On the morning of his 95th birthday, Joe woke up at exactly 6AM.
This small irony never failed to irritate him: he had never been a morning person, but the more the years passed, the earlier he woke.
“Well, this is it!” He said, to no one, as he swung his legs out of bed. 1/
This small irony never failed to irritate him: he had never been a morning person, but the more the years passed, the earlier he woke.
“Well, this is it!” He said, to no one, as he swung his legs out of bed. 1/
He brushed his teeth methodically, a small timer telling him when it had been exactly three minutes.
Rinsing out his mouth, he couldn’t help but smile as he thought of the day ahead.
The last day.
Joe had made up his mind years ago that his 95th birthday would be his last. 2/
Rinsing out his mouth, he couldn’t help but smile as he thought of the day ahead.
The last day.
Joe had made up his mind years ago that his 95th birthday would be his last. 2/
He wasn’t suicidal, mind you, he enjoyed life and had no intention of killing himself.
He was just tired. He had no friends left, no family. And he had always been a sociable man.
Life just didn’t excite him anymore. He’d seen it all, done it all.
He missed his wife. 3/
He was just tired. He had no friends left, no family. And he had always been a sociable man.
Life just didn’t excite him anymore. He’d seen it all, done it all.
He missed his wife. 3/
So Joe did what he’d always done as a business manager in his youth.
He set himself a deadline.
95 years old, that was IT. Enough.
How would he die? He wasn’t entirely sure, but he figured he would play some golf, and God would just… take him.
Right there on the course. 4/
He set himself a deadline.
95 years old, that was IT. Enough.
How would he die? He wasn’t entirely sure, but he figured he would play some golf, and God would just… take him.
Right there on the course. 4/
Breakfast was what it had always been for most of his life: a green apple, and a bowl of oatmeal.
As he ate he looked at his smart phone. The font was enlarged, and the main menu had been simplified for him by the phone salesman.
He clicked on the Twitter button. 5/
As he ate he looked at his smart phone. The font was enlarged, and the main menu had been simplified for him by the phone salesman.
He clicked on the Twitter button. 5/
Scrolling through his timeline, he chuckled at a joke or two, and gritted his teeth at a tragedy or two.
“World sure is different than when you left Sally,” he said, as he glanced at her photo on the counter.
“Kids gettin’ shot up…” he mumbled to nobody in particular. 6/
“World sure is different than when you left Sally,” he said, as he glanced at her photo on the counter.
“Kids gettin’ shot up…” he mumbled to nobody in particular. 6/
Finishing up his breakfast, he was was about to put down the phone. Then it occurred to him; maybe he should say goodbye?
He had 22 followers on Twitter. This mystified him. He had tweeted exactly once, and that was just “TESTING” in all caps.
Who were these 22? 7/
He had 22 followers on Twitter. This mystified him. He had tweeted exactly once, and that was just “TESTING” in all caps.
Who were these 22? 7/
He scratched his brow as he thought of how to end his Twitter account.
Squinting hard, he typed slowly, using one finger to peck at the letters on the screen.
“GOODBYE.” All caps.
Hmm. Seemed kinda abrupt.
“… IT’S BEEN FUN.” He added.
Better. He clicked “tweet.” 8/
Squinting hard, he typed slowly, using one finger to peck at the letters on the screen.
“GOODBYE.” All caps.
Hmm. Seemed kinda abrupt.
“… IT’S BEEN FUN.” He added.
Better. He clicked “tweet.” 8/
Setting down his phone, he went about his final preparations.
Making sure the lights were out, things were neat and tidy, legal documents were on the living room table.
Then he grabbed his bag of golf clubs, and his phone, and headed out the door.
Goodbye. It’s been fun. 9/
Making sure the lights were out, things were neat and tidy, legal documents were on the living room table.
Then he grabbed his bag of golf clubs, and his phone, and headed out the door.
Goodbye. It’s been fun. 9/
He took a cab to the golf course.
The driver tried to help him with his clubs, but Joe refused. “I got it.”
Walking to the clubhouse, Joe spotted a familiar face.
“Dr. Chu?”
The doctor reacted to his name, turning around to face Joe. “Joe?!”
The two men shook hands. 10/
The driver tried to help him with his clubs, but Joe refused. “I got it.”
Walking to the clubhouse, Joe spotted a familiar face.
“Dr. Chu?”
The doctor reacted to his name, turning around to face Joe. “Joe?!”
The two men shook hands. 10/
“What are you doing here Joe?”
“I was gonna ask you the same thing doc!”
“I took the day off, gonna work on my game. Needed a break.”
Joe nodded, “Me too. I need a vacation. A long one.”
The doc smiled. “Care to join me? We can play as a team.”
“Sure thing doc.” 11/
“I was gonna ask you the same thing doc!”
“I took the day off, gonna work on my game. Needed a break.”
Joe nodded, “Me too. I need a vacation. A long one.”
The doc smiled. “Care to join me? We can play as a team.”
“Sure thing doc.” 11/
The two men made their way to a golf cart, and started driving out.
Sunlight streamed across the beautiful grass.
Joe couldn’t help but smile. “Beautiful day, huh doc?”
The doc nodded, “It sure is Joe. And you can call me Tony.”
“Whatever you say doc.” He grinned. 12/
Sunlight streamed across the beautiful grass.
Joe couldn’t help but smile. “Beautiful day, huh doc?”
The doc nodded, “It sure is Joe. And you can call me Tony.”
“Whatever you say doc.” He grinned. 12/
Joe was too old to strike the ball with any distance anymore, but he still enjoyed putting. So he would sit in the cart and watch the doctor take his shot. Then drive with him to the green to putt.
On the way they talked, about everything and anything.
Endless stories. 13/
On the way they talked, about everything and anything.
Endless stories. 13/
“Did you know, my parents didn’t want me to be a doctor?”
Joe looked surprised, “But … I figured all you people wanted to be doctors or engineers or whatever.”
The doc quirked a brow. “You mean Asian people?”
Joe laughed, “No, I meant smart people.”
“Sure you did Joe…” 14/
Joe looked surprised, “But … I figured all you people wanted to be doctors or engineers or whatever.”
The doc quirked a brow. “You mean Asian people?”
Joe laughed, “No, I meant smart people.”
“Sure you did Joe…” 14/
“Well, what did they want you to do?”
“My parents wanted me to pursue what I loved most.”
“That wasn’t medicine?”
The doc shook his head, “No… my first love was playing the piano. I was really good.”
“A prodigy?”
“Not quite. But I loved it. I could have been great.” 15/
“My parents wanted me to pursue what I loved most.”
“That wasn’t medicine?”
The doc shook his head, “No… my first love was playing the piano. I was really good.”
“A prodigy?”
“Not quite. But I loved it. I could have been great.” 15/
Joe nodded. “Well doc for what it’s worth, you’re a pretty great doctor.”
The doc smiled. “Thanks.”
They got out at the green and walked up to take their shots. Joe lined up his putter.
The golf ball rolled into the hole with a “plink.”
“Still got it.” He beamed. 16/
The doc smiled. “Thanks.”
They got out at the green and walked up to take their shots. Joe lined up his putter.
The golf ball rolled into the hole with a “plink.”
“Still got it.” He beamed. 16/
And so the day went by, the two men playing golf, sharing stories.
Until finally they were done.
“Well Joe, this was great. Wanna do this every week?”
Joe smiled, “Thanks but no thanks doc. This is it for me.”
The elderly man sat down on a bench outside the clubhouse. 17/
Until finally they were done.
“Well Joe, this was great. Wanna do this every week?”
Joe smiled, “Thanks but no thanks doc. This is it for me.”
The elderly man sat down on a bench outside the clubhouse. 17/
The doc sat down beside him. “It’s your birthday today isn’t it?”
Joe blinked, then smiled. “Ah shoot, I told you didn’t I?”
“Yeah, at your last appointment. Told me your plans. So how is this supposed to work, you just die now?”
Joe grinned. “Yep.”
The doc laughed. 18/
Joe blinked, then smiled. “Ah shoot, I told you didn’t I?”
“Yeah, at your last appointment. Told me your plans. So how is this supposed to work, you just die now?”
Joe grinned. “Yep.”
The doc laughed. 18/
Joe glanced across at him. “Say, doc, you didn’t just take today off so you could find me here and play golf with me on my birthday did you?”
The doc shrugged. “I told you Joe, I needed a break.”
The two men fell silent, watching the treetops wave in the breeze. 19/
The doc shrugged. “I told you Joe, I needed a break.”
The two men fell silent, watching the treetops wave in the breeze. 19/
“You know doc, you never asked me my first love.”
The doc turned to look at him. “What was it?”
Joe smiled. “Sally. Can’t wait to see her again doc.”
The doc smiled.
Joe continued, “My life is like a room, and everyone has left and they’re on the other side of a door.” 20/
The doc turned to look at him. “What was it?”
Joe smiled. “Sally. Can’t wait to see her again doc.”
The doc smiled.
Joe continued, “My life is like a room, and everyone has left and they’re on the other side of a door.” 20/
The doc nodded. “So all that’s left is to open the door?”
Joe nodded. “Ayuh, just open the door.”
The doc rested his hand on his shoulder. “You’ll open it my friend, someday. Maybe not today.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Either way doc, I’m ready. And thanks for being here.” 21/
Joe nodded. “Ayuh, just open the door.”
The doc rested his hand on his shoulder. “You’ll open it my friend, someday. Maybe not today.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Either way doc, I’m ready. And thanks for being here.” 21/
The doc nodded, “Being here is the heart of medicine Joe. Just being there, in the moment for people, it’s 90% of what I do. Thanks for letting me be here for you.”
Joe nodded with a smile and fell silent.
The two men sat, and looked together towards the distant horizon. 22/
Joe nodded with a smile and fell silent.
The two men sat, and looked together towards the distant horizon. 22/
As the silence grew, the doc finally exhaled deeply.
“I guess I should be going Joe, gotta get the kids from school.”
No response. He looked across at the old man. His chin was on his chest, and his eyes were closed.
The look on his face was peaceful.
“Joe? Wake up.” 23/
“I guess I should be going Joe, gotta get the kids from school.”
No response. He looked across at the old man. His chin was on his chest, and his eyes were closed.
The look on his face was peaceful.
“Joe? Wake up.” 23/
There was no response. The doc frowned, and felt for a pulse.
“Well I’ll be… he actually did it.”
And the doc sat a few moments longer, saying a prayer in his mother tongue.
Joe opened a door, and beamed to see Sally, and so many people he loved.
And he stepped through.
“Well I’ll be… he actually did it.”
And the doc sat a few moments longer, saying a prayer in his mother tongue.
Joe opened a door, and beamed to see Sally, and so many people he loved.
And he stepped through.
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