General Fiction posted December 3, 2019 |
Let there be laughter right up until the end...
Somebody Get Me A Drink
by Reese Turner
Hospice had called. So, the family gathered that afternoon in his room…
“Somebody get me a drink. Wherever I’m going, I don’t have to drive to get there, so make it a double. Whiskey, beer, wine, doesn’t matter, I’ve enjoyed them all. But, don’t bring me any nachos or steak or other food I’ve enjoyed – I don’t want to get there with gas.”
“Thank y’all for droppin’ by to say good-bye. I really appreciate it! I remember a sayin’ I saw once about moments like this, 'Never let the sorrow of good-bye diminish the joy of your time together.' We did have fun – even in the tough times, we never lost our laughter. That’s what I’ve packed for my trip. I humbly ask the Lord to forgive my transgressions. I really want to be in Heaven and I promise to behave myself... best I can...”
“They had a bottle of Jameson at the nurses’ desk, Dad, here’s a double shot, two cubes of ice,” said son-in-law number 3.
“You’re a liar, you smuggled that in, but I forgive my daughter for marrying you,” said the man dying of prostate cancer.
The bottle got passed around, cups were splashed and daughter #3 raised hers first, “Thanks, Dad, you made it fun.” “Salute!” And lots of “love you's" followed…
“Hey, can I have your golf clubs?” shouted son-in-law number 2.
“Hell no! Let’s give them to someone who can play golf,” he winked, took a last sip, then said to them all, “when you get to Ireland, look for me. Who knows?”
With that, he handed his cup to his wife, “Love you, honey, but I gotta rest…”
Final Words writing prompt entry
Hospice had called. So, the family gathered that afternoon in his room…
“Somebody get me a drink. Wherever I’m going, I don’t have to drive to get there, so make it a double. Whiskey, beer, wine, doesn’t matter, I’ve enjoyed them all. But, don’t bring me any nachos or steak or other food I’ve enjoyed – I don’t want to get there with gas.”
“Thank y’all for droppin’ by to say good-bye. I really appreciate it! I remember a sayin’ I saw once about moments like this, 'Never let the sorrow of good-bye diminish the joy of your time together.' We did have fun – even in the tough times, we never lost our laughter. That’s what I’ve packed for my trip. I humbly ask the Lord to forgive my transgressions. I really want to be in Heaven and I promise to behave myself... best I can...”
“They had a bottle of Jameson at the nurses’ desk, Dad, here’s a double shot, two cubes of ice,” said son-in-law number 3.
“You’re a liar, you smuggled that in, but I forgive my daughter for marrying you,” said the man dying of prostate cancer.
The bottle got passed around, cups were splashed and daughter #3 raised hers first, “Thanks, Dad, you made it fun.” “Salute!” And lots of “love you's" followed…
“Hey, can I have your golf clubs?” shouted son-in-law number 2.
“Hell no! Let’s give them to someone who can play golf,” he winked, took a last sip, then said to them all, “when you get to Ireland, look for me. Who knows?”
With that, he handed his cup to his wife, “Love you, honey, but I gotta rest…”
“Somebody get me a drink. Wherever I’m going, I don’t have to drive to get there, so make it a double. Whiskey, beer, wine, doesn’t matter, I’ve enjoyed them all. But, don’t bring me any nachos or steak or other food I’ve enjoyed – I don’t want to get there with gas.”
“Thank y’all for droppin’ by to say good-bye. I really appreciate it! I remember a sayin’ I saw once about moments like this, 'Never let the sorrow of good-bye diminish the joy of your time together.' We did have fun – even in the tough times, we never lost our laughter. That’s what I’ve packed for my trip. I humbly ask the Lord to forgive my transgressions. I really want to be in Heaven and I promise to behave myself... best I can...”
“They had a bottle of Jameson at the nurses’ desk, Dad, here’s a double shot, two cubes of ice,” said son-in-law number 3.
“You’re a liar, you smuggled that in, but I forgive my daughter for marrying you,” said the man dying of prostate cancer.
The bottle got passed around, cups were splashed and daughter #3 raised hers first, “Thanks, Dad, you made it fun.” “Salute!” And lots of “love you's" followed…
“Hey, can I have your golf clubs?” shouted son-in-law number 2.
“Hell no! Let’s give them to someone who can play golf,” he winked, took a last sip, then said to them all, “when you get to Ireland, look for me. Who knows?”
With that, he handed his cup to his wife, “Love you, honey, but I gotta rest…”
Writing Prompt Your character is going to die within moments. What are the final words? Describe the circumstances of the pending death. |
To answer a prompt like this requires the writer to think of things he would rather not. But, at the bottom line, if I can ask God to make my passing similar to the way I have lived, I do. Let most of the stories about me when I'm gone bring only smiles... (If this "last words" seemed like too many words, please note: I am a Texan. We get special exemptions on last word limits.
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