A Wish Granted

A man who has hours left to live is granted a wish.

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A Wish Granted



Robert was having the best day ever. Earlier he’d proposed to his long time girlfriend and she had said yes. Then while at work the boss came up to him just before lunch, and told him what a great job he was doing and if he fancied a promotion. How could things get better than this. The sun shone and the sky was a nice colour blue with not a single cloud to be seen. He whistled while making his way down the street. He was on his lunch break, so he didn’t have much time. The odd person gave him a strange look as he passed them, but he didn’t care as days like this don’t happen very often. Central London was always busy. Vehicles rushing up and down the road. You needed to have your wits about you living in a place like this.
He saw the shop and headed towards it with haste. Looking both ways and following the crowd that were now around him he crossed the road. He peered at his expensive watch realising he needed to hurry. He reached the path and the rest of the crowd went their separate ways. Some metres ahead was the entrance to the shop. He walked towards it noticing a homeless man sitting beside the door with a bucket by his feet.
The scruffy man looked up, then said, “Could you spare a quid, mate?”
Robert didn’t have time for this, and replied, “I’m sorry. I’m in a hurry I’m afraid.”
The man seemed disappointed by this, but nothing else was said.
Richard entered the big shop, looking around he saw where he needed to go. As quickly as his legs would carry him he proceeded in that direction.

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He left the shop holding the bag tightly. Inside was a present for his dad.
The road in front was still congested. What a joke.
Then a voice said behind him, “Cheers for nothing, mate.”
Robert turned to where the voice had come from. Still sitting in the same spot was the tramp. But the thing which unnerved him more than anything else was his beady eyes staring straight at him. “Have you got a problem?” he asked.
The man scratched the top of his head, before answering, “I asked you for a helping hand, and you gave me a look of disgust. How would that make you feel?”
Richard was starting to feel irritable, and in an angry way, said, “Well, if you got off your arse and worked for a living. Then you wouldn’t be in the predicament that you find yourself in, would you.”
The man all of a sudden got up in a standing position, fury on his face.
Robert didn’t notice how close he was to the curb, but he must of tripped on something which made him lose his balance. His whole body hit the road hard. A metre from where he lay he saw the bag with the present still wrapped up inside. He reached out for it and then he noticed something else which sent terror through his very soul. Within a second the front wheel of the bus had ran over his head killing him instantly.
Everyone began to scream.

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The bed kept him warm, but it was far from comfortable. The stench of his own decaying body lingered like a bad memory that should not be forgotten. His name was Richard and he’d always been an ill man. Now, with only a few weeks left, stuck in a white room with only the odd nurse as company, life was not good. Death didn’t scare him as it should, if anything, it would be a release from the hell he’d learnt to live with for so many years. He never got any visitors, which didn’t help.
He coughed and a bit of blood ran down to his chin. His whole body ached terribly. Beside him was a red button. He pressed it. Some moments later a nurse walked in with a smile on her face.
She came towards the bed, then said, “Are you okay, Richard?”
He looked up at her, and replied with a little trouble, “Why?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, knowing what was coming next.
He coughed some more, before answering, “Why keep me alive any longer? Please, I beg you. Please put me out of my misery.”
She sighed, then said, “I know you’re in pain, dear Richard. But we can’t do it. All we can do is make the rest of your life as comfortable as possible. I’m sorry, but it’s out of our hands.”
With that she left the room in a hurry.
On the cabinet beside the bed was a remote control. He picked it up and pressed the ‘ON’ button. For the next few hours he watched TV.

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It was dark. From the window on the left of him he could see the moon while it hovered above the city. His brain felt fuzzy. The door to the room opened slowly. He peered at it a little fearful. A hand appeared, followed by someone dressed in a long cloak while they made their way towards the bed.
Then the mysterious stranger said, “Hello, Richard.”
He couldn’t see its face, but a strange chill was felt. “What do you want?”
A scream was heard and Richard found himself falling down a long dark tunnel. He tried grabbing at the walls, but nothing seemed to work. A feeling of sheer terror consumed him. Then all of a sudden everything went black.

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At 10.37am a doctor walked in holding a red folder. “How are you, dear chap?” he said, before opening the folder and looking through it with interest.
Richard wasn’t in the mood for small talk. The bad dream from last night still stayed in his mind. “What do you want?”
The man who had thinning grey hair glanced up, then answered, “Well, I have some bad news, Richard.” He stopped and looked deep in thought as if he was trying to think of the right words to say.
Richard was tiring of this quickly. “Just tell me for god sake. I haven’t got time for this bullshit. If it’s bad news, just tell me what it is.”
The doctor cleared his throat then put the folder down on a nearby chair. He neared the bed with an uncomfortable look on his face. “Your condition is progressing more rapidly than we first thought. I’m so sorry to have to tell you this.” He looked down at the floor.
So he didn‘t have much time left. “Don’t feel bad. At last the suffering I have endured will finally end. If anything, peace is nearer to me, and with it my body will finally rest.”
The man seemed relieved by this. “Thank you, Richard. I wasn’t looking forward to telling you that. Before I go I must say one thing. In all my years I have never met a braver soul.”
Richard laughed, even though it hurt his whole body. “I’m not brave, kind sir. If the truth be told, I’m jealous of other people, and through the years I have become somewhat hateful of others that don’t appreciate what they have.”
“It’s true what you say. I’ll see you soon. Take care,” was all the man said. He picked up the folder and headed towards the door. He peered back only once before leaving the room.
Richard then began to cry.

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A few days later and Richard felt awful. He noticed the nurses visited more regularly, keeping an eye on him just in case. Every minute of every day was agonizing. Please, god. Just let this end. He couldn’t take much more. His hands ached terribly most of the time. His head pounded. He’d had enough.
“If you do exist, god, I’m ready to die,” he said quietly to himself, hoping somewhere, someone was listening.
If only he knew.

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Richard shivered terribly. He didn’t know if it was the cold, or if it was something else. A doctor had visited earlier giving him the bad news that he only had a few hours left. For the first time ever he felt a little scared. The curtains were drawn for once, but a lamp which stood on a cabinet beside the bed was on, causing a faint glow in the room. The door was closed. He was all alone. He didn’t expect them to be there all of the time, as they had other patients to care for. But he would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that at this moment in time company would’ve been nice. Then, unexpectedly, the door opened and a shadowy figure entered.
Richard tried to speak, but he found it extremely difficult. A chill was felt all of a sudden. The stranger came closer, his face draped in shadows.
Finally Richard said, “What do you want?” On the glass of the window ice had formed. Then he saw the face of the creature and was petrified beyond belief. Staring back at him was the most grotesque face he’d ever witnessed.
The monstrous being smiled, before saying, “So we meet again, dear Richard. Do you remember me?”
“I do, I think. I thought it was a dream at the time,” he replied, pulling the quilt up to his chin. The monster’s breath stunk making him feel queasy. “What do you want?” he finally said, quivering under the blanket. He was utterly petrified.
The thing took a couple of steps, then answered, “You don’t have long left, my dear friend. But there might be something I can do for you.” It stared at the window. Without warning the curtains started to shake violently. “Have you ever imagined what it would be like to walk barefoot through the grass on a hot summer’s day.”
Richard was growing agitated at this point. “What are you talking about?” A pain shot through his whole body making him cringe.
The creature looked at him with saddened eyes, before replying, “I can give you something that would change your life forever, Richard. A wish. A wish which means you can live to an elderly age, fall in love. Do most things that others take for granted. Are you interested?”
Richard shook his head. “I’m dying, and I don’t have much time left. Trust me when I say this, but there is nothing you can do for me.” He glanced towards the window and the curtains were now still.
“But there is, Richard. If you say yes, I will make everything better.”
Richard didn’t need too much time to think about it. “I learnt a long time ago that miracles don’t happen. If you can grant me a wish which means no more bad health. Then I would take it in a heartbeat.” He started to cough. An awful pain was felt in his chest.
“But with every wish comes a price. Are you willing to take the risk, dear Richard,” it said.
Richard knew he had nothing to lose. “Then grant me the wish and I will be forever thankful.”
The creature smiled, and said, “Tomorrow is a new day. Make the most of it.”
He opened his eyes. It had all been a dream. Then he noticed something rather unusual. The pain had gone.

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The doctors were baffled by his recovery. He felt like a celebrity. Within two days of being given the all clear he was up out of his bed, making his way down the long corridor for the first time since arriving here. He couldn’t believe it. He felt so lucky to still be alive. A nurse who he recognised peered at him from some distance away. A smile appeared on her face.
At the top of the stairs he stopped, then looked down. At the bottom he could see the entrance to the hospital.
“I’m happy you’re all better, Richard,” said the nurse as she joined him. “Let me help you.”
“Thank you,” was all he could think of saying.
Both walked slowly down until they’d reached the bottom, Richard was out of breath.
The nurse who had lovely blonde hair and the bluest eyes he’d ever seen, then said, “By the way, my name is Jennifer. I did see you a couple of times, and I felt so sorry for you, as it seemed so unfair.”
“It’s nice to meet you properly, Jennifer. Would you like to join me for a walk outside, as it would mean a lot to me,” he said, noticing how attractive she was.
She saw this and giggled nervously, before replying, “Yes, I would like that very much.”

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A few weeks later Richard left the hospital. Him and Jennifer had grown very fond of each other. He stayed at a bed-sit. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do for now. He took Jennifer out a lot and one night she invited him back to her place. Within two months he had moved in. It was perfect. He’d never been in love before. It was the best feeling in the world.
A year had passed and they decided to get married. A couple of months after the wedding his wife became pregnant. Life couldn’t get any better. On the 14th of February she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

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Richard drove down the road with joy in his heart. At the age of 57 he felt good. And only an hour before while he was enjoying his lunch break he received the best news ever. His son had finally proposed to his girlfriend. It was his son’s girlfriend Samantha who had called him, excited as can be, as she had waited for this for a very long time. What a fabulous day.
“Thank you, god. For you have blessed me,” he said under his breath.
He decided to park the vehicle in a lane away from the rest of the traffic and give his wife a call to tell her the good news. He got the phone out of his jacket pocket. Before dialling the number the mobile started ringing. Who could that be, he thought, finding it a bit strange.
Richard answered it a little apprehensively, “Hello, who’s this?”
Nothing.
He asked again, “Who is this please?”
Then the person at the other end cut off.
How rude, but nothing was going to spoil his day. Richard dialled the number, then waited for Jennifer to answer. Within seconds her heavenly voice was heard saying, “Hello, who’s this please?”
“It’s Richard. I have some great news,” he said excitedly.
For the next minute he explained everything.
Jennifer laughed. “Just think, my darling. Soon there’ll be grandchildren running all around the place. I love you, Richard.”
Richard felt a tear well up in his eye. He wiped it away, before replying, “I love you too, with all my heart, Jennifer. Never forget that.”
“I’ll see you later. Love and kisses,” she said.
The call ended.
Richard started the engine and put his foot on the accelerator. The vehicle moved slowly up the road. Just ahead were some traffic lights. He braked softly noticing more cars. A few yards in front he needed to turn left into the busier part of London. He gritted his teeth. Once the lights had changed he proceeded ahead. Then turning left carefully made his way down the congested street. In the mirror just above his head he thought he saw something. Maybe it was his imagination. He looked again. With sheer horror he saw a figure sitting in one of the many seats staring straight at him. Whoever this person was they were dressed in a dark cloak which covered most of their face. Then he heard a voice which made him shudder.
“With every wish granted there comes a price. Remember that, Richard.”
The mysterious being then vanished from sight.
All of a sudden realising where he was Richard looked back in the direction of the street, but it was too late. He saw a man fall into the road. Then with terror he’d never experienced before he recognised the face. It was Robert his beloved son. He slammed his foot down onto the brake. Finally the bus stopped. He peered up not believing what had just happened. The people standing nearby started to scream. My god, what have I done. He opened the side window, his heart thumping. He glanced down and this is when he saw it. From the bottom of the bus he could see an arm. A metre from this was a bag. Looking closer he could make out an object wrapped up inside, and on the front of it was a message which read:
For my brilliant dad, Richard. You’re the best dad in the world. Love Robert, with all my heart.
Then his world crumbled.

The End

Reviews

[Marie]

I knew instantly that you'd done the illustration for this story, but I didn't realized until the end what it meant. A good story; very few mistakes. The end was a total surprise, because I couldn't tell what the story was leading p to.
THis are a few suggestions:

At this point everyone began to scream.(Everyone becn to scream)

His world then crumbled.(Then his world crumbled)

Don't seaken your sentences with extra phrases or words.

[steve]

Thank you very much, Marie. Have a lovely Christmas by the way. x