Short story: emma friary
Planning for the Future Can Only Last So Long
The old man finished speaking and sat down in his seat. The young woman strode to the front of the room. Although it was filled with twenty or so people, all of them were quiet as she took the center stage. Nerves went through her but she smiled calmly at them. Just another day, just another job. But today was a little different because something inside of her wilted when she first began to read what was before her. She wanted to shake her head to send away the thoughts she had racing through her but knew it would be inappropriate to do so.
After a moment of pulling out her document and glancing at the first few lines, she was ready.
“Here we go,” she thought and then began. “There is a never a good time to go. My entire life I have been encouraged to do many things and then encouraged to avoid many things. Somewhere along the line, the lines blurred and have been blurry ever since. I was told to travel, to go out and see the world, and then told that the world was dangerous and perhaps some places should be entirely avoided. I was told to never, ever, do drugs, until I got sick and then somehow it was okay. I was told to never tell a lie but then when I told the truth, I would end up hurting someone more than telling the lie would have.
“Life is a gamble. Somehow, we all think we are invincible. Even now, as you sit and listen to this, you are thinking of all of your close calls. The times you’ve run a red light or a stop sign, drank a little bit more than you should have and gotten home okay, the accidents that could have been fatal, the times you had strangers get a little too close, or left a vacation just before hearing there was some kind of hurricane that hit soon after. How much of our lives is a coincidence? Where is the line drawn between fate and luck? Why do some people get all the luck as others get none? Today I know I have drawn the short straw.
“In my will, I, Alexa Lovegood, being of sound mind and body, do decree these things to the following people:
“To my children, future or here now, I leave my house, any money I may own, and the crazy amount of photographs I have taken for you.
“To the love of my life, Harry.” A man in the back with watery eyes looked up at the woman and sniffled. “I give you all of my writings, to hold onto, to reflect back on, and my collection of books which I hope gives you solace.
“To my favorite, and only, brother Adam, I leave you all of my socks because of all of the times that I stole yours.” Quiet laughter. “I also leave you all of my journals, because you were the first person to have traveled with me through my whole life, besides Mom and Dad, and can be the only one trusted to read the things I wrote. Once you’re done with them, keep them to yourself, or burn them.”
“To my parents: I leave you all of the records I insisted that you bought me, in hopes that you will listen to them and remember us dancing around the kitchen together. I’m sure it will serve more memories to you than I had a chance to have.
“Lastly, to Morgan, my greatest friend. I leave you a box filled with mementos from our childhood, and the gold dress that I wore to your party that you said made me look like an angel and made you so jealous.” There was an audible sob, followed by another on the other side of the room.
“Now, I have plans for all of you. I don’t want black at the funeral. I want pink, like the sun rising up in the morning and reflecting on the clouds. I want for people to sing “Brown Eyed Girl” and be served sherbet. I want silly pictures of myself as a kid displayed on the walls, not some sappy shot of me shown from a yearbook. I want for people to come and not to say to you, “what a nice girl she was” but instead, “she could kick anyone’s ass at dodge ball” and “no one else could bring down the house singing “Somebody to Love” like Alexa.
“I do not want to be buried- I want to be turned into ash and spread over a new tree in my backyard so that when you miss me, you can talk to me, and as I grow, you are able to hug me.
“I want to have my hair, however much there is, to be cut off, and given to all of the people named, so that you may take it and spread it out around the world when you travel. I want a piece of me to have traveled all around the world. I hope that I go somewhere else besides here in Minnesota. I hope it’s some glorious way, like going cave diving like I’ve always wanted to, or being eaten by a lion, or even by an accident in a different part of the world where maybe I get a horrible infection and succumb to it. Anything but this stupid cancer I just got when I should be getting ready for prom, graduation, and college. But, I guess if you’re reading this, that’s exactly what happened. I hope it goes fast but I hope you all stop and slow down and do the things I wanted to do. Life is, apparently, too short, but also the longest thing we will ever experience. So why continue waiting to do the things that you thought you would accomplish when you were younger?
“I love you all. I will still be here, hanging out, watching you all go and do the things you love. I’ll see you next time.”
about the writer: emma friary
Emma Friary is an undergraduate at FSU planning on pursuing her Masters through the school. She draws inspiration from her travels and experiences as well as her favorite novels. Emma’s goal is to publish a book and travel back to Europe in the next year.
