The Certainty

For quite some time now he had been aware of how many years he had left.

As of today, it was thirty-seven.

He had no idea if it would be the first day or the last day of the 37th year when it all ended, he just knew that, as of today, he had thirty-seven years left.

There was no possible way he could explain it to another person, it was just something he knew.

Had known, actually, for eleven years now, since the morning he had awoken with the knowledge that he had forty-eight years left to live.

Contrary to what one might expect of anyone who had suddenly been given the number of years remaining on his personal calendar, that knowledge had not made him foolhardy or reckless.

Quite the opposite. A few weeks after gaining this particular insight into his destiny it dawned on him that it could be just as much a curse as a blessing.

For example, he did not want to spend the time he had left sitting in a prison cell, or worse yet, in an asylum. 

There was a period when he started to believe a Twilight Zone twist would rear up and turn the revelation into a horrible torture, so he started to be careful...and he started to plan.

First, he decided that his health was of paramount importance.

He wanted to be able to enjoy the years ahead of him without having to rely on medication to dull aches and pains brought on by a poor diet and lack of exercise, so he thoroughly researched the various activities and foods considered to be the best for optimal health and fitness, and stuck with the plan he had implemented once he had gathered all the relevant information.

Second, he decided that being financially secure was also of significant importance.

He did not want to just scrap by, living hand to mouth or week to week paycheck-wise, so he invested a substantial amount of time figuring out exactly what he could do vis-a-vis employment that would not only allow him to earn enough money to pay for his keep, but also to invest in a retirement account.

It was just as important that he enjoy the work he performed, and that he enjoy the people he worked with, so he weighed those factors carefully.

There were a few missteps along the way, but within a couple of years of the epiphany regarding his lifespan he had figured it out and had put into practice everything that was necessary for him to live out the years he knew were allotted to him without worry or consternation.

However, as has often been said, the best laid plans often go awry.

The awry happened this morning.

For the first time in the 4,078 days since the morning of the revelation, the possibility that something might occur that could compromise his painstaking efforts to ensure the time he had to spend on the planet would not only be enjoyable, but also uncomplicated, had been thrown off track.

The awry came into the shop wearing a bright yellow sweater and yellow slacks, as well as the most engaging smile he had ever seen.