He had seen the waning, brilliant orb disappear many times
before, but he was never really a country boy. Instead of crickets, he heard
the roar of the planes taking off in the distance and the hum of motorcycle
riders spinning down side streets on the way to rekindle their lost childhood.
He smelled the grass and remembered throwing the ball for his
dogs, long gone but never forgotten; they made for so many smiles and filled
the emptiness left by children and grandchildren who never called except on
special occasions. They had their lives to live; he could not blame them for
that.
His strength was fading away just like the sun moving under
the distant trees. It would be his last sunset, never to see morning again.
He thought about regrets, whether they were worth the
energy, and decided they were not. Only fragrant memories were allowed in. The
orderly asked if he was ready to go back inside, and he held up his hand to say
“Wait” but the words would not come out. Choking back tears, the man behind him
sensed he needed more time and took his hands off the wheelchair.
The orderly loved his job, but the sadness of saying goodbye
to the residents was almost too much to bear. He had raised three beautiful
children and watched them turn into grown adults; buried his mother and father the
previous year. He felt young at times, but also weary for the work he had to
do. He was in the business of sunsets.
He had worked with so many beautiful souls and also taken hundreds
for their last wheelchair ride to view the passing sun. The light show on this
summer evening was quite spectacular. He almost felt the colors – pink and red
hues that lingered for a few moments, then faded to grey as their source of
light dwindled. The sky that night painted a priceless and mystical masterpiece.
They watched together for what seemed like hours. The man in
the wheelchair turned and smiled, thanking the orderly for not having to spend this
time alone. He knew night was coming, but he had no more concerns. Only
beautiful and joyous memories of sunrises, poignant days of both sunshine and
storms, and the pleasure and privilege of seeing the sinking sun one more time.
More than ever before he realized that, like the vivid
colors of the sunset, life is gone in a flash. Such is the beauty and betrayal of
man’s existence.
The orderly quietly pushed the man inside as the sliding
doors closed, reflecting the last glimmers of the evening’s light.
