Uncertain Future

I turned off the television and went up to the terrace. The reddened sky, as if mortally wounded, was the prelude to darkness which would not be long in coming. The clouds hung over the horizon like a slowly descending curtain, preparing the spectators for the final applause.

pixabay / JodyDellDavis

Down below, deep in the street, people moved faster than usual, with a flurry of uncertainty fueled by superstition. All the news outlets were talking about it, it was the gossip in the office, the joke of the day on the radio, the world trending topic, one more commercial opportunity for businesses.

Today was that day in which many would have done something for the first time, as if it were the last. At this time of the afternoon there would be family dinners, long-distance calls, crimes, sexual acts, suicides, and queues at confessionals, just in case.

Today was that day on which many would have done something for the first time, as if it were the last. At this time of the afternoon there would be family dinners, long-distance calls, crimes, sexual acts, suicides, and queues at confessionals, just in case.

A friend once told me that if tomorrow were the end of the world, he would go on living as if it weren't. Only those who have not lived temperately regret what they have left to do.

With the first drops falling from the sky, I decided to go back to my room, thinking that I had never imagined a catastrophic end; rather a quick lethargy or a slow fading, just enough time to be able to pray, if we had not repented of our sins.

Doing a brief review of my life, I saw that I had already fulfilled all my goals needed for my age. I had been happy and I had been sad. They loved me and some rejected me. I tasted victory as failure too.

And already exhausted in bed, I set the alarm clock for seven am, as always, and I thought that if there were no tomorrow, my life would already have been worth it.