"Hi, my name is Archie."
I smiled as nicely as I possibly could and shook his hand.
It was a Saturday afternoon and I was in a hospital.
My ever so loving mother had conveniently volunteered me
to help out in The Last Wish campaign, where
volunteers would come in and help dying patients fulfill their final wish.
Be it a new console game, a trip to Spain, or even a special outing with the family,
volunteers pledge to make their patient's wishes come true as far as possible.
Archie was my "Patient of the Day" ,
and he looked nothing like the famous comic book redhead.
Blessed with a light head of blonde locks instead,
his hair fell neatly around his face, a feature complementing his eyes.
There was something distinct about those eyes of his,
but I paid no notice to them, wanting to get this over and done with.
I had an English paper due next week
where I had to write about someone who inspired me,
yet, here I was, wasting time in this silly place.
Archie's last wish was something so surprisingly simple- a day out in the open.
I thanked the Lord silently as that would cost me merely nothing but time.
I wheeled Archie into the elevator and pressed the button.
As the elevator descended down, I let myself drift in thoughts,
mostly angry ones harbored against my mother.
"Where is it?"
"Huh?" I asked, slightly confused.
"Where are you taking me?" asked Archie.
I paused. "Well...where would you like to go first?"
"Well...the park. If you don't mind." he replied.
The elevator dinged in unison as I wheeled Archie out.
The hospital was located in front of Central Park, and there were strips of
dainty cafés and restaurants along the route surrounding the park.
I decided to take Archie to lunch, mainly because I was hungry.
Vogue had always taught its readers to never ever skip one of the most important meals of the day and I for one was not going to break that rule.
"Are we not going to the park? " asked Archie.
"I think lunch would be a better idea." I replied firmly.
"The park. Please,"
"No." I said flatly.
I couldn't care less about how much of a bitch Archie might've thought I was
but he could go to his silly little park later.
There was a café that I frequented often and so I decided to bring Archie there.
The waiter came and gave us our menus and left us to decide on our meals.
"So, Archie," I asked. "What would you like to have?"
My question was left hanging in the air. Archie continued staring sadly at his menu,
his eyes refusing to meet mine.
"Archie," I tried again. "Just order something to eat first. We can go to the park later."
Slowly, he lifted his head. "Promise?"
"Yes, yes, I promise. Now order."
I watched the scenery outside while waiting for our food to be served.
I soon got bored and decided to get to know Archie better.
"So, Archie, tell me more about yourself."
"What would you like to know about me?"
I thought of the countless questions buzzing in my head and try to pick one out.
"Urhm...what did you work as?" I asked.
"A food vendor." he replied nonchalantly.
"Any food in particular?"
No answer.
I wondered if he was still mad at me about the park thing. I sighed.
"What music do you listen to?" I asked, trying to change the topic.
He face lightened a little. "The good Oldies, some Jazz. Bossa Nova. Soul. A mix of here and there, " he said. "No country."
I was surprised. I began to have respect for the man.
Here was someone who clearly wasn't influenced by the pop culture of the 21st century.
We began confabulating into various subjects- books, food, views on life. Archie was certainly not who he seemed to be. Or maybe I judged him too soon. Our conversation soon ended as our food arrived.
"Grilled Chicken Breast with Lemon Herbs for the lady, and Surf and Turf for the man."
"Should you really be eating that?" I asked.
Archie simply replied with a shrug.
The waiter placed our meals on the table and we dug in.
The sound of the cutleries tapping against the porcelain plater then became
the conversation Archie and I had in silence.
It didn't take us long to finish our meals.
I called for the bill, paid for lunch and we left for the park.
The park was fairly crowded that day,
and it took awhile before Archie and I finally found an empty bench.
I sat down and took in my surroundings, breathing in the fresh summer's breeze.
I looked at Archie and realized why I had been intrigued by his eyes-
both of his eyes did not share the same color.
The left was a peaceful shade of blue; the right a harmonizing green.
Archie felt my stare and looked up, his eyes all teared up.
"Are...are you okay?" I asked, uncertain.
He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand.
"Do you know why I wanted to come to the park so badly?"
"No," I replied. "Why?"
"I used to come here daily, selling candy apples to make a living. Everyday I watch life different people come and go through the park, each with a unique story to tell. The children, the families, the little birds that sing- they are my family, and this is my home."
His tears were now flowing down his cheek, and he sniffed a little as he continued:
"When I found out I was going to die, reality struck me. I have no family and friends, and I was going to leave this world like I didn't even exist. I was admitted into the hospital 2 years ago, and I never saw the park since. But now, being here, it brings back the nostalgia I missed so dearly. This park... this place, is the only thing I have left, the life it holds, the memories and feelings, everything in it...this is my last time being here. This...this is my goodbye."
Archie broke down all at once, his shoulders shrugging each time he inhaled.
My mind raced through with words of comfort and support,
but I had nothing in me even relatable to what he was going through.
Here sat a man who had nothing left but his life that he holds so dear,
and then there was me, the consistently whiny cosset girl,
who counted her troubles and took her blessings for granted.
A raspy cough got my attention and I noticed Archie hunched over,his face twisted in pain, his breathing getting louder and harsher.
I dismissed my thoughts and rushed him to the hospital as fast as my legs could carry me.
A solid half-hour had passed before I was allowed into Archie's room.
As I walked into the room, a sad sight greeted me.
There were about half a dozen tubes connected to his body,
some of which were plugged into large machines.
A low hum filled the air,
accompanied with the constant beep from the heart-monitoring machine.
Archie put on a weak smile, and beckoned me to a chair next to the bed.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Much, much better," he chuckled. "Surprisingly."
He took a deep breath and continued. " A day back to the park was all I need before I leave this place. You may think your efforts were merely small, but they mean a lot to me." He paused.
My eyes began to tear up, and I sniffed in deeply to try to prevent them from falling.
"You are the only person who has truly shown me kindness in my life, and I thank you graciously. I can leave this world contented now, having met someone like you and spending my last moments in the place I call home. I wish you, my dear, a happy life."
Archie ended with a smile, slowly but surely fading away.
I let my tears fall freely as the constant beat from the heart-monitoring machine gradually turned into a long nonstop flatline.
I left the hospital, already missing the friend I had just gained- and lost.
Who would have known a day out would have been so eventful?
As I headed home, I reminded myself to thank my mother
as I had owe it to her for finding a suitable topic for my assignment- Archie.