Harold and The Final Frontier

Opening his eyes, Harold is surprised to be alive. It's November 11^th an auspicious day for his generation. He did his duty, for his country, but also for the promise of adventure and glory. And for all his glory and PTSD he now rots away in this elder care facility in the Midwest. He misses the ocean. He is surprised not only to reach his 92^nd birthday but to have lived without anyone guessing his secret.  If his wife knew she never said or let on. She complained about his smoking and his silent moods but was a loving, caring partner.

Today there is bingo day in the main hall. He shudders to think of running into Mimi, who is always trying to get him to be her beau. He was handsome in his youth but now is bald and incontinent. This doesn’t seem to stop the dames though. He is grateful he doesn’t have dementia, but his hips are so bad he walks slowly with a cane. He knows his children won’t be in to visit; he had been an absentee father always traveling for work. But he doesn’t hold it against them. It weighs on him though and makes him wish for more time to right that wrong. But fathers weren’t involved back then and they drifted apart over the years- especially after his wife Sophie passed. And that is how he wound up in this dump even though it isn’t the worst place he has been locked up in his 92 years. He is almost ready to lay down his sword and escape the beige, purgatory hallways filled with dementia screams. He’s tired, and while he wasn’t raised to be a quitter he is ready to pass on his dwindling torch.

At lunch he zones out, thinking of his best friend of 30 years that passed 2 months ago. Luke. Lucas with the lid off. He only saw him without his hat once and the nickname stuck.

He never got proof but bet he wore it in the shower. When he comes out of his reverie they are singing happy birthday. The blue flowers on the cake melting under the heat of the candles. The orderly blows out the candles out with a fan and everyone tries to clap. There is a woman he doesn’t recognize, around 30 years old standing in a navy suit. Then he is distracted by presents. He gets new socks and a pillow and after cake they let him have the comfortable chair in the corner so he can stare out at the golden fields that run forever.

The next day in the plant room, he isn’t sure if they call it that because everyone sat around like plants or because of the one philodendron drooping in the corner. A woman comes and crouches down by him, the same woman from yesterday.

--My wife was obsessed with plants, their small house more jungle than condo, he says.

--Oh she said, how lovely. I like plants too.

Harold is worried he is getting dementia. Is he supposed to know this woman?

--Are you here to check in? Harold asked, his eyes glinting.

She laughs. Harold is always good at making people laugh. Sometimes it is at him, but that didn’t bother him- a laugh is a laugh.

-I heard you just had a birthday this week. How amazing, happy birthday.

I came to talk with you, she said. I’m from a special project with a travel company.

She extended her hand to shake, I’m commander Menon.

-My days of traveling are over.

--Well we aren’t a usual travel company. But I’ll tell you more when we meet my colleagues.

They were in the social lounge and he motions for Carol to come over. Carol is wearing a teal green dress, almost a ball gown.

--You look lovely he says. She did a slow turn. Well she said, you do notice me.

Harold asked, can you see this woman in front of me?

Yes she said of course. Then she said, that’s the only reason you got me to walk across this room?- shame on you. She playfully smacked his shoulder and waltzed back to her seat.

Harold asked if he could touch the commander’s arm. He didn’t trust Carol. Not getting fresh he said I just want to make sure.

--Yes I am real said Commander Menon.

Then Silvia came up to explain that he would be going out for the day on a day pass. This is rare for the residents.

As she helps Harold into the long black car Harold says- thanks for breaking me out of jail.

--You don’t go out much?

-- Well if by much you mean once in 4 years. I don’t have family or friends. Where are you taking me.

-We are going to meet some of my colleagues for a meeting.  

They arrive at a tall building and ride to the 42^nd floor. Harold can see the whole city. When they get to the room he sits and leans his cane against the black lacquered table. There are 8 women and men chatting and looking at their papers.

--Welcome Mr. Stanfield.

--Call me Harold.

We are the managing partners for MIP- the Multi planet habitation program.

Are you familiar with Tess-3?

Harold grunted.

--No, sounds made up.

The woman running the meeting smiles wryly  

--We are looking for elderly participants who wish to be pioneers to our closest planet that might support life.  

--We don’t have the technology to travel at light speed, Harold said, or do we?

--We do, spoke up one man. But it wears out the engine so we don’t have the means to get you back. You’ll be cryogenically frozen until the journey is over.  By the time you land you’ll be 102, yet still feel like a spring chicken of 92.

It was Harold’s turn to laugh.

--Is this a joke, a birthday prank. If a clown jumps out from behind that door I’m leaving.

This is not a joke or prank. We have been sending healthy elderly individuals such as yourself to try out these planets and gather data. Let’s face it, we ruined the earth and it isn’t going to support us much longer, we need other options. We have sent 8 others. Beta one had engine failure. Unfortunately, the second group, beta-2 caught the flu and most of them perished. But they were able to breathe the air and grow some herbs for a short time.  

And now with beta 3 we want to see if we can actually grow anything in the soil. We’ll visit every week to go over certain details. Then we will come get you on May 1st and you’ll live at a secret location for three months for training.

The next week they took him to the same room and showed him pictures of the planet. It looked like a harsh rocks with a dust storm. But on the other side of the planet was a swamp with cattails . Tiny microscopic organisms lived in the swamp. That would be the only life. He would be traveling with four others. Three women and two men. His family will be paid 500, 000. He gave the names of his children but said he didn’t know where they were exactly, somewhere in California, maybe.

Harold realized his days of adventures were not over. He signed the papers.

When he got back home he sat in the TV room trying to process what just happened. Steve came in and poked him in the arm- hey where were you? Thought they finally took you to your real home- the zoo! With that he let out a loud wheezy cackle. 

Good one, said Harold- from a guy who peaked in Junior High. That shut Steve up and he shuffled out. He’ll think about trying one on me again. Harold went back to mulling. What did it matter if something happened? He didn’t want to be lost in space, suffering.  He didn’t have anyone close anymore except for him, if he even remembers. Last he heard he was still alive living on Bleeker street. But that was 10 years ago.

Harold couldn’t sleep that night. He wants to talk with the nurse about this but is afraid she’ll think he is hallucinating or making it up. He is awakened at 7 am by the nurse with his meds. God he shouted can’t you even sleep in when you’re old?

--You can go back to sleep Harold, - but there is a delicious breakfast waiting.

She talks in a singsong voice as though he were a toddler or a puppy. He pulled the covers back over his head. Why not he thinks, what was keeping him here? But a part of him is afraid to be jettisoned into the cold, black void. Sure it’s boring and tedious but it’s all he knows.

When May1st came they woke him up at 2 am and secreted him out a side door into a plush town car. He met the others and they trained at the facility for 3 months.

On the last day they got to choose anything for dinner. He chose prime rib and atlantic lobster with a few bottles of Rioja Gran Reserva. Homemade bread with butter and a side of organic carrots and microgreens. It was quite a party. They stood at the glass windows at the end of the night and he turned to Joyce and said well, I guess it’s up to us to repopulate this new planet. She laughed and turned to him and gave him a small kiss. Even though he didn’t feel anything the wine and the stars of the clear night were still the most magic he had felt in years.

They asked him the next day if he wanted to watch his funeral on the computer. They had sent in an obituary telling the world that he had already passed.

 No, he said. He didn’t care.

On the day, the launch, Harold tucked the letter into his pocket, the only one he had from him.

He stepped into the shuttle, after the lengthy safety demonstrations they buckled him in. And after hurtling into space they drifted for a while and he gazed down at the blue and white marble below, eyes filling with tears.