An Old Man and a Box

In a small white room, shades are drawn tight so that the small bedside lamp provided the only dim light in the room. A steady beeping of the heart monitor, mixing with the ticking of the clock on the wall the two sounds marking the passing of time. Suddenly a fit of coughing from the patient on the bed. His thin white hair revealed scalp here and there as well as the occasional mole or liver spots. His skin was paper-thin and wrinkled. His chest rose and fell slowly with his breaths. Another fit of coughing came and this time he sat up reaching for the cup of water at his bedside table. Struggling to sit up he pulled the straw near his mouth and took a deep drink.

Once he had finished and returned the cup to its resting spot he reached for the remote control that was dangling from the cord when it had fallen last night. Once he had dragged the remote up by its cord he rested back on his pillow breathing heavy. The heart monitor's beeping rate increased.

He rested with his eyes closed a moment holding his trophy against his chest. Once the beeping slowed back to its normal rhythm and it was easy to breathe again he opened his eyes. He clicked on the television and started to look for a channel when he noticed a small brown paper-wrapped box sitting between his legs. Letting the remote rest on the bed by his hip he reached for the box.

It was just out of reach, so he reached around to push the button that raised the head of the bed. Mechanical whirring mixed with the beep of the monitor and the tick of the clock as he rose. Upright he let go of the button and reached for the box again, his fingertips just kissing the side of the box. Disgruntled he stretched further to grab the box. The remote fell off the bed again to swing by the cord.

He rested back against the pillow holding the box while he gathered his strength again. It was light feeling almost empty but there seemed like there might be something in it. The something moved and shifted like water in a bottle but there was no impact to the side, no sloshing sound, and liquid would be too heavy.

He rested the box on his lap and looked at it. Then something on the screen caught his attention, a little boy playing in a yard. When he looked back at the box a memory came to him.

He was young, perhaps kindergarten age or a year younger. He was in his playroom, playing with his dinosaur and blocks. The wind blowing by the window outside knocking fall leaves from the trees. He heard a crack and looked to the window. There in the middle of the front yard, unperturbed by the wind, was a large brown paper-wrapped box. Curiosity getting the better of him he left the house to go and get a closer look at the box.

When he was outside the box was a little larger than himself. He tried to move it but it wouldn't budge. Right, when he was about to give up and go back inside there was a large gust of wind that blew the box a few more feet away from the house. Following that, a loud series of cracking and popping and he watched as a large tree fell onto his house, landing directly on his playroom.

The memory faded and he was back in the hospital room holding the small paper-wrapped box. He found the seam in the paper and began to unwrap it when another memory came to him.

It was college, he and his friends were at a local bar for dinner and drinks before they headed to the university to watch the women's basketball game. His friends were in a hurry to leave as they wanted to get the best possible seats. He offered to pay so they could go and get the car. They were leaving the front door when the check arrived. There was a tiny, perhaps two inches on each side, brown paper wrapped box on the bill weighing it down.

Thinking it interesting he took a minute or two to examine it and look around at some of the other tables. There were no more boxes there and he didn't see a supply of them. It wasn't heavy and felt empty, perhaps it was a theme of the bar or something they were trying. He paid the bill and rushed to catch up to his friends. In his hurry he bumped into a woman who was coming in. Apologizing he realized that he had a few classes with her. They had never talked before.

His friend Tom came in and told him to hurry. He responded that he owed this girl a drink for running into her. The guys could go on without him. That night he and she spent the night getting to know each other. It was the first of many dates. After graduation, they became married and were still together to this day.

Fondly remembering his wife of many years he sighed happily looking over at the picture by his bed. The two of them along with their two children and six grandchildren. He had a great family. He was going to miss them. Hopefully, he did enough in his life so that they will be able to carry on without him. Laughing to himself he remembered another day in his life where a paper-wrapped box got in his way, but positively.

His son had just been born and he had picked up extra hours at his office job so that he could bring in some extra pay. It was Labor day and he was going to work to get the holiday pay. He walked to work to allow his wife to keep the car for errands. He was checking his phone and not paying attention to where he was going. He tripped over a box that had fallen out of the recycling bin. His glasses, hat, and phone went flying as he sprawled across the concrete. He stood up, brushing himself off and picking up his stuff he was dismayed to find that there was a large scratch on his glasses and his phone screen had cracked.

Staring at the cause of his fall, a paper-wrapped box, he grumbled at it. This whole extra shift wouldn’t pay for the repairs to even one of his damaged items. One simple act put him behind on his earnings. He kicked at the box blaming it before he composed himself and hurried towards the office. As he rounded the block there was a screeching sound as a car careened into the wall just ahead of him. Broken glass and debris showering him from the wreck. He hurried forward to find a person clearly intoxicated behind the wheel of the car.

He pulled the man out and away from the wreck. When the paramedics arrived they treated his minor injuries after securing the driver on a gurney. Police later questioned him and he realized that had he not tripped over the box or kicked it, there was a good possibility that he would have been hit by the driver. The officer told him he was lucky today.

At the time he didn't feel lucky, but as the years passed he realized that had he not tripped his wife and young son would have grown up without him. He was back in the hospital holding the fourth paper-wrapped box of his life. Each time one has appeared it had helped to influence his actions towards something that in the long run brought him happiness.

There was a knock at the door. "Grandpa, can I come in?" It was his grandson Charles, who had just turned fourteen. "Hello Grandpa, how are you feeling today?"

The old man nodded and smiled, "I am feeling well Charlie, how about you? Happy birthday, sorry I couldn't make it yesterday."

"It's ok, Grandpa. It was nothing special, but Grandma did give me a new drone from the two of you. Thank you so much. I have already mounted a camera to it and flown it around the house."

The old man smiled, "You are welcome, I know you like those things. I do have another gift for you." He held up the small box. "Sorry that it isn't wrapped a little fancier."

"What's in it?" Charlie asked as he took it.

"Well, Charlie." The old man smiled as he said this, for realization had come to him as the boy entered the room. "Inside that box is everything important that I have ever done. It contains the most precious things to me and I want you to have it with all of my love and some other advice. Everything we do in our lives regardless of how big or small will always fit inside a box much like this one. All of ours is different but it’s a box all the same. Always be aware of what is happening around you and look for help from unlikely sources. Be ready to offer help to others when they need it."

He smiled at the boy and reached his hand out to rest on the boy's wrist. "Don't try and force your box to be too large, don’t fill it with needless treasures. Find things in life that truly matter to you and those dear to you and do everything you can to fill their boxes as well. I will always watch over you Charlie, even after I leave this box." He indicated his body. "Watch for the signs that I am with you, be prepared to act on the hints."

The two of them hugged and said that they love each other. Charlie was a strong boy for his age, he knew that his grandfather was dying but he also cherished each moment he had with him. When Charlie left the hospital room he opened up the box to look at its contents. Chuckling he smiled as he looked at what was on the inside. The boy closed the box and left the hospital.

A while later Charlie is getting dressed. He has black slacks, a white shirt and is working to put on a black tie. As he is struggling with it he hears a chime, like that of a small bell from outside. He looks towards the window and there is a subtle glint of light from a dewdrop as it dropped from a leaf. Charlie looked to the ground below to see a girl that he hadn't met before. She was outside trying to fly a drone.

Charlie draped the tie around his neck and grabbed his drone. He still had an hour till they had to leave for the funeral. Grandpa would understand.