One Day

No matter how many blankets they give me, I still feel cold. My daughter makes me tea every time she comes to visit. The tea helps, but I just want to sleep or go home. My daughter tricks herself into believing I mean the old house. But I mean home. We don’t talk about that. We talk about how my grandkids and great-grandbabies are doing. When she is coming to visit again. When her baby brother is coming to see me next - he never married so he often goes on crazy adventures. This month he’s off snowboarding on some mountain. I can’t remember.

His sister finds it irresponsible; I remind her that I don't want either of their lives to stop because of me. She always shakes her head but drops the issue. She reads to me; my youngest grandbaby wrote a book, so she’s been reading it to me. That kid sure can write. My eyes grow heavy, so she ends her visit.

Her visit was nice today, but I am so tired. I close my eyes, it feels like just a moment. But there is a gentle tap on my shoulder - it must be the night nurse making sure I eat something. I slowly open my eyes. But it’s not the night nurse, it’s a man. He’s wearing a hood that hides his face. “Have you come to take me away?” I ask tiredly.

“Not yet, kind lady. But I do bring you a gift.” He extends his hand to me.

“My body isn’t young. I don’t move like I used to.” I don’t move.

“Tonight you will. Choose a day and we will go and relive it.”

“Any day?” I look at him; there had to be rules.

“Yep, wedding day, high school grad, the day you knew your family was complete. It doesn’t matter to me. I just take you to it.”

I look at the roof…a day I’d want to relive. I had so many amazing days. How could I pick just one? Right now, all I want though…all I want is to sleep. Then a day comes to mind. I take his hand.

The room gets really bright. I wince against the light, but when it fades, we’re standing on a beach. One I took the kids to when they were growing up. I came here as a young adult. It was my favourite place. “I haven’t been here in so long.” I lowered myself to the ground and noticed that, for the first time in a long time, it didn’t hurt. I look at my hands - they’re not wrinkled! I touch my face - it’s smooth to the touch. I’m young again!

“So, did you get engaged here, or have a special moment with one of your kids?” the man in the robe asks.

“He proposed to me in a small cafe and, while I had many amazing moments with my kids here, this day is none of them.” I lie back, soaking up the sun.

“Then when is this?” he asks, still confused.

“Just a time when I was young and had no worries. I had summer afternoons to spend in the sun.” I close my eyes and listen to the water hit the shore.

“Really?” He sits down next to me. “I don’t think anyone has asked for something so simple before.”

“I have been stuck in the room. I can’t go with my kids to the beach, I can’t go on adventures anymore. So why not relive one of my last days of freedom?” I smile and enjoy the simple pleasure.

He looks around. “It is nice. It’s very calm.”

I sigh. “Yes, it is.” After some time I look over at him. “Can you swim?”

He seems taken aback. “Yes, yes I can.”

“Good.” I smile and take off for the water. It feels so good to run. I haven’t run in years. I throw my head back and laugh.

He takes a moment and then runs after me. We hit the water and the cool droplets splash against my face. I haven't felt this free in years. I float on my back, enjoying the weightless feeling. “I missed this. I used to do this every summer.”

“I can see why this is nice.”

I swim around until my body is tired. We get out of the water, then I dry off and look to my guide. “Do we have to leave, or do we have time for one more thing?”

He looks at his pocket watch. “We have time.”

I feel my face beam. I led him to the ice cream shop. “They have the best sundaes.” I buy him one and we sit on a picnic bench. “Oh, this is just as good as I remember.”

“I’m glad you have enjoyed your time here.” He looks down.

“But it’s time to go?” I finish for him. “I understand, thank you for this.” I take his hand again and the light blinds us once more.

When the light fades, I’m back in my room and the nurse is coming in with dinner. We chat for a bit, and I tell her about this day I just remembered. She listens like the gem she is. She even promised me that she would book a trip for herself just like I did. I hope she does.

As she leaves the room, my son calls me. “Hey Mom!”

“Hello Dear, were your adventures amazing today?”

“You know it, Mom! But one of my buddies got hurt so I’m gonna come home early with him. So I’ll visit you real soon!”

“I’m sorry for your friend, but I’ll enjoy seeing you.”

“Me too, Mom.”

When he arrives, we talk till I start to fall asleep. As he shares stories of his day, I am so grateful he has his own amazing memories.