100 minus 1

He woke up dumbfounded that they had missed the bus again. He panicked as she wasn’t there sleeping on his lap. He got up alarmingly and frantically searched the horizon for her. Without thinking he chased the bus in the blinding sun but it was too late. It had moved too far.

His heart shattered into a million broken pieces. She left him without saying goodbye. How could she? Really, how could she have the heart to do this to him? After all he’d done for her? Being dumped in the middle of nowhere was more painful than being struck by lightning. His heart sunk as he sat back down on the bench. He felt his body weaken like he was going to die.

The country bus station seemed deserted in the early morning and silence filled the air. He heard a soft tapping sound but he was too devastated to turn around to see what it was. “Coffee?” she offered, as she sat next to him. She had all the while witnessed his distress and was movingly touched with his conduct. His face lit up as if he was seeing her for the first time. His lips formed into a smile.

She knew she would never leave his side. She whispered, “If you live up to 100, I want to live up to 100 minus 1 day so that I don’t ever have to live a day without you.”