Hey there my fellow hivians, this my inkwell prompt for this week, I hope you have a wonderful new year. The story may be sad but I enjoyed writing it. Let me not spoil the fun. ENJOY.
In this life we are always focused on superficial things, we stare at our phones all the day we don’t take time to appreciate nature, our head are always down we fall to notice the next person beside us, people sit down on tables and prefer to interact with there devices than the person in front of them. The human being is always living in pursuit of something, be it a new job or a new house or a dream car. It makes us fail to take in the fact that we are the only living being in the universe where there is life and appreciate the gift the creator has given us.
Thomas thought all these as he stared at the news headline in the Television in the company’s general office, everybody just stood motionless staring at the screen. CNN had just announced that in 7 days to New year, an asteroid the size of the moon will crash into the earth, they were basically saying that this was the end as it is, people started to scream, some started to cry, one of the security guards took a chair and threw it into the glass window and there was chaos in the air as people try to get home to their families. But Thomas stood there and stared blankly at the television realizing that he had wasted his life.
Thomas went to college and left his dream to be a musician as his mother told t him that music wasn't a career that would make you live a comfortable life. So he left his dreams to make it big in the music industry and followed his mother’s advice, he finished college and got a job on wall street and had just recently paid off his student loans and started making alot of money that gave him a comfortable life, but he still felt empty inside, because of the nature of his work he never had the time to fall in love or pursue his dream of being televised as he sang an original song, his work made him lose most of his friends because he didn’t have time for leisure activities. Funny right and the world was ending in seven days. He walked home that day in the midst of the chaos that day, on the street people broke into nearby stores and made away with sneakers and some took hold of game consoles but Thomas walked home with his hands in his pockets as he couldn’t believe that this was actually the end.
As he walked home, he walked across the street to his favorite coffee shop, the shop was now empty so he served himself and sat down and stared at his steaming cup. He felt a tap on his shoulder and he was surprised to see the person that touched him, it appeared to be Esther, a girl he had a crush on in college but never had the courage to ask her out. She asked him,''Can I join you?”, as she pulled a chair and sat down beside him. She took a long sip of the coffee and let out a breath," so this is really the end”, she finally said. Thomas raised his cup and said,''Cheers to the end of the world``.Esther laughed as she clinked her cup with his. “I really thought I had more time”, Thomas said. “There is so much I still want to do, there are so many things I still want to try”. Esther looked up at him and said,”There is no time like the present ''. She put her hands in her bag, brought out a paper and a pen and said,''Let's make a list then”. Thomas giggled as he didn’t think she was serious, but she started to pen down her own list then he took the pen and paper and started to write down.
- Fall in love.
- Be on TV
- Sky dive
- Forgive Dad for leaving Mom
- Own a pet
She then took both their lists and brought out a lighter to set it ablaze, he stared at her with a confused look, she then said,"It is for good luck”, then she took his hand and they walked out of the coffee shop. Thomas said,"I don’t live too far from here, we can go to my place”. She nodded giving her approval as they walked in mist of the chaos they can across a stray dog, and it was left by the owner, it was so cute. They both pet the dog and decide to take it home. They entered Thomas' apartment and Esther was surprised by what she saw, it was huge. He had pictures of musical legends on the wall like Tina Turner and Fela Kuti, she took off her shoes and took a disc and put it into the music player and the song proud mary by Tina Turner as she danced like no one was watching, the dog joined her. Thomas stared at her as he stood at the door, she picked up a pillow and threw it at him, she moved as if she drew an invisible rope, Thomas laughed and joined her.
After eating dinner they both sat on the counter and shared a blunt that Esther took out of her bag, she then asked him,"What was on your list? He waited for a while before answering, then finally said, I want to finally forgive my father. '' She sat up and said,''why?" Thomas continued, he left me and my mother when I was very young because he couldn't take care of us so he gave up on us and ran away like a coward. But he died last year due to a stroke, I didn't go to see him in the hospital, and it still hurts me. I haven't forgiven him, Esther then said,"Do you want to forgive him?". Thomas nodded and stared at his father's incremented remains above the fire place in the living room. He became serious as he took the jar and stood close to the fire, he then said,"You never did anything for me and Mum, but I understand why you ran away now and I forgive you". He then opened the jar and spread the remains in the fire and the flames increased. He gave her a hug and she let him grieve. He then said,''You should stay for the night". She kept on staring at him and they maintained their gaze then they finally shared a kiss and let themselves into his room.
2 days to New Year
They held each other as they laid on the bed then he asked her," what was on your list?" She then said, before the news of the world ending, I was engaged but he cheated on me. Thomas waited for a while then said, "Am so sorry". She replied," it's not your fault".
So now on my list I want to go to the house and mess that place up. They both laughed and started to gather all the toilet paper they could find around the house and went into town and did the same, they walked to her ex fiance's house and trashed the place, as they drank from a liquor bottle and happily sang. They both laughed their hearts out as they walked back home, they passed a store where musical instruments were sold, and Thomas stopped at the window and stared at his dream guitar. She noticed he kept on staring at, then she threw a stone and broke the glass and collected the guitar and handed it to him. He then smiled and said,"There is one thing I want to get off my list".
She then came closer to him saying," And what is that"." To be on Television ", he said with glitter in his eyes. She took his hand as they walked to an abandoned news station, they set up the camera and she said down behind the chair and acted as if she was a director of a movie, she then said,"Action". Thomas laughed as he gripped the microphone, he then said this song is for a special someone, I wish I found her sooner, before the ending of the world. Then he sang a song he wrote for her the previous night as she slept by his side. The broadcast was televised on the news channel and anywhere a Tv was on, you would see Thomas on stage.
Thomas felt like he could do anything as he walked home holding Esther, she made him feel whole. As they walked back home they noticed the sky had turn yellow and flames fell from the sky, they immediately entered Thomas home and got the dog and ran to a near by car and started to drive away from the town. It was a few hours to new year, they got to an abandoned airport and found a sea plane and got in. Esther knew how to fly a plane, beforehand Thomas took some parachutes from the building, they flew over the city as they watched huge rocks destroy it. Esther felt scared but Thomas grabbed her face and gave her a long kiss, he then said,"There is one other thing I want to get off my list". Esther smiling now said, "And what's that". He cleared his throat saying,"To sky drive". She laughed and said,"Are you serious ". He nodded in approval as he wore his parachute a gave her one. She let go of the controls as the stood holding hands and they both jumped screaming fulled with joy.
The End.
Happy New Year