The First and Last Greeting

I wake up to the sound of my heart pounding. It only means one thing – it’s time to say hello to another one. Like any other day, I do the same meaningful job: meeting people at the time they don’t expect. My name is Thanatos. But most people call me Death.

I hurry to visit the other side of the earth where a young beautiful woman lie in her bed, seemingly peacefully asleep but in truth is drowning in fear and worries of the never-ending tomorrow she thinks she still has. Finally, I’ll be able to help her. I’ll end all these for her and she’ll then be with me.

When I meet her, the fear does not change. I can feel all her fears of the future suddenly collapsing and being wholly replaced by the fear of the present – me talking to her. What can’t she understand? I’m only trying to help her. She just lets out a loud scream, then silence.

But I am not surprised, as most of these humans are like that. They desperately want to escape the life where they are in but when they are given a choice, without hesitation, they flip real hard. Regrets eat them at the last breaths they have.

I begin to feel my heart pounding again. Another one. But this time, it’s different. It doesn’t seem to come from one trying to leave, but one who’s beginning to be. This feels new.

I fly. I fly. Until I find out that this pounding is because of a baby. No. I’m about to say hello to this newborn baby. But. It doesn’t happen. I’m only meant to see him. Why I can’t talk to him right now, I don’t understand why. Is it not yet his time?

Curiosity fills me.

I try to shrug this instance off but it haunts me every time. For the next several years, I watch and observe him from afar as I do my real job. I only get a glimpse of his life every few days. But from those short times, I’m able to know who he is.

I’m able to know how he values his family. I’m able to know the expanse of his love for his fiancée. I’m able to know how he cares for the best of his friends. I’m able to hear his cries to this person he calls God. I’m able to see how much he enjoys life yet how little he fears of death, how little he fears of me. I just don’t understand why.

I try not to care, but I can’t help it. I simply do care – not about him but about what he thinks of me. I now dread the day when I’ll get to talk to him. I wish I could talk to him. So I wait.

Until that day finally comes.

He looks at me, fear starting to creep in, though not as strong as how I feel from everyone else. So I still ask, “Why? Why don’t you fear me? All this time I’ve been watching you. But I don’t understand why.”

“Actually, I do,” he admits. “I enjoy my life so much that if I’m given a chance, I would ask for more because it hurts seeing the people around me to not see me anymore. I still fear you. But it’s not the entirety of how I feel about you.

“Yes, there are times when everything’s not going well but life doesn’t stop there. I still have a lot to do. There’s so much more beyond this life. I don’t only try to live for this life but for what’s next. I try to live for my God. And because I’m seeing you right now, it won’t be long before I see Him too.”

Tears fall as he smiles. He closes his eyes, opens his arms and willingly embraces me.

[KRQP]