The Space Adventures of Adam

Some people inherit a watch when their grandfather passes away. Other people get a house or lots of money. I wasn’t one of those people. I got something a lot more valuable.

I was seventeen years old, almost eighteen when I sat at my grandfathers bed. The cancer had finally gotten to him, after all those years. Though you would never be able to tell. He still looked fifty, even with all the medical equipment hooked up to him. He was in fact 96 years old. And battling with disease for more than fifteen years, but it never killed him. Until now.

With all that in mind though, he still looked as radiant as ever. He was the kind of man, content with his life in every way. Even though he didn’t have a lot of money, or an interesting job. But he enjoyed the simple pleasures. And there’s none better than that.

He had a fantastic sense of humor, a great enthusiasm for small adventures, undying love for all his friends and family, and an overall positive outlook on life that was never matched by anyone else I had ever known. All my life, I never heard him say a bad thing about anyone, and he stayed away from controversial subjects like politics. Everybody loved him, and that was no surprise. He was very easy to love.

Even after all the tragedies that filled his life; the of his wife, the battle with cancer, the loss of his house due to all the medical bills… He always stayed positive, even when his family wasn’t. He was the most incredible man I’d ever met, and I wanted nothing more than to be like him.

Which is maybe why he kept me so close with him all the time. I had a feeling that he wanted to be my mentor, especially on his deathbed for the last couple of weeks. I was there every day, with him every step, even when the rest of my family wasn’t there. Just like now; his last moments.

I was alone in this room, everyone had gone down to the hospital restaurant to get some food. I told them I wasn’t hungry and that I would stay with him in his room to make sure he wasn’t in any pain. He had seemed very calm, switching between looking at the TV a little and falling asleep. I thought the morphine had dazed him, so I wasn’t paying attention much. Instead I was reading a book; Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers. Therefore, it scared the crap out of me when he suddenly grabbed my arm out of nowhere.

‘Granddad?’ I asked, breathing loudly.

‘It’s… time…’ his voice very weak. ‘It’s time… Adam…’

‘Time for what, granddad?’ I asked a little desperately, knowing the answer already.

‘Quickly… Adam… no questions…’ he commanded. ‘I don’t have much… time…’

‘I know, but just… hold on, okay? Wait for the others to come back, please? I can’t be here alone…’

‘I can’t… plan these things, damnit… I have to move on…’

‘Move on where? What are you talking about?’

‘Don’t… worry about that… Adam…’ He smiled. ‘Look inside… the drawer of that cabinet over there. There’s something in there… for you, okay? Will you get it out for me… please?’

I turned my chair so I was directly in front of the cabiner. There were about six drawers. Very helpful, granddad. I opened the top one. There were only socks and underwear in it.

‘No not that one! The one beneath it!’

I pulled the second drawer, and in it was one little black thing. It looked a bit like a lighter, but much longer and thinner. Like a pen. There were all kinds of little buttons on it, with inscribing next to them. I reached out for it. It was definitely metallic, but not as heavy. It felt light, and flexible, but at the same time unbreakable. This object was made with much precision, That was for sure. I was sure it was some highly complicated technology as well, even though there were no blinking lights or that kind of nonsense. It just had the air of being something quite alien to me.

‘Granddad? What is this?’ I asked, curiously.

‘You will see for yourself boy… I promise. But not yet. First... you will have to become a man. When you become eighteen years old… Then you will see it, boy...’ he laughed happily, and then let out some gravely coughs. ‘When will you be turning eighteen…by the way?’

‘Next year.’

‘Good, I… I need you to do something… for me okay? You can’t touch it until then. Do you promise?’

‘What?! What for?’ This disappointed me enormously, as I was jumping with curiosity.

‘Just promise me, Adam! You can only use it when you become a man. Obey the wishes of your… dying old man!’

‘Okay, okay… I promise, damn it.’

‘Good. Well done, son. Also, try to use it for good, okay? Just like I did.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Just listen.. to my words, Adam! It’s important. You’ll know what I’m talking about… later.’

‘Don’t die on me with this kind of cliffhanger, granddad! At least explain a little more!’

‘I’m being… called for now…’ he said, calmly. ‘No time to hang about… sorry Adam… I’ll see more of you though… Oh, yes I will…’

‘What? No, wait!’

‘Don’t worry Adam, I’ll be fine, I promise. I did well with the time that was given to me. I have done everything I wanted to, left my businesses in a good shape, and led an adventurous life, but all good things must come to an end. Life especially. Just press that button for the morphine alright? I don’t want anybody else to see me dying. Such a grim business.’

I couldn’t help sobbing a little, but I pulled myself together, and pressed the button.

‘I don’t want you to go granddad!’

My grandfather sighed with pleasure, and laid back calmly.

‘Goodbye Adam, I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun.’

And with that, he ended his magnificent life in this world. But it didn’t stop there. Oh no…