On a sunny day, the sky was blue with soft clouds of various shapes. A park in the city center was filled with people of all ages, from children running around, young couples holding hands affectionately, elderly people walking with their pet, to families spreading out their picnic blankets. The scorching sun did not dampen their spirits, as the park was so peaceful and comfortable, with tall trees in various corners of the park providing a cool effect.
On the edge of the park, far from the crowds, sat a young man on a park bench. He wore a brown jacket, dark blue jeans, and dark leather shoes that looked quite worn. With slightly curly hair, the young man's face looked sad and resigned after he read the contents of several documents in his hands.
"My God…this can't be happening."
The document contained a health report, which stated that the hospital advised him to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly. The document also included his blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, height, and BMI. However, what caught his attention the most was the statement "there is a possibility of heart disease." The young man shook his head, because at the age of 28, he had the possibility of developing heart disease.
The young man took a deep breath and shook his head again, then shifted his gaze from the document to the blue sky. Closing his eyes and leaning back completely on the park bench, he listened intently to the sounds of the park. The sound of birds chirping, dogs barking, children laughing freely, and the wind rustling the leaves somehow made the young man feel a little calmer.
"A heart attack, huh... I didn't expect that to happen. I thought the pain in my chest was just a normal ache."
"Is it normal if it happened frequently? No…I guess I should really pay attention this time. Huh, I better get home and rest. Yeah… Everything will be fine. Just rest and take it easy."
After muttering to himself, the young man opened his eyes and sat up straight. He took a deep breath and tidied up his medical reports. He thought that everything would be fine, then stood up and left the park.
***
Opening the door to his apartment, the young man entered, took off his shoes and jacket, and hung the jacket neatly. The apartment he currently lived in had a minimalist interior, with a used sofa, a small kitchen, a bathroom, a desktop PC, and an old spring bed mattress. The young man sat on the sofa, massaging his forehead, and after a while he got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen to get a cold drink from his small refrigerator.
"Phew…that hit the spot. Can't beat cold iced tea after some depressing moment."
The young man sipped his iced tea until he heard a knock on the door of his apartment.
"Hello, Ryan? Are you there?"
The knocking was accompanied by the voice of an elderly woman. Peeking through the peephole, the young man saw the face of his apartment's owner. She was an elderly woman with gray hair, wearing thick glasses and a cream-colored sweater with a maple leaf pattern. The young man immediately opened the door to his apartment.
"Mrs. Sophia? Hello. Can I help you?"
"Oh, no. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You've been looking a little under the weather lately. Is everything alright?"
Mrs. Sophia asked in a soft and caring tone. Her calm and droopy eyes somehow had a soothing effect. Although she was the landlord of the apartment building where Ryan lived, she always greeted him every day and paid him a visit whenever she could.
"About that, I think I'm fine. As usual, just a slight pain in my chest."
"Are you sure? You should see a doctor if it often feels severe. I've noticed that you've been holding your chest as if you were in pain for the past few days."
Ryan was touched by Mrs. Sophia's concern. Throughout his life, he had rarely met anyone as kind and caring as Mrs. Sophia. Ryan smiled softly as he scratched the back of his head.
"Thank you for your advice, Mrs. Sophia. You are very thoughtful."
"Hmm hmm, don't mention it. It's only natural for me to look after my tenants. Oh, by the way, how's your work going?"
"My work has been pretty slow lately, so I've been able to take some time off to travel. Even though working as a freelancer doesn't bring in a lot of money, it's enough to pay the rent and daily expenses. Besides, I love this job."
"That's great. As long as you're happy and proud of what you do, that's more than enough."
Mrs. Sophia said with a smile. Ryan doesn't know much about other tenant's perception of Mrs. Sophia, maybe some of them judged Mrs. Sophia as a nosy person. But for Ryan, her kindness and attention for other people had its own charm.
"Thank you, Mrs. Sophia. Please come in, Mrs. Sophia. I can't believe I let a guest wait outside."
"Huh, no need to bother, young man. I just wanted to stop by for a moment to check on you. After this, I'm going to my daughter's house to see my grandchild. Are you sure you okay? I just wanted to let you know that you can contact me or my daughter if you need help."
Mrs. Sophia softly patted Ryan on the shoulder and arm. Seeing this, Ryan smiled broadly and replied cheerfully.
"Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Sophia. I'll let you know if anything happens."
"All right then, take care of yourself. I'm leaving now."
"You too, Mrs. Sophia. I'll see you tomorrow."
Mrs. Sophia walked toward the apartment exit. Ryan's room was on the ground floor, making it easy for his guests to come and go. Ryan went back to his room and continued sipping the cold tea in his hand. After talking with Mrs. Sophia, Ryan felt more relieved and calmer. Considering what he had told Mrs. Sophia about his job, it was true that his work as a freelancer was not as big as those who worked in the formal sector, but it was enough to pay the rent and meet his daily shopping needs. Ryan even managed to set aside some money for savings.
Since Ryan had taken a long break from his freelance work this week, he decided to relax and spend today and tomorrow playing games and watching movies. That afternoon, Ryan turned on his desktop PC and spent the entire day playing games and browsing the internet.
***
"Ugh...I think it's enough for today. Dang, those people really like to troll around."
Seeing that the clock on his smartphone and monitor showed 8 p.m., Ryan got up from his chair and stretched. Although Ryan like playing games, that didn't mean he was a hardcore gamer to the point that he lost track of time. Besides playing games, Ryan sometimes did other activities such as reading some online novels, paid a visit to his favorite streamer, participated in a discussion on some online forum and many more. After staring at the monitor screen all day, Ryan felt it was time to stop and do something else.
"M'kay, what do we have here? Some leftover ground beef, macaroni, and cheddar cheese? Well well, mac and cheese with beef for dinner then."
Taking out the ingredients from his small refrigerator, Ryan then went to the kitchen and made mac and cheese with meat chunks for dinner. While eating his dinner, Ryan surfed the internet and watched videos. After finishing his dinner, Ryan went to wash the dishes and take a shower. Ryan changed into his pajamas and shorts and got ready for bed. Ryan thought about what he would do the next morning, what he would eat, and what groceries he would need for the next few days.
"I guess I have to do some groceries then. After that, hmmm…I think there is a new bakery in the next neighborhood. Let's try their pastry, I hope they are good."
But his daydream ended abruptly when he suddenly felt tightness in his chest. Ryan clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain, breathing heavily. He convinced himself that the pain would pass as usual, and everything would return to normal. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. The pain in his chest grew more intense, Ryan began to lose his balance, and he sat down near the foot of his bed.
"I-I have to call the emergency number..."
With trembling hands, Ryan tried to stand up and grab his smartphone lying on the bed. However, his chest felt increasingly painful and his vision became blurry. Summoning all his remaining consciousness and strength, Ryan managed to grab his smartphone and started pressing the emergency button. Just as he was about to press the dial button, Ryan lost control of his entire body, causing him to drop his smartphone and collapse onto the floor.
"Oh…God, pl-please…no…no…"
In his final moments, Ryan recalled all the memories of his life. He knew his time had come, but there was a lingering regret in his heart about his life. Taking his last breath, with his vision growing increasingly blurry and dark, Ryan closed his eyes, and sleep forevermore.