A Short Story - The Last Night on the Face of the Earth

Well, this is it. Birds come and go, the sun rises and sets, life moves on, and so does God. Well, not that I haven’t actually thought about it. Parents, other family members, teachers, they have all warned about it, and they all say the exact same thing: when it is time, make sure you leave something for your children to be proud of. Wow, chew on that, dead boys, girls, and babies.

I am no saint, no matter how much I like to imagine myself to be. It is true that I consider myself a peaceful and decidedly not a conflict seeker, yet even with a soul of such atmosphere, the Devil persistently lurks within. If not to corrupt me on doing the things that my conscience would strongly resists, it is there to persuade me on doing the things that will slowly destroy every fiber of morality until there is none left. Oh you ingenious creature, how frequent you have been a friend and an enemy.

 

I begin to wonder, what is the one thing that I want to do with my oldest companion?

 

I will make him giddy with excitement. I will not hold back every criticisms I have my whole life to people I know, especially people that I hate to know. I don’t fucking care that they will say, ‘No wonder bitch is dying anyway,’ I have kept most of my life mindful to others, and I want to give them bitter chew pills they can’t get away with.

I don’t know what other ideas he would have in mind, though, but I don’t believe I can stomach other ‘nefarious activities’ with him.

After I bid farewell to the Devil, I welcome the Angel. There are so many things I want to do, but I have to think of the one I want the most. Alright. With him, I will talk to my parents one-on-one, pour out the regrets I have harbored my entire life (it is not a short list), of how I should’ve been more dutiful and caring to my mother and how I have never tried to form a better relationship with my father despite all the means. Some wounds are hard to heal even after decades, but I will make do with whatever hours and minutes I have left.

 

With that settled, I bid the Angel farewell. What a duo. What a trip.

A friend shook my shoulder.

“Hey, we’re moving on to the next question! Our ustadzah asks ‘how do we prepare for the afterlife?’”

I smiled and let my mind speak for itself.

 

By:

Aprilia Zainatul Hussna