Waiting for the end

Some people thought he was crazy. Others thought he was romantic in a strange way. But they all liked ‘The Graveyard Man,’ as they had named him. He was friendly to everyone and he told stories to the kids.

He told stories about a team who traveled to other worlds using a stone ring. This team had four members, a clumsy archeologist, a big quiet alien, a grumpy old soldier, and a smart and beautiful woman.

To kids he told stories about the team meeting the bad people with the glowing eyes. About the time the team had an alien stuck in their heads. About the time the beautiful woman and the grumpy old soldier were stuck on two different sides of a force field. About the time the archeologist died, went all “glowy,” and came back to life again. He told about the time the grumpy soldier was smarter than the beautiful woman, because he had some ancient knowledge downloaded into his brain, twice. And all their other exciting adventures.

To people who asked, he told about the love of his life. About the military keeping them apart. About them confessing their feelings for each other, but deciding not to act on them. He told them that after knowing each other for eight years they had both retired and moved to his cabin where they had lived until she had died.

He had always thought that he would die first. But she had died first; she had died of a heart attack, peaceful in her sleep, a slight smile on her lips. He had woken up finding her curled around him, her head resting on his chest, not breathing. He had wanted to die too that moment. He had even thought about killing himself but decided against it, knowing that she wouldn’t have wanted him to do that.

She was buried in a small graveyard near his cabin. Their closest still-living friends had been present. The day after her burial he had taken a shovel and had dug a hole next to her grave. It would be his grave when death came finally knocking on his door.

He’d been waiting for six years now.

Six long years.

He spent almost all his time at her grave, only going back to the cabin to eat, sleep and use the bathroom.

He didn’t know why he was still alive. Maybe it was because of the ancient gene, or because the knowledge of the ancients had been downloaded into his brain twice. Or maybe it was because she had kept him young in spirit and at heart.

He was now 106 years old and he hoped that he wouldn’t turn 107.

All the people who knew his story wished he would be reunited with the love of his life…soon.

The end.