Enjoy Your Cigarettes

It wasn’t that far up the stairs now, the old raggedy man climbs shakely, his trembling hand clutching the handrail to relieve the weight from his aching bones.



“Sir, there’s no smoking inside the hospital, you’ll have to put that out.” a nursing orderly walks beside to assist him to his destination.

Gawking in astonishment, the man begrudgingly hands her his newly lit cigarette butt, and squinting at her name tag… “Listen here...Cindy...back in my day this was therapeutic, what do you leech suckers know about anyways, I bet this hospital bought into vaccinations or some such other nonsense.”

The orderly now looking worried for the man’s sanity asks “And who exactly are you here to see?”

“Doesn’t concern you darling, I need to make an appearance, then I’ll be on my way…”

“Well, okay but you’ll have to make it quick, visitation hours are almost over…”

They wind up the final flight of staircases to the second floor and the man trudges up to the receptionist desk middling the inpatient rooms.

“Where’s 102? Room 102, I’ve got a present to give.”

“Room 102?” the receptionist looks worried, “That’s where Jack is die- uh - I mean residing, we didn’t know he had family?”

Looking around as if to say “Are you kidding me?” the man replies, “Missy, everyone has family somewhere, now where is he?”

“Up that hallway then around the corner, it’s the first door on the right.”

“Thankye kindly,” his voice creaks, and with much effort, he makes small little steps to turn himself in the right direction and continues his walk.

Refusing her help, Cindy also walks slowly beside him, braced to catch him if he falls, meanwhile the man walks very, very slowly with determination to room 102…

“You know Cindy, when I was your age, things seemed a lot brighter than they do now. Not just the future or the lights, but literally there was less pollution, you could see the stars at night, it’s no wonder people are going crazy, when you can’t even see the Stars…”

“Where did you say you were from again?” Cindy ask.

“It doesn’t concern you darling, I just want you to know everythings going to be okay, don’t you worry one bit.”

They were coming around the corner into Jack’s room. At first sight, "Hey Jack!” the old man exclaimed.

Jack was asleep on what appeared to be a morphine drip. “HEY! JACK! Wakeup man, come on!”

Cindy didn’t expect such a loud noise from such a feeble man, it took her off guard “Sir!” she shrilly whispers, “This man is obviously resting, you need to quiet down right now!”

“My pardons sugar,” then walking up to Jack, the elderly fellow leans forward, placing his mouth gently by the man’s ears…

“WAKE UP JACK!!!”

Jack shot straight up in bed, adrenaline pumping through his veins for the first time in weeks.

Cindy ran over to try to break them up, but it was too late and Jack sat wide awake with the other two, though mentally still groggy from his IV.

“C-can I help ‘uins?” Jack said in a voice that would have sounded dejected even if not for the drugs pervading his system.

“No, but I can help you! Want a cigarette?”

Cindy, “Oh no…”

Jack’s eyes lit up, “Oh yes!”

“Light er’ up my boy,” the old man cackled as his new friend took down a big whiff of smoke.

Dumbstruck, Cindy exclaimed, “This man is obviously very ill, he is in no condition to be smoking…” and upon further thought she added “And smoking is not allowed in the hospital!!”

The old man retorts, “No ma’am, this man is dying and one cigarette isn’t going to get him there any faster…” then turning to Jack “You want another?” Jack shrugs nonchalantly…

Cindy attempting to remain in control “What are you doing here anyway, how do you know this man?”

“I don’t sugar, nobody does, this man is all alone in the world, isn’t that right Jack?”

“Well for a long while at least…” Jack frowns in sorrow.

Turning to Cindy, “You see, Jack’s spent most of his life homeless, and now he’s stuck here waiting to die unless he get’s a transplant on who knows what, but it doesn’t matter anyways because he knows he’s not going to top the donor list...being almost as elderly as me, he happens to know a thing or two about things.”

Taking a big swig, Jack nods in appreciation.

“Apparently not,” Cindy mutters, watching in amazement as a cripple and a dying man enjoy a smoke in one of the hospital’s inpatient hospice rooms.

“Son, have you ever heard about Jesus?” the elderly man stares transfixed into the eyes of his new best friend.

“Jesus, I guess yeah, I’ve heard of him,” then suspiciously “What’s it to you?”

“Because I go around finding sorry SOBs like yourself and teach them to walk again…” after another long swig “Want to know a secret?”

Looking confused, Jack says “Uh...okay?”

The elderly man cackles, “You’re not sick anymore!”

“Oh come now, this has gone on long enough!” Cindy exclaims as she walks over to remove the elderly man.

Furrowing his brow, Jack looks at the elderly man “Hey, wait, shouldn’t you Christian types not be smoking or drinking or stuff like that?”

With a momentary thought the elderly man responds, “Wha-, you know what sonny, I guess you’re right.” and with that he sneakily pulls out his carton of remaining Cigs and whispers “Well I guess you can have the rest then!” and, winking, he quietly tucks them under the guys pillow.

“Alright, let’s go! Sir you’ll have to leave with me right now.” and Cindy walks over to the elderly man, slowly escorting him out of the room.

Hobbling out the elderly man calls out behind himself, “Hey Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Way back in my day, there was a time where the sick were healed by touching the rags worn by the followers of Jesus.”

Jack shoots back “Yeah? What of it?”

The elderly man grins mischieviously, “Enjoy your cigarettes.”