On the Deathbed
A short story
Benjamin Jones’ life story was far from extraordinary. He died at 93 years of age in a hospital in the company of other peers suffering from more or less serious maladies. The cause of his death was not specific, really, a multi-organ failure due to general wear-out. That’s what happens when you age.
Benjamin worked as a tax officer in the Revenue Branch Office in Dandrin, South England. It was an excellent job. It wasn’t well-paid, maybe, but it paid enough for Ben to sustain a living and, also, the hours were highly convenient. He didn’t have to meet customers personally, as all matters were dealt with by phone, so tax workers had on-call duties three days a week for a few hours, and the rest of the time was devoted to paperwork. Only him and his computer. Peace and quiet, plus zero stress. Ideal.
Benjamin shared his office room with David Thompson, a colleague similar to him — withdrawn and taciturn. The greatest virtue of David was that he minded his own business, just like Ben. Thus, although they worked side by side for over forty years, they knew practically nothing about each other’s private lives. No personal bonding, only professional connection.
The two officers knew practically nothing about each other’s private lives, but, in point of fact, there was nothing whatsoever to learn about, at least in the case of Benjamin Jones. He started work at 7 a.m., finished at 3 p.m. Every day, after work, he did some shopping, mostly fruit and vegetables, and came back home. There, Ben carefully prepared healthy meals for dinner and breakfast for the following working day.
Health was the only passion Benjamin ever indulged. He wanted to live long — that was his main life goal. Thus, he took a good care of not only his diet, but also his physical shape. At home, he kept a step machine which he trained on every evening for an hour. Apart from meal preparation and exercising, Ben usually watched TV and sometimes used social media like Facebook, but mainly to watch others picnic, barbecue, or travel within the country and abroad.
Benjamin didn’t have friends anymore. All his friends married and lived a totally different life that was hard for him to relate to, so their bond disappeared slowly year after year. Too many invitations sent to Ben turned out denied, too many phone calls unanswered. So one day Ben discovered nobody called him anymore, nor did anybody invite him. He didn’t mind it though. That was no problem at all in the world of rich modern technology — digital television or the Internet. They both provided Ben with entertainment, information, fun, or porn. All his needs were well-provided for.
What would he need anybody real for? Actually, once a week he used to travel to his parents on the other side of town for Sunday dinner, always made of two courses, leek soup and potatoes with meatloaf and salad. After his parents died, Benjamin stopped traveling anywhere or visiting anybody, which was secretly a huge relief for him. Going out meant dressing up, struggling through traffic jams, and putting oneself on guard in public.
Aside from his parents, in Ben’s life there once appeared another real person. Her name was Angela. She was a single woman who worked one floor below in the International Affairs Department. Benjamin was an expert in pensions. Angela was a special woman in Ben’s life because she showed a special, one of a kind interest in him.
Well, her tight blouses and rocking hips looked quite promising indeed, but Ben was too busy at the time of her advances. They were introducing a new IT system at the office, which he had to master. Besides, Benjamin Jones was a wise guy, so he knew all too well that women always meant trouble. And trouble was not what Ben sought in life. Ben needed lots of calm, as calm, not trouble, contributed to greater longevity. One day, Angela, all confused, suggested a romantic relationship between him and David. Ben didn’t confirm, though he didn’t deny it either. Angela stopped visiting his office room. What ever happened to her later on? Ben didn’t know. How could he know? She worked on a different floor!
Benjamin Jones’ life story was far from extraordinary. He died at 93 years of age in a hospital in the company of others suffering from more or less serious maladies. All of Ben’s last companions in life were complete strangers, but Benjamin didn’t feel lonely when he sensed the end approaching — they had a small TV set in the hospital room! Shortly before his last breath he uttered a few words summarizing his life, which nobody heard, as they were either too sick or deaf, or simply didn’t care to listen.
Ben whispered, “Wow, it’s been safe! Splendid!”
And then he died.
©2020 Marta Mozolewska. All rights reserved.
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