Crooked smile

The child smiled and asked me how many years of my life had gone by. She stared into my eyes and saw my crooked smile. I found it beautiful to be asked such a question by such sincere yet innocent eyes. I’d lived over a half a century was my reply and she was shocked as she heard my time alive. She looked confused and asked me how my life had changed since like her I was child. She asked why I lay in the bed and why I looked so weak in her eyes. I didn’t want to see those caring innocent eyes cry but I had to be honest with my reply. I said it’s like a city or a town that changes shape over time. Where once there was a new building that caught the sun and shined for a while. As that building it grew older cracks may appear over time. Sometimes the building it becomes faulty and to life it has to say goodbye. She said I can see you and you are here so I don’t have to say goodbye. She touched my face and said that she would never, ever forget my smile. She smiled and said that she’d buy the building and tell the sun to make it always shine. I asked how she’d get the money and she said she’d sell all her toys and build a bank with money trees as tall as the sky. This warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes. She said I didn’t have to worry about money ever more in my life. She turned and walked away with her mother and has she approached the door she looked and waived and blew me a kiss and silently said the word goodbye. For some strange reason I felt no fear and now was prepared to die.