The Meeting By FluffWrites 10 I went into a room with nine chairs that were laid out in a circle. There was a man sitting in all but one . They had signs in front of them with number that went from 10 up to 90 in the ten-times table. It seemed like I was the last one to arrive. They all looked at me. I went to take my seat in the number 10 chair. The man in the 40 chair started complaining and shouting. He said a lot of words that I didn’t understand. He seemed to be really angry at the man on the 30 chair. They both started arguing and 30 got up and went to the door. The old men at 60 and 70 tried to talk him into calm down, but he only got angrier and then slammed the door as he went outside. The room was full of silence after that. Then 20 got up and said that he was busy and that he had better things to do than waste time here. Then he left, too. After that the other people in the room started talking about some stuff like marriage, but I wasn’t really interested in adult stuff. I daydreamed about my Gameboy that I left at home. I wanted to go back home and play. I dozed off for the rest of the meeting, but when my mind came back, I realised the only ones that were left was 80, 90, and me. Now that I looked at 90. I noticed that he had tubes attached all around his body and that his chair was actually a wheelchair. 80 stood up and came towards me and opened his palm to reveal a candy, which he then gave me. He patted by head and said as he started coughing: “You are a good boy, Isaac. Do what you wish with your life, for it is the only one you have.” Then he started walking towards the door. “I want to go play on my Gameboy.” He looked back at me and smile. “Go do that then.” Then he left. I was now left with 90 who was in the wheelchair. He seemed like he was too old and tired to talk, but then when I stood up to leave, he whispered: “I play on my Gameboy too. Want to play together?” “Ye-Yea, sure.” I replied a bit creeped out. “But I left mine at home, I promise to play with you the next time we meet.” “Promise?” He said as his breathing was visibly becoming louder. “Yes.” He seemed happy. So I went out the room looking forward to playing when I got home. 20 I entered the room. More like dragged into if I were to be honest. My final exams were only days away and I was already behind on my study material. I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible and go back to studying. I looked around to see that the only one left to come was me from 10 years ago. I waited a few more minutes before I decided it was not worth wait. As I started to stand up, the door creaked open, and my younger self entered the room. I could hear 40 giggling to himself as he was staring daggers at 30. “Look at you.” He said. “All lively, feeling like you are at the top of the world. Little do you know your whore fucking wife is cheating behind you back!” He continued as he laughed to himself. “How dare you talk about Margaret like that?” 30 replied. “You make me worried I’ll suffer brain damage before I turned 40!” He replied. “No, but you must have accidentally poured bleach into your eyes to not see how of a cheating whore she is!” 40 shouted back. The arguing continued. Words were thrown left and right, but I couldn’t afford to deal with this noise right now. I would have a headache before the exams start. I covered my ears for some quiet and said I would deal with my future problems when the time comes. Not soon after, 30 walked out fuming. Then, when 60 and 70 tried to calm 40 down, he got even angrier and slammed the door as he went out. The room went silent. I decided that I had seen enough. “Well, that was a waste of my time.” I said as I stood up. “I don’t see the point of these meetings; it is not productive even in the slightest. I have better things to do.” As I went out the door, I wondered if I should have asked 30 for the exam questions. But whatever, it was too late now. 30 I am newly wed to an old colleague of mine from high school. Margret, my one and only true love. Her eyes are the colour of silver and lips soft as petals. She always tells me to let go from time to time to enjoy life. Work has been keeping me busy these days, but I can’t tell her that, not to her precious heart. Oh ... yes ... right, the meeting. I entered the room, filled with excitement to announce the news of my engagement, even though more than half of everyone there already knew about it. I was about to shout hello to everyone in the room only to see that the only person who was already there was 90. So, I quietly sat down and decided to wait for everyone else to come. While I was waiting, I tried to recall my memories of the meeting 10 years ago, but I was too worried about exams at the time. So, most of it was mixed in with stuff I had exams on. I do remember there being a lot of shouting, and then I started having a headache, but oh well we will see what happened. Soon entered 60 and then not long after 70. They sat down in silence like me as they examined each other. 80 came in slowly as his knees looked like they were giving up. Considering that I could still walk at that age I was sure I will live a happy and healthy. But I reminded myself, I must buy a walking stick for that age. Then 40 came in. I tried to greet him, but he only kept staring at me. 50 entered the room, but I couldn’t have a good look at him, since I was too busy trying to avoid eye contact with 40 who was still staring at me, sitting in his chair next to 50. 20 entered the room. I knew that he couldn't wait to get out of here. At last, I gave out a sigh of relief as 10 finally entered the room. I looked at him as he struggled to get into his chair and thought to myself: “Who would have though a little shrimp like him would be blessed to have such a wonderful woman by his side.” With that the meeting had officially started. As I was getting ready to talk, 40 started to giggle out loud and said: “Look at you. All lively, feeling like you are at the top of the world. Little do you know your whore fucking wife is cheating behind you back!” I was shocked that I would be talking in such manner in only 10 years from now. I surely must have been drinking before coming to the meeting. “How dare you talk about Margaret like that?” I replied in bewilderment. “You make me worried I’ll suffer brain damage before I turned 40!” “No, but you must have accidentally poured bleach into your eyes to not see how much of a cheating whore she is!” 40 shouted back at me. “Listen here, you drunkard.” I called out to him angrily. “I don’t care what you say will happen in the next 10 years. No one in their right mind would listen to a babbling drunk like you! For how long have you been drinking?” He started laughing but stopped abruptly when he choked on his own saliva. “Ay, you are right I have started drinking, but that was only after I found out.” He said as he crossed his arms. “If you would take my advice ditch her already or even better just cheat back on her. Trust me, that won’t be a stranger to you once you become me! But you won’t because you are too much of a soft-hearted idiot.” “That’s enough!” I shouted as I started to stand up to make my way out. “I don’t have to listen to this any longer.” “It not my fault that you have bad taste in women, Isaac!” 40 shouted at me as I opened the door. I stopped for a second, but decided it was not worth replying to him. But truthfully, I was worried. In the end, it all seemed too good to be true. I must make sure that she does indeed love me. 40 As I entered the room my eyes searched for one person and one only. 30. There he was. That bastard was right where I left him. I couldn’t help but smile while staring at him. Perhaps I wasn’t looking that sane in front of everyone, considering how much I drank last night to drown my misery. But that didn’t matter: the one responsible for all this shit was right in front of me and I didn’t care about any other person in this room. As soon as the boy sat down, I started bad mouthing that whore in front of 30. Of course, I knew he wouldn’t listen to me and nothing would change. But I couldn’t keep bottling all this anger inside me. And of course, he started whimpering and ran off. Then I sat there, with not a drop of guilt in my heart as both 60 and 70 condescending looks. “What the fuck are you looking at?” I shouted at them both. “You know what that fucking bitch did and then you act like you are better than me?” “You didn’t have to tell it to him that way.” 60 told me quietly. “Oh, what fucking difference would it make?” I replied. “He will end up becoming a drunk old bastard like me anyways.” “You can’t continue living your life like that and you know that.” 70 said. “In time you will learn to forgive yourself, Isaac.” I gave out a shrug. “Forgive myself you say? Why would I forgive myself? That cheating whore was the one who decided I wasn’t good enough for her.” But they closed their eyes in silence. This made me even more angry. “Well, Screw you all to hell. You can continue your shitty little meeting without me.” I went through the door and slammed it on my way out. Who the hell do they think they are? Making it out to be all my fault. 50 I entered that miserable room and walked to my chair to sit down like the other four times before now. What was the point of it all? What is the point if I won’t be able to change anything? This was just torture at this point. I wanted to end my life, but I knew that I couldn’t since I could see that I live for another 40 years, at least. Only to be bedridden just like 90 sitting over there in his wheelchair. If you can call that living. But that was not why I came here today. I came here to ask some questions. I had to know. I waited for everything else to play out so that it was calm enough for me to ask. After 40 left, I decided that it was time. I looked at 60, but he was already looking at me. He knew what was coming. “So, tell me, 60. Why did you decide to continue living your life, even though everything hurts so much?” I asked him as I once again look at the ground. “Honestly?” He said, “I don’t know. The last 20 years have been a living hell for me. There were days that I would cry myself to sleep. Once, I was sent to ER for a heart attack and when I woke up, no one was there for me. I still feel empty. The same way you do.” Is that how I would the rest of my life? Just spend it as a miserable, lonely old sod, I thought to myself. “But.” He continued. “Once I let go of the burdens holding me in the past, everyday it started hurting a bit less. And I started looking towards the future again.” I raise my head. My eyes started watering. “Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t know what I am going to do with the rest of my life.” 60 said. “But I know that I don’t have to make myself suffer anymore.” “So even a person like me has a second chance?” I thought to myself. I sat down for a while in that chair trying to process everything. Then I decided that I don’t want to live like this anymore. I want to become happier, even if a little. Now that I know I can overcome the next ten years; nothing can keep me down anymore. I stood up and wiped the tears from my eyes with me sleeve and said: “Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear.” As I slowly walked towards the door, I waved at everyone and said: “I promise to stay clean of alcohol from now on and start looking for work again.” I saw a grin form on 60’s face as he waved back at me, hunchbacked in his in his chair. I left the room, knowing that whatever is to come, I would prevail. 60 I sighed to myself as I entered the room, knowing exactly what was to come. Almost right after I entered, 70 also came through the door behind me. We both went to our respective seats. He examined me, and I look back at him. Since us both know what was going to happen. As the last person entered, I started breathing in and out to calm myself. The row happened as it always did and 30 left, followed by 40, then 20. And now, it began. I looked at 50 as he hesitated, wondering what exactly to ask. And when he did, I did the only thing I could. I gave him hope. I told him that life gets better and that he can make it work. I told him what he needed to hear. And that seemed to satisfy him. I gave him a fainthearted farewell as he left. Once, he left the room, I dropped the smile and turn to 70, who had been staring at me. “So, you decided to lie to him after all?” “Well, what else would you want me to do?” I replied, leaning back in my chair to try and straighten my back. “If I told him that life will still be terrible after a decade of hard work, he would never have tried.” “We both know that’s not true?” He replied with a cunning look in his eyes. After a long pause, I sighed and then said: “Fine. I give in. I just didn’t have the heart to tell him. When I look back at all the effort that I put into turning my life around, I still ask myself if it was futile. But I couldn’t let him think that already. I needed to make him continue trying for as long as he can.” “Look at you, so grown up.” He sneered. “The wiseman, who passes words of advice to the ear of youth.” “Ah stop with the mockery, you silver-scaled snake.” I said. We both started laughing. After a bit, out of curiosity bit I asked him: “So, tell me, does it really get better?” “Well, I could say yes, but who knows if I am telling you the truth? Maybe I will do the same to you as you did to him.” He grinned. “Ay, that’s fair I point.” I said as I look at the ground. I raised myself to my feet and said: “Well, we are young as long as we live. There is no such thing as becoming too old to stay young.” As I opened the door, I heard 70 say something. “Hey, young lad. Make sure you live a good life. And a piece of advice from me: you should start looking into gardening. So that I have a nice tree to sleep under in ten years’ time.” “I’ll think about it.” I said with a smile, then left. 70 As I entered, I follow 60’s lead as we both went to our seats. I could tell looking at him that he was nervous. We both knew how it was going to turn out, but that still didn’t make the situation any better. Or moral. Was lying to someone to give them false hope the right thing to do? Perhaps. Perhaps not, but even though it was cruel, it was what I would have wanted to happen to me 20 years ago. But I have to say that life did get better at the end. Now I spend my days taking care of a big beautiful garden with very colourful trees and flowers. A place where people come to visit through thick and thin and children come to play at. Many people fall in love and maybe break each other’s hearts in there. But isn’t that true for life too. Sometimes people bring me gifts as appreciation for my work, but it was always their smile that soothed my heart the most. And now, I sat here through shouting and lying. The same drama every 10 years. 60 did the deed, and I decided to jostle him a little to lighten up his mood. As he left, I gave him something to distract himself with. Give him purpose, and in due time, happiness. I looked around and saw my ten-year-old self, still daydreaming about his toy. 80 was sitting there silently, and 90 practically looked dead at this point. But I promised myself not to give any thought to the future; I will live what I can now, so that I don’t regret it later. 80 As the years went on people around me noticed that I was becoming more forgetful as the days went on. At first, I excused it as my memory being bad due to age, since now I was an old man and my whole body started to sore even after a short walk. Then my legs started to fail, and it became harder and harder to work in the garden. One day, while I was working, I collapsed and when I woke up, I was in recovery room. But it wasn’t like the last time. This was different. Many families who used to come to my park visited me during my recovery and they brought their children with them, who then handed me gifts of chocolates and many wonderful flowers. That night I cried true tears of joy as I knew I wasn’t alone anymore.” The next day the doctor came in to tell me the news. He said that I was going to recover in a few weeks, but I would have to stay off any heavy work and take calcium supplements to slow my osteoporosis. But he also took some scans of my brain due to the request of some of my visitors. He suspected the worst. So, I laid off all the garden’s work to a young lad who was helping me take care of the garden. Before I turned 80, I thought to myself: “What do I want to tell myself from the past when I go to that room?” After thinking about it for a while, I decided that it was better if I said nothing. For once in my life I want to sit there and see all my hard work, all my suffering, all my rage play right in front of me. I want to see it all one last time, before I forget forever. As I entered the room, I saw the same people I got to know during the entirety of my life. I slowly make my way to my chair. I sit down, and watch. I look at 10 as he sits there, confused about what all these new words mean. I see the worry in 20’s eyes. I look at 30 as he fights against 40’s insults, trying to defend his love. I saw him look at me with discreet but unmistakable revulsion. Which reminded me; I never did buy that walking stick. I looked at 40 as he bashed out in everything in his sight, angry over what he once lost. I looked at 50, waiting for something to give him hope. I looked at 60, encouraging his younger self to live better, like a father telling his son he can go play with his friends once he has finished his schoolwork. I look 70. He had a spirit able to rival any youth, which kindled a bit of envy in me. I look at myself, a grumpy old man, looking back on his fond memories. Then at last, I look at 90, and I was reminded of the inevitable future that awaits me. But I did not fear, for now that I looked back on it all. I could truly say I lived a worthy life. And now that the only people left in the room were 10, 90 and me, there was only one more thing left to do. I stood up and walked to 10 and hunched slowly, revealing something in my hand to him. It was the piece of candy. The same sort I received from myself 70 years ago. I patted his head and said to him: “You are a good boy, Isaac. Do what you wish with your life, for it is the only one you have.” As I walked towards the door, I heard him say: “I want to go play on my Gameboy.” I looked back as his sweet innocence made me smile. “Go do that then.” I said as I walked out the door one last time. 90 I couldn’t remember how I got into this room. Mum must have brought me here while I was asleep. I soon saw some people entering the room. Some of them looked scary, like the bearded man sat on the chair opposite, but some others look very kind like the old man sat next to me. It was difficult to follow; and pretty soon I gave up trying. All they did was get angry and shout. I wanted to leave. But when the room was nearly empty, I heard a little voice say: “I want to go play my Gameboy.” Maybe I should have brought mine with me. I looked around and saw small boy, just like me. Perhaps I could ask him if we can become friends, so that I can play with him. I tried to speak, but my throat felt very dry. I saw him getting off his chair, but I couldn’t force out a single world. I didn’t want him to go out before I could ask him to be my friend. So, I mustered all the strength I can and shout in a whisper: “I play on my Gameboy too. Want to play together?” He looked at me kind, paused, and replied: “Ye-Yea, sure. But I left mine at home, I promise to play with you the next time we meet.” I guess we could play together next time. “Promise?” I ask him. “Yes.” He answered. He then skipped his way to the door and left. I was happy now. I made a friend today and we can play together soon. Now, all I have to do is wait for mum to pick me up.