Invite to Immortality (97 hits)
Category: UberMadness! EntryRating: 2 on 1 review (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Manda (View user info) at 2006-09-25 18:35:55 EDT
This post was an official UberMadness! entry. Click here to view the original matchup.
Ever have one of those days?
My morning started off with nothing a large cup of coffee couldn't fix—I had woken up late, couldn't find any clean clothes to wear, and my pathetic attempt to make a quick breakfast burnt in the toaster.
When I finally made it into work an hour or so late, the boss told me he needed to speak with me in his office. Fuck. I knew what that meant, and yep, the pink slip and escort from the security guard confirmed it. All of my office mates watched as I packed up my stuff, smirking and whispering amongst one another. They had known that I had high hopes for myself, and had even put in for a promotion that was up for grabs. I could feel my face heat up in embarrassment and quickly made my exit.
Outside of the office, tourists mill around. Normally I tolerate them, but today, life is shit and I don't want to stop to explain directions. Gaggles of foreigners stand helplessly in the middle of the city, pointing to maps and random buildings and speaking excitedly in their native tongues. Most of the suits that walk around yakking on cell phones look at me condescendingly when they notice the box of personal items I'm carrying around. One or two old ladies give me sympathetic looks as I board my train home and place the box next to me.
The trip drags on slowly and I count the stops until mine. Five, four, three left to go. A woman boards the train with an armful of brown grocery bags and I straighten up and flash her a grin. She flips her long auburn hair over her shoulder and smiles back—man, she's cute, and so I move my box of stuff to the floor. Her gaze drops down at it for a split second, her smile fades, and she hurries past me, her red pumps disappearing into the sea of feet.
I look at the box in contempt, sigh, and slump back into my seat again.
The train stops again and a crowd of white teenagers board. All of the seats are occupied by now. A lanky teen with an acne-spotted face, who I can only assume is the leader of the pack, turns his attention to me and the box at my feet.
"Yo, get yo pasty white ass outta that seat. I been workin' all day and I'll be damned if some broke ass loser sits while I hafta to stand."
My face flushes as I stammer my reply, "N-no. I was here first and th-there's no reason why I can't sit here."
The teen repeats his request, his voice rising to a louder level. This makes my face flush even more and I can feel other people glaring at me, no doubt hating me for not avoiding confrontation with this young man. The conductor announces my upcoming stop and I feel relief. I stammer consent, pick up my box, and move. The teen plops down in my seat and smirks in victory.
The doors barely open before I rush off the train and into the crowds. Home is just a few minutes away.
Sometimes life has a defining moment. For me, this is when I open the door to my apartment and realize that someone has broken in and trashed it. I pull out my cell phone to call someone, but then realize that there is no one for me to call. Sure, the police will file a report, but what more can they do? My place is trashed beyond repair. My television is missing, and upon further inspection, so are all of my valuables—my Mom's heirloom jewelry that she had left to me when she passed, all of my electronics and most of my appliances. They even stole the TOASTER, for Pete's sake!
I plop down on the floor and stare blankly at the mess surrounding me. I begin to reflect on my situation, my life, my utter lack of faith in humanity. There is no one to live for, and there is no purpose to my life.
I stop my thoughts. I don't like where this is going. I don't like where my mind has brought me. I have been to the deepest depths of despair and have battled my way back over many long hard years. The job that I had was testament that I was improving, but now with that gone, what am I going to do? There are bills that need to be paid, my apartment needs to be fixed, and I have absolutely no savings.
My apartment's clutter is overwhelming me right now and I stand. I need to get some fresh air, so I walk outside, the same blank-feeling making my feet numb to the pavement and the crowds around me. I don't know where I am going, but I have started the journey.
My thoughts are a jumbled, screaming mess, but above them, I can hear the wail of ambulance and police sirens. The screeching reality of the world gives me pause, and I turn to watch the large white and red trucks race by. They stop about two streets down from me and men in uniforms hurry into the office building. I continue to walk, weaving my way through gasping tourists until I arrive at the scene.
Up close, things are more organized and efficient. The paramedics are attending to some people that are crying with obvious pain from various wounds. What the hell is going on here?
A police officer starts to block people off from the scene.
"Get away! BACK UP! Everyone BACK UP!" He holds his hands palms out, and the crowd obediently shuffles away from the ambulances.
There is a sudden wave of panic amongst the crowd as the voices and screams of little kids are heard. Paramedics and policemen suddenly pile out of the building with armfuls of wriggling little children from the office's childcare. The speed in which the officials move take me by surprise, and my breath catches in the back of my throat as one little girl breaks free from a paramedic's grasp.
There is a sudden crack- a floor falling, maybe?- and everyone turns their eyes up to the building. I cannot take my eyes off the little girl. She is a streak of green Osh-Kosh overalls and blond hair.
Some people in the crowd half-heartedly attempt to grab the escapee, but she is long gone from their grasp before they even begin to try. She is running fast, far away from the building, panicked.
I feel the adrenalin pump through me and like a shot, I am off after this little kid. My feet pound the pavement and it isn't long before I intersect the girl's path and grab her by the strap on her overalls. She comes to a grinding halt and looks at me, shocked. Snot is plastered to her nose and her cheeks are wet with tears. She is pretty for a six year old, with big blue eyes and blond hair.
I kneel down to her level in front of her, without letting go of her strap. All at once she is in my arms and she sobs and cries for her Mommy. It's my turn to be shocked, but I wrap my arms around her.
A woman breaks free from the sea of people and rushes over to us. I can tell from the look of sheer panic on her face that this is the girl's mother. It is the cute woman from the train, the one with the auburn hair and red pumps and she is crying.
She gathers her hysterical daughter into her arms and buries her face into the child's neck. She is sobbing but the sound is muffled. She pauses suddenly and lifts her head and blurts out a 'thank you'. I don't know what to say and so I just nod. She hugs her daughter even tighter and starts to murmer soothingly to her.
It's a touching scene, but I feel like I am invading in a private moment and so I walk away from them. I am consoled by the thought that the woman would at least now remember me for a good deed, instead of my job status. I feel good about myself.
Although it wasn't what I had dreamed of being remembered for in life, it is an invite to immortality, no question about it, and I gratefully accept it with open arms. It is testament that no matter how small an act of kindness, it will always be treasured.
I straighten up, take a deep breath, and begin walking back to my apartment to sort things out.
User Reviews
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-06-05 12:40:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2