Till Death

The word goodbye reminded me of something we were expecting. I had been informed that Atheros and Maisara were assigned to take him home in a few weeks. I wondered whether he would see his friend of more than six decades again before then. He was frail; he knew he would have to leave earth soon.
“Aunty Lucy…. Byeee,” yelled Ogechi. Lucy leaned over and gave her a hug. Given her calm and composed disposition it would be very hard for someone who didn’t know her to believe she was the ever-active, ever-vocal teenager Modupe Eluigwe had had such a hard time raising. They said their good byes warmly and left. If I were human, I would have shed a few tears.
Twilight was approaching and the crowd was thinning out. A few children were running around, the couple was waiting for their hired yatch scheduled to take them all the way to Calabar. The home owners, Dr. and Mrs. Eluigwe, were still sitting by each other on rocking chairs in the garden, again, recalling memories.
“His time is up you know…”
“What?”
“He is done.”
“When will he be going home?”
“Seventy-two hours.”
“OK. What about his wife?”
“I cannot tell yet.”
“OK. Do you think he has done well?”
“There is only one Judge.”
“Yes, there is.”