I’m turning 70 today. Life no longer excites me as much as it used to. I can’t say that I lived my life fully. But I can’t take the hardships of old age. If it weren’t for the medicines I take in the morning, at noon and in the evening, and without my cane, I would not be able to stand. If it weren’t for my life partner, my husband, I wouldn’t even think of taking those medicines. I guess I live for him and for my nuclear family. When I feel confined to that cane or feel upset with life, I think of them. Their desire to live makes me happy and hold on. Since my grandchildren and children are not phone addicts, they wanted to celebrate my birthday by getting together, not by calling me with that stupid device to say “Happy birthday”. I like to see that I am loved. My grandchildren are like angels, especially if I have to compare them with my elder friends’ own grandchildren. Of course they can be noisy. Just like they’re arguing about who will put the candles on the cake. I can sense that this must be a surprise. After all, I’ve experienced it more than once. But their voices could be heard from the kitchen to the living room. And the birthday cake finally came with lots of candles on it. While my family was singing, I made my wish. And Igot my self ready to blow all those candles. Whatever happened happened at that very moment, when I was blowing out thecandles. Our house was destroyed. When I woke up, I realized that I was under the rubble. I was having trouble understanding everything. But what happened to us was a deadly earthquake. Although I tried to make my voice heard to my children, grandchildren and husband as much as I could, I could not hear my own or theirs.I was pulled out from under the rubble with the help that came a day later. The smell of dampness in the air and the fact that I still hadn’t heard from my family scared me a lot.
It has been exactly 10 years since the apocalypse that took place on that day. I lost my only life purpose, my family. I felt like I had died too, and they just forgot to bury me. I am the one who is resentful towards life. They were the ones who wanted to live life to the fullest. But in these 10 years, despite being an old woman, I always tried to be at peace with life. They died for me, I would lived for them. And 10 years ago today was the last time I celebrated my birthday. So today is my birthday and I turned 80.
