Anzac Day

Once upon a christmas wish, there lived an eldery war veteran whose beloved wife had recently passed away. Three years may not seem too recent to you or I, however, when you spend 60 years with the love of your life, the years speed on by at an alarming rate and the world was quickly becoming too fast-paced for this old man. Cashiers in the local supermarket were so much more irritable these days; always snapping at him when he attempted in vain to fumble with the plastic card that was so difficult to grasp with his arthritis-inflicted fingers. The bank clerks were also just as unforgiving. Every time he trudged through the sleek glass doors because he had misplaced his card or couldn't recall his PIN number, he was scolded and made to feel as if he was a decrepit, useless old imbecile with the intellectual capacity of a 5 year old. All the while influential businessmen reclined on nearby sofa seats with a cup of coffee whilst this old man was left standing. After all, his measely pension was mere pennies compared to the contribution these successful men brought to the bank's profits, as well as being able to regale tales of fame and glamour gained from traveling to the furtherest corners of the globe. Moreover, nobody wanted to listen to some has-been who droaned on about some war story that we could probably see in the cinema. He didn't need to bother customer service reps with his glory days. And so, this verteran lived a simple life. His primary mode of transport was his own two feet as his driver's license was revoked as soon as he hit 65. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his physical senses but what sane person would allow a pensioner behind the wheel of a metal death machine? He plodded to and from the supermarket each day as a week's supply of food was much too heavy for this frail old man. And one day as he was struggling along, chest heaving and feet aching, he stumbled over a loose paving slab and tumbled to the ground. The plastic bags he was barely able to grasp, spewed their contents across the pavement and the old man lay motionless on the cold stone. He knew he would be unable to climb to his feet but harboured a hope that there was still some good in this world, that a passer-by would pause to help hm up. But as the hours passed, his energy drained. Casual observers assumed he was merely a drunken, homeless man, not their problem. As the frost set in for the night, this elderly war veteran lay shivering and afraid as his life slowly ebbed away.