"I prayed and wished my entire adolescence," I explain to the crowd, " To die . My entire life I've wanted to die, but Mother Nature is so spiteful that I've grown to be 146 years old. That just goes to show you that sometimes , the more you wish , the farther away it drifts from you."
"How does your body feel?"
"Everything stopped hurting past my 123rd birthday , crazy enough."
"Do you think anyone will end up growing older than you?"
"Perhaps , but I don't wish that upon my worst enemy . Living is a curse , I just so happen to be the antidote ."
"Is it true you were almost assassinated last week Mister?"
I fold my arms, " Yes sir , barely clipped my ear though. I think it was a lucky shot though . Poor woman looked awful scared when she got caught."
"Are you going to press charges?"
"Of course not , second chances are my specialty."
"You've lived through the second Great Depression and almost mass extinction of mankind , how do you feel about that?"
"It's not an accomplishment . I am so disappointed that most of us let the world go , that we didn't cherish it like we do now. We plagued it . The second Great Depression wasn't a nightmarish type deal, it gave us time to think about how we took our planet and our belongings for granted . It really opened our minds , I'm glad we had it . None of us would be alive without it ."
Many seemed stunned at my answers, some seemed almost annoyed . I wasn't giving them what they wanted , they knew I wouldn't .
"I have one last question for you ," Someone announced, " Why is it , that every time you talk about your past or your age , you sound so negative , so pained ?"
I turned towards the young lady, " I have witnessed to much pain , so much death , that I have become severely numb. When you get old , my dear child , you see and hear things that you'd rather forget . I've been around so long , that everyday I'm reminded of trauma that I went through over 100 years ago. It takes a toll, that's why I hope no one grows as old as me . It is so painfully numb , that most of the time death sounds like a sweet tune , and tastes like the best dessert you could ever imagine ."
Silence filled the air , many gaping faces stayed on me .
"One day, when you're old, you'll vaguely remember this and think 'That damned Grim Reaper was right' . And you'll pass it on to someone else , and so forth."
With that, I was escorted to a bulletproof E-car. We drive through the dirt roads , no more paved highways . Marketplaces took place of buildings , plants took the place of cigarette butts. Everything was peaceful , and right with Mother Nature.
It was... paradise .
