Title: Opportunity to Live
Form: story
Language: en
Canonical URL: https://pembaumoja.com/en/stories/opportunity-to-live

Andy served in the military. He was shot near the heart and in the leg fighting in a war in a foreign country.

He raised two girls and married his high school sweetheart, Eleanor, then spent his life working for the post office.

Eleanor would often say “Andy, you work too much. Let’s take a vacation.”

Andy would smile. “Eleanor, when I retire, we are going to live the good life. Golf, cruises, visiting family. It will be a second honeymoon.”

Eleanor would squeeze Andy’s hand as they dreamed together.

Then Andy would walk out onto the wintry streets delivering mail from doorstep to doorstep.

Years passed. Retirement approached.

Eleanor developed Alzheimer’s disease. Slowly she forgot just about everything.

Andy developed prostate cancer. Despite his treatments he cared for Eleanor until her last day.

She squeezed Andy’s hand as she breathed her last breath.

A few months after Eleanor’s death Andy fell. His daughters no longer lived at home.

The doctors think that he remained on the floor for a day or two before he passed.

He had a few months of retirement, but never did see the green grass or blue seas of his dreams.
