Random stories: The End

Derrick was walking along the broad corridor of the hospital. He felt so much better today. He remembered having problems breathing only yesterday. He could not wait to see his wife and son to tell them how much better he is now. He might just ask his wife to get his favorite Anderson Ice Cream for him. That thought made Derrick chuckled, he would most probably get a earful from his wife.

He saw a crowd and a glimmering light. A familiar face he saw, away from the crowd, sitting on a sofa nearby. He saw his old schoolmate. "Hey! Raymond." Raymond seemed surprised. "Oh, what an coincidence! er.. So what caused your death?" "Choy! Choy! What a way to greet your friend!" Derrick replied. "Oh... nevermind, enjoy your trip, I came back early." Raymond said.

Derrick was about to probe when he was distracted by the glimmering lights. He squeezed through the crowd and look at the lights. He began to feel himself drifting into space, like he is slumbering into a deep sleep. He saw a young couple, the father carrying a baby. There were 2 more children running around. His wife did not look too happy. He found the couple familiar. He looked at the boy yelling and got a shocked! Hey! that is my elder brother! What the.. He saw multiple halo of lights. Derrick looked at them. He saw images. One of it looked like his secondary school. He took a closer look...

He saw himself playing volleyball! He was like a nervous whack. The whistle blown! He saw himself hugging his teammates. They had won the C-division  championship.

Derrick realized sadly, what had happened. He had passed away.

He saw many more halo of lights. Glimpses of his past. His wife at university, his son. Then he saw something he didn't remembered doing. He looked closer.

He was at a wake. It didn't take long before Derrick realized he was at his own wake. His saw his wife staring blanking into space. His son was giving a speech. His son spoke fondly of him, about how he was a strict and scary father, but nonetheless also a wonderful friend and playful buddy. How he as a father, had played multiple roles and filled his heart. Derrick felt tears as he listened. He saw his colleagues. He went over, they were talking about him. They all had good things to say about him.

Derrick looked at the halos of lights. So many of them. One of them was grey, the image was that of the hospital.Derrick went back.

"Raymond." Derrick called. "That was quick. You didn't spend too much time living the past?"

Derrick wanted to ask more, when he saw Raymond image fading away, Raymond smiled. "I am ready for my next journey. Take care. By the way, you can go through the lights as many times as you like. If you focused hard enough, you can hear what the people are thinking. I did it once and stopped."

"Why?" Before Raymond could answer, he disappeared. Derrick looked at the crowds staring at the bright light. "The portal to our past" he muttered to himself. Most of them are like in a trance, some of them in tears, some of them smiling, some of them in agony. Most of them were is disbelief. 

Derrick thought for a while. He sat down on the sofa where Raymond sit. He realized that's life isn't it. Looking at the past. Hoping to know "what if", searching for the "truth". Derrick heave a deep sigh of relief. He didn't have much regrets. He leaned back on the sofa. He is ready too. He didn't need to know what were the true thoughts of his friends and families about him. The truth is within himself, he had tried his best and had no regrets.