A Snow-fallen Departure (Short Story)

A letter was the first thing that came through his door. He had suspicions on what it could be. It had been there for a while. Even before he noticed it, it was there. The headaches. Nausea and vomiting. Blurry visions. His recent confusion that even worried his parents.

All of these told him what he already knew.

And this letter confirmed his worries.

An emergency doctor’s appointment. They wanted to speak to him today, Christmas. It wasn’t completely unheard of. He would have gotten the results sooner but it was due to various issues with the testing process and his own ignorance that he ended up in this current state.

He looked down to the letter as he turned to his favourite brown coat, putting it on as he shoved the letter deep into its pockets.

Then, with a heavy sigh. He opened the door to his house, locking it behind him as he roamed the overcast darkening streets.

The hospital was only a brief walk away; not even 5 minutes.

But he was inside for the length of a full story. Time was flowing past as he dared to look at a clock. He just stayed silent and listened as he felt everything inside his heart break. He could feel the doctor’s words in his mind as if they were the very thing that was killing him.

“Thank you.” was his final words to the doctor as he took his brown coat and left, swinging it over his back as he stepped back into the darkness.

The sun had set, and tiny little snow particles were starting to fall.

Instead of his usual journey back, it was only right that he would take a route of things that he once treasured.

He slowly walked with his back as straight as possible to the road where his Primary School once stood; having been destroyed and replaced by apartments.

Then he walked past his Secondary School, the only difference being the name of the headteacher on the front board.

And that was it. He had nowhere else to go.

He had no more memories or reason to go anywhere else.

All that remained was home.

On Christmas day, he had nothing.

He roamed the streets as he passed the couples out on their Christmas walks, whilst he saw inside some of the decorated houses that were filled with joy.

“Merry Christmas,” Some couples would say.

“Yeah, Merry Christmas.” He replied.

And it was then that things changed.

On a tiny side corner, as generic as every other, was a tiny little pub blasting loud proud Christmas music. 

The Tamed King.

On a day like today, it was a place for those in a similar mind. Either they wished to be alone, or they had no one else. Christmas was considered a family holiday, but not everyone has a place to go.

And sitting outside, under a tiny umbrella watching the snowfall, was a balding man in his late 30s, smiling as he held his golden pint in his hand.

“You want one?” He called out as he noticed the brown coated man looking towards him.

“Ummm… Sure.”

In his mind, he only wanted one. But once he sat down, he couldn’t stop.

“I should have been spending today with my wife.” The balding man said, “But, sadly they passed away in summer. It’s my first Christmas without her. So, this pint is for her. I know she wouldn’t want me to be sad, so I’ve come to my favourite place, besides her, of course.”

It was his brief but powerful story that caused him to drink more and more.

“I know what you mean,” the coated man said, “I don’t know how long I got left… I just got back from the doctors.”

“I’m sorry, mate.”

“Don’t be. There’s nothing I can do. I don’t have no one else.”

“… Well,” The balding man raised his glass, recently filled to the top. “This one’s for you. The first was for her, but this one is for you. Thank you for everything.”

And as his words finished, he put the rim of the glass to his mouth, pushing it back as the liquid inside quickly vanished before their eyes.

It was a foolish moment that was followed by a loud gassy burp.

And then, the coated man said:

“And this is for your wife.”

He held his own glass as he also drank it all in one breath. He almost choked, but he was able to keep it in.

“That’s the spirit. Let’s get another.”

This continued for a while. Drink after drink after drink. The two strangers drank their sorrows away, sharing their wonders of the world they had barely known.

The sky had darkened. The sun had set on this Christmas day, and the atmosphere and world were their own. No one could get between them.

“THE BOYS FROM THE NYPD CHOIR WERE SINGING GO AWAY!”
“What? What were they singing?” The jolly balding man laughed along with him.

“Are they not the words?” He asked.

“It’s Galway Bay!”

“Oh, who cares! It’s Christmas! THE BELLS WERE RINGING OUT FOR CHRISTMAS DAY!”
“HAHAHA!” The two were as drunk as the spinning world. Their arms were wrapped tightly around one another as the two strangers danced in the cold snow. Their minds were on nothing else because nothing else mattered.

It was a brief passing moment, but an unforgettable one.

They spun, sang and drank till they passed out, with their wet backs on the snow-covered concrete.

“I better be off.” The brown coated man said as he pushed himself off the ground.

“It was good to know you, lad.” his brief friend said. “And Merry Christmas.”

“Yes, Merry Christmas.”

Even if he wanted to stop the tears, he couldn’t. But at least he was able to turn away, undesiring to spoil the moment in his head.

Even if he had drunk till he couldn’t stand, there was still one last thing that he desired to do.

And he knew that his time had come.

He could feel it ever since the day he was first told.

A short-lived smile drew upon his face as he looked up to the falling snow that moved around his warm breath. It was like a movie he had always wanted to be a part of. A scene that didn’t feel real. The quiet snow muffled the world around whilst lights peeking out from the houses were filled with childish laughs.

A distance lamp post blinded his eyes as he looked back down to the wall it rested against.

That was what brought him to reality.

In his drunken state, he started to stumble on his way home. He tripped up over his feet as he tried to look at where he was going, but all he could see was the white sheet of snow.

In an attempt to hold himself up, his body collapsed against a brick wall. He dragged his coat along the few steps he could do before his legs gave up.

His breath was escaping through his mouth as it started to shake.

“It’s quite cold today…” He muttered to himself, only for that to quickly turn into a little laugh. In his drunken thoughts, the idea of talking to himself was amusing. Because he knew he was alone.

“Ha… Ha…” And through his weak laughs, his body became heavy.

Sitting on the ground as his brown coat slowly covered with white.

It was his last Christmas, but an unforgettable one. 

A memory he’ll carry on forever.