focused on his maths and accounting studies in which he spent a very unsocial 4 years gathering a degree. He didn't even attend his graduation, instead, he heated a microwavable meal while watching daytime television programs for hours while his degree was posted to him. At 26 years old Albert worked in an accounting firm. He found comfort in the job processing all the numbers/accounts but hated and resented the presence of his fellow work colleagues in the office almost every day, keeping his distance from them always. At 50 years he made a scene on the street calling a lady a "good for nothing whore" cause she slightly bumped into him and he went to kick her dog too in outrage. Retiring at 71 years old he spent his retirement money on a brand new fancy apartment, (that he didn't look after well) in which he installed surround sound that was directly linked to his TV, an expensive leather armchair (the only chair in the living room) a few years worth of cigars made from all over the globe and a very expensive chess set that was his most valuable possession . He spent the next 27/28 years smoking, drinking (moderate amounts every day) alone in his big apartment. And on His 99th birthday no family, no friends, nobody came to visit him except for the nurse that found out his birthday from his medical sheet, thus giving him the cupcake.

Still looking at this rather small cupcake, Albert recalls all these dark stories of his past and all the nasty stuff he has done to other people in his life while finding no glimmer of happy moments mixed in. He concludes that his life has been horrible.

Sharp stabbing pain is felt by Albert followed by a loud dry harsh cough, his peripheral vision narrows slowly, while the center of his visual field loses contrast, color and focus. Albert knows this is the end for him, but continues to rehearse his tragic life over and over again. With the strength in his body leaving him his neck becomes weak and his head falls to one side, leaving him starring into the doorway that leads to the hallway. Looking into the bleak emptiness of space that is the hallway, his state of mind converts from resentful, angry, spiteful darkness to a more overwhelming consumed sadness of himself. He is now tired and his soul is as empty as this hallway. As the eyes narrow even more his eyelashes become more apparent as their bristles interlock and resemble the finale of closing curtains at the end of a theater play, slowing sliding down to end the show. The last seconds are here, he knows it as he continues to stare into the hallway. In this drifting state, Albert hears a ringing of a bell, his vision stays narrow but his attention in this smaller peaking hole of existence spikes to high definition seeing everything in more detail. The bell rings again and triggers a quick flash memory of 5 years old him hugging his father's leg as he smiles at the birthday gift of a chess set with a red ribbon place on top of there living room table, the flash memory ends and Albert awaits with tremendous excitement to see the ringing's source, once more the bell rings, and the source is revealed. A Golden bike wheels itself past the hallway door by a young boy between 5-7 years old in a white hospital gown. Another flash bursts into his visual field, continuing where the last flash left off, Young Albert hugs his father's leg and they both enjoy the moment of the chessboard present reveal, when all of a sudden a bell rings, the father and son turn there heads to face towards the kitchen where a Golden bike with black-handled bars are pushed by his beautiful mother wearing a red poker dotted dress from the kitchen into the living room towards young Albert. Young Albert dances, jumps, and celebrates in delight and turns to both his partners, lifts his cute head to the tall role models he loves, and smiles. The flash fades softly as reality comes back into view. Albert catches the child's gaze from across the room, his eyebrows soften, his eyes slightly water, every face muscle twitches to the sky and his chest feels like a sphere of warmth. Albert shares a moment of noticing each other with the young boy, their smiles grow more and more as their unbroken eye contact speaks a beautiful language. Albert smiles to the boy once more, takes a deep breath to exhale a whisper to say "best of luck" as his eyes close for the very last time.

"Albert is a man that didn't live happy but definitely died happy"