My Short Short for the Day

 If it was your last day on earth, what would you do?  Have you ever thought of that?  I’m not one of those people who subscribe to the idea to “live each day likes it’s your last”.  Instead, I had lived my life like there would always be a tomorrow.  That was until last month when I was diagnosed with a terminal illness.  One of those horrible diseases that ravages your body but leaves your mind intact to experience all the horrors inflicted on your physical being.  Not what I consider a very appealing option.  So instead of accepting my fate with stoic bravery, I decided to see what my other options were.  There were a lot of non-traditional choices and I tried many of them, but nothing seemed to help. 

I was getting weaker and running out of money and feeling quite desperate.  That’s when this little, old man knocked on my door.  He seemed harmless enough, so I let him in.  He slowly shuffled his way across the room to my couch and carefully lowered himself down.  He turned his face up towards me and grinned.

“Can I get you something to drink?”  I asked not sure if I had anything.

“Yes, some tea please.”  The old man continued to grin.

“Oh, ok, just a minute.”  I searched my kitchen cupboards and eventually found an old tea bag.  I put some water in a cup, microwaved it for a couple minutes and plopped the tea bag in.  I put a spoon in the cup, too.

“Do you take milk or sugar?”  I yelled from the kitchen.

“No, just tea.”  The old man’s voice carried so clearly.  He didn’t yell or even raise it.

“Here you go.”  I carefully set the cup on the coffee table.  I sat in the chair across from him.  “So, can I help you with something?”

“No, I’m afraid you are in no position to help me.”  He sipped his tea and smiled.  “However, I believe I am in a position to help you.”

“What?”  I stared at him.  How could he possibly help me?  I thought.

“Ah, don’t be fooled by my appearance.  This is simply an illusion I use to make others, such as yourself, feel more comfortable with my proposition.

“Your proposition?”  My mind was muddled.  “What could you possibly want from me?”

“Ah, we have been monitoring you for some time now.  Ms. James.”  The man sipped from his tea again, never taking his eyes off me.

“How do you know me?”  I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up in a prickly line.

“It would be easier and quicker to show you.”  He leaned towards me, stretching out his gnarled, wrinkly hands.

I don’t know why but I went along with it.  When he touched my head, I saw images flash in my mind and heard sounds and felt emotions.  It only lasted for a few moments, but I felt like I had experienced a lifetime. 

“We would like you to join us and in exchange, we can heal you.”  The old man’s smile was warm.

“Of course, what do I need to do.”  My voice sounded so strange, so distant.  Like I was dreaming but on the verge of waking.

“You will know all soon.”  The man stood and patted my shoulder, then shuffled across the room.

I opened the door.  “Thank you.”

The old man smiled and shuffled away down the hallway.  I shut the door and walked back to my chair.  I picked up the teacup and took it into the kitchen and was about to clean it when I noticed a piece of paper stuck to the bottom.

“Enjoy your last day on earth, for tomorrow you begin your new adventure.”

So, as I asked earlier, if it was your last day on earth, what would you do?