Chapter 18
“Beginning of the Road”
Evening was still a couple of hours off, but Jimmy took Norman back to his spot on the beach, as he had instructed him. Norman told him he could check back on him when the sun set.
“Okay, I’ll do that. Enjoy your afternoon and I’ll see you again soon.”
Jimmy reached out and hugged his grandfather with one arm around the back. Norman couldn’t remember the last time his grandchildren hugged him, but he appreciated the gesture. He returned the affection with a pat on his grandson’s back.
“Thanks for coming out to get me, Jimmy. If anything happens to me while you’re gone, give the family my love.”
Jimmy broke from the hug, but took a moment to turn away. Norman noticed a grave but noble look in his grandson’s face that signified that he knew the deeper context of his words. Jimmy didn’t say anything further, but nodded that he understood. Norman smiled as his grandson reciprocated the pat on the back.
After Jimmy stood and smiled at his grandfather one last time, he turned away and headed for the pier. Norman watched as he trekked up the sand and vanished among the crowds of people.
“He’s going to have a long and meaningful life,” said a voice from behind. “Those scars will heal quickly.”
“I hope so,” said Norman. “He’s my grandson.”
Norman looked back toward the ocean, where he saw the Reaper sitting close by, digging a deep trench in the sand. Somehow he knew the two of them would meet again here. He sat up to get a better look at the phantom of the beach.
“You left your cards in the hospital the last time you saw me,” he said.
The Reaper had a blank expression on his face as he felt around the inside of his cloak. Meanwhile, Norman reached into his slippers, pulled out the deck of cards, and placed them at the foot of his blanket. The Reaper reached for the cards and placed them back in his cloak.
“Thanks for saving them,” he said. “I would’ve spent the next century searching for them if you hadn’t.”
Norman smiled at the remark. Somehow he believed the Reaper would’ve forgotten about the deck entirely if he hadn’t kept them.
“Do you remember the last hand we played?” asked Norman. “The one that was supposed to decide my fate?”
“Yes, I remember well. I remember I had something come up that round.”
“Well, I busted on that hand. Technically I should’ve lost. So, I just thought you should know about it in case it mattered anything.”
The Reaper smiled as he continued to dig in the sand.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now because here you are at Daytona Beach. I know that’s what you really wanted, so it’s okay.”
Norman watched a couple of seagulls fly by as he processed the reality that his last few dreams did in fact come to pass. But somehow he still didn’t feel complete.
“You argued with me about seeing the new century,” the Reaper said. “So, what do you think?”
“Truthfully,” Norman said, “the new century has yet to impress me. The beach is nice, but I’m too old to enjoy it. When I was much younger, I would go to Lake Michigan to try to pick up on the women. But now I couldn’t do that, even if I had a million bucks.”
“Well, actually you could, but you don’t, so you won’t.”
“Thanks. Anyway, I’m tired, I’m still hurting, and I think I just want to lie here and listen to the waves. It’s not exactly the picture of excitement of a man who once traveled the world, but that’s where I’m at now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m content, but it’s not what I need anymore.”
The Reaper nodded as if he already knew.
“Plus,” Norman said, as he felt the back of his head, “I’m feeling feverish. I can’t figure out why. But I’m ready to rest.”
“You’ve got the flu.”
Norman narrowed his eyebrows at the obviously confused ghost.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re sick, Norman. That’s why I’m here this time. You’ve never been vaccinated from the flu, so now you’ve got it. And your body isn’t fighting it.”
Norman shook his head.
“That’s impossible. I took Dafodil in the trenches at Argonne. I’m immune, no, I’ve been cured.”
The Reaper wore a compassionate expression on his face, similar to what Norman used to see in his father growing up whenever he’d break something that didn’t actually matter.
“Dafodil isn’t a thing, Norman. The man you remember as Maxie McWalter was just a scared kid who had an unusual appetite for disgusting things. He didn’t cure anything. He just wanted you to think he was special after having been broken down emotionally by the Army.”
“But, it worked. My headache went away. It was rare that I’d ever get headaches after that day. And I was never sick, not with the flu, at least.”
“You did get sick with other things, though. And your rare headaches are contributed more to your genetics than to any placebo you’ve taken.” The Reaper shook his head. “The only real physiological change that came about from taking Dafodil was that your body’s rejection of that unusual combination activated a sixth sense that allows you to see me. And only when I let you.”
Norman shook his head. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had this idea that he was going to cure the flu in his head for so long that to hear differently made no sense. It was as if the Reaper was speaking to him in a different language.
And he didn’t want to hear any more of it.
He cupped his forehead in his hands as he leaned forward and silently regretted his journey. Then he stared the Reaper in his glowing eyes. He didn’t want to silently regret it. He wanted to complain. Right now.
“I can’t believe I wasted my entire life on this pointless mission,” he said. “Why couldn’t I see it way back when?”
The Reaper shrugged.
“Not sure, Norman. Unfortunately, my job isn’t to counsel. My job is to transport.” He checked his watch. “And we’re running late again as usual. But, in my experience, I can tell you that everyone who regrets his life, usually fails to recognize the good things that came out of those bad choices. Ultimately, those bad choices end up being okay after all.”
Norman thought about that.
“Like how I met Nancy when I tried looking for Maxie McWalter’s identity?”
“Like how you met her trying to avoid me. Yes. You have a family now because of that. You have this beach now because of that. Not so bad, right?”
Norman shook his head.
“I guess not. How is Nancy by the way?”
“I don’t know. She wasn’t one of mine. But you’ll get to ask her yourself soon enough.”
“Good. I miss her.”
The Reaper tapped his watch.
“Norman,” he said, “do you remember what I told you the last time we met? I said the next time we got together there would be no more bargaining. Well, I’m here now, so this is the time. Are you ready to come with me?”
“Is there any way you can make me younger?”
“No, Norman. The only thing I can do is, well, you know what I’m good at.”
Norman didn’t feel like fighting the cloaked traveling agent for the afterlife any longer. As the Reaper pointed out moments ago, Norman’s last remaining dreams had come to pass, so there really wasn’t any need for him to continue the battle for this life. Even if there were other dreams to look forward to, he just couldn’t take the physical pain of aging anymore. His days had been spent wondering when this moment would come, and he thought that maybe it was better just to accept it now than to keep anticipating it. This time he was ready to submit.
Norman reached for his cane and carefully stood up, doing his best to minimize the discomfort of moving. The Reaper, meanwhile, stood and brushed the sand off his gown. He slid his sleeve back and checked his watch. Norman took a deep breath as he awaited the Reaper’s next move.
“Norman,” said t
he Reaper, “are you satisfied with your life? Not like I can change it or anything, but I’d just like to know. You’ve been very stubborn with me, so I just want to know if you’re satisfied. Are you?”
Norman stared at the Atlantic again. The rippling waves contained beautiful shades of blue and white, breaking with foam the same way his root beer had used to do whenever it sloshed around in the mug. On the beach he noticed the people walking around, laughing and cheering the way that he’d used to do when he was younger, tossing around footballs and Frisbees, enjoying all of the luxuries in life that he had enjoyed in his youth before the war. Toward the pier he saw people eating hot dogs and enjoying greasy lunches with each other, laughing at the random jokes they were sharing. He remembered how trips to the hot dog stand used to excite him on sunny days in the spring, and how he loved tasting the ketchup and relish as he and his friends discussed the trends of the day. He loved hot dogs and hamburgers and pizzas and colas, and anything that made the season special around lunchtime. The people around him smiled as they ate their food and drank their drinks, enjoying conversations about whatever fascinated them for the time. He also noticed couples walking hand-in-hand along the shoreline, milling about the things that mattered to them. He remembered the days when he and his wife were dating, sharing their hopes for the future with each other, praying that those hopes would come to pass. For a moment he replayed the scene in his head when he stood by the Lake Michigan shoreline with her by his side and bent down on one knee before her. The waves rolled along the sandy bank where his knee planted firmly, splashing against both of them as they fell into the water to celebrate their engagement. As the scene repeated itself several times over, he noticed his grandson walking along the pier with a drink in hand. As he watched the offspring of his life’s decisions embark on his own second chance, he marveled at the thought that his life came together quite remarkably after all.
“Norman?” interrupted the Reaper. “Are you okay?”
Norman turned to face him, holding out his hand. The Reaper smiled.
“You promise that what’s ahead is better than this, right?” asked Norman.
“There is no place on earth like what’s ahead, Norman. Prepare for a wild ride.”
“More wild than riding a motorcycle?”
“You have no idea.”
Norman glanced back at Jimmy one more time, hoping that his life would carry as much prosperity as his had carried. Norman noticed him talking to a girl on a bicycle.
“Look at Jimmy,” said Norman. “That’s one cute girl he’s talking to.”
“Yep, and she’s a medical student, too. Jimmy will certainly have an interesting life ahead of him.”
Norman raised his eyebrows.
“You mean? Is that my future granddaughter-in-law?”
The Reaper shrugged.
“I don’t know. I can’t predict the future. Maybe?”
Norman glanced back at the young man on the pier talking to the girl on the bicycle.
“I hope so. I’m proud of him, you know.”
Norman wanted to continue to savor these moments, but he knew that the time for milking the clock had ended. He looked at the Reaper to signal that he was now ready for his journey. The Reaper acknowledged the signal and extended his hand to him.
“Okay, get ready,” he said. “This next part will excite you.”
The Reaper took his hand. All of a sudden, the whole world around him began to fade into a colorful motion blur. A split second later, a rush of light brighter than anything Norman had ever seen shot all around him. Beams of light followed at incredible speeds, so fast that it made the road beneath the motorcycle seem ridiculous.
“I love this part,” shouted the Reaper, as he raised his fist clenching the scythe into the air. “Are you excited yet, Norman?”
Norman wasn’t sure what to say. He was surprised to see his skin transforming into something brighter, almost like what he saw in the Reaper’s face. He was also surprised at how much lighter and more energetic he felt. His muscles didn’t ache anymore, and he didn’t need his cane to stand up. In fact, he couldn’t find his cane anywhere. Now free to move again, he decided to jump. Only, he didn’t come back down.
“Yeah!” he cheered at a volume far louder than he had ever thought possible.
At first he thought the excitement of this rush was similar to the first time he went on a roller coaster as a teenager. But he realized a second later that no rush he ever felt in his life quite compared to this level. Then he reasoned that if this was merely the journey, then the destination had to be indescribable. Eager to see the new fantastical world before him, Norman flew the rest of the way to the end of the bright tunnel, now ready to enjoy the future ahead.
Cards in the Cloak Page 28