A baby boy was born. He is a tank. Strong and agile and into everything, keeping his parents busy. He gets his first "job" at the age of six opening a lemonade stand on the side of the road outside their house. He did this every day of every summer for the next four years. At the age of thirteen he began volunteering at the local library, which he did for three years. At sixteen he began looking for a job, and soon found one with a lumber company. He worked there for three years and at nineteen was a manager for the company and in college. He took summer classes in between semesters and worked the whole time. Sleep was a thing of the past, but that was okay with him. He is happy. By age twenty-six he has graduated with a masters degree and he gets his dream job of being a teacher at the local community college that he once attended. He is happy. A reliable car, a reliable job, a nice apartment. But he is lonely.
Twenty-eight years old he is out with friends having some beers and a burger at a local pub. The waitress is pretty. Too pretty for him. No shot with her he knows that's for sure. But after a good tip and a quick chit chat with her they are dating a month later. Her name is Emily. She is younger than him, only twenty-two, but they don't care. She's a sweet heart and more than he should have ever deserved. He loves her dearly. She loves him too, very obviously.
Another year goes by and he and Emily are now married. She is twenty-three and he is twenty-nine. They are so happy together, living in his apartment. He teaches, and Emily is still a waitress at the pub. She's a college drop-out. It wasn't her thing, and she makes good money being a waitress. She wants to have a family someday anyway. She has her MRS degree as she jokingly puts it. She's not ashamed. Nor is he. He's happy with her, and she with him.
Emily is now thirty and he is thirty-six. She is pregnant with twins. They have a a beautiful boy and a beautiful girl. They grow up. The boy becomes a successful business man and the girl becomes nurse. They both marry into well to do families and live busy lives. He and Emily live a happy life in their apartment. He retires at the age of sixty-five. They are both young enough to still enjoy life going hiking, surfing, even sky-diving.
Two years later. Emily is sixty-one and he is sixty-seven. Emily is dying of cancer. The kids are off in other parts of the country when she passes. They call him but are too busy to come to the funeral or even visit him. He understands. He was once a busy man before he retired. Now he once again volunteers at the community college in the library there.
One night he meets some friends at the local pub where Emily used to work. He can't believe it's still there, but then again it is a popular spot. It's a whole new crowd of people there. Young people like he and Emily used to be.
Oh, Emily.
He is now seventy-three. He sits on his balcony and drinks beer every night. Occasionally he goes out with his friends. He dials his son's number. Voicemail as usual. He leaves the message. Then he dials his daughter's number. She answers. He tells her. She actually starts to cry. She says she will be out to visit soon. He never hears from his son.
A year later he is dying in the local hospital. His daughter and her husband are by his side. They do not have any kids. He is a grandpa by his son, but his son has not called or shown himself. He is not unhappy, and his lasts thoughts of of his kids, and their rich and fulfilling lives, and of course, of his sweet, sweet Emily.
His son does finally call days later. He is devastated when he finds out that his father has passed away, and never got to say goodbye. Never got to say goodbye...because he was too busy living a dream...
No comments:
Post a Comment