Our Last Breath"

It was a gray, gloomy morning.

The clouds nestling over the city were dropping increasingly larger drops of water.

The deserted streets sent shivers down the few passersby.

One of these "homeless" people wandering alone through the city's wet streets was a certain boy. He wasn't particularly handsome, nor did he seem particularly intelligent.

A guitar, loosely attached with a string, rested peacefully on his back.

The instrument was unremarkable... a simple soundboard, neck, and six strings.

The streets stretched on endlessly for the Young One. Long, narrow, and filled with enormous puddles, they made it impossible for anyone (except the Young One) to tread on them.

Suddenly, from the depths, a quiet yet determined cry rose

: "Boy!"

The Young One turned around, but all he saw was an elderly woman wandering alone through the streets of the same city, just like him. The boy decided to ignore the calls and, turning on his heel, continued walking in an unspecified direction.

After a while of walking, the Old Lady's calls began to reach the boy again. The boy stopped, turned again, and decided to wait for his grandmother to emerge from around the corner of the old, pre-war tenement house.

The rain was stopping. The once large and frequent raindrops had turned into small, sparse droplets, sluggishly making their way to the ground.

The streets once again began to fill with pedestrians, going about their daily routines, shopping, work, and school. Suddenly, the world came alive again. The trees began to awaken from their frenzy, the clouds and sky were becoming brighter, and the warm rays of the sun peeked out from behind the puffy clouds.

That image, that day, would remain for a long time, if not forever, in the memory of this young and incredibly talented boy.

***

By the time the Old Lady approached the boy, the rain had completely subsided.

After this spectacular downpour, only puddles remained on the ground, which would eventually disappear as the sun rose higher and higher.

The grandmother who had so eagerly called to the Young One did not look normal. According to the stereotype ingrained in the boy's subconscious, the Old Lady should be gray, wrinkled, grumpy, etc.

However, the woman he met on his way could be called "extravagant"...

Her silver hair flowed in the wind, her skin quite smooth for her age, her eyes blue, and her clothing completely inappropriate for the number of springs she had lived through.

"Boy..." the Old Lady asked.

"Am I listening, Mrs.?

" "I see you have an instrument on your back

—yes. And what do you want from him?" the Young One replied defiantly.

Grandma took a seat on a nearby bench and, after a moment of reflection, replied…

"I don't want to know your name, boy, I wish you could make me happy, even if only for a short moment. Please, play."

The irritated boy struggled for a moment to understand what Grandma was really asking of him. However, looking at the soothing figure of the Old Lady, he took the instrument from his back, pulled a rather worn feather from his pocket, and began plucking some of the strings.

Suddenly, various sounds began to emerge from the ordinary piece of wood, sometimes strange, but always beautiful, melding into a long and blissful melody.

The boy looked up from time to time, trying to gauge the Old Lady's reaction.

At first, she seemed lost in thought. Her eyebrows almost touched, her eyes seemed larger, and her lips were pursed...

'She probably doesn't like it,' the boy thought as he continued playing... However, over time, these suspicions subsided, as a slight, yet very warm, smile appeared on the Old Lady's face, prompting the Young One to continue playing. Seconds, minutes passed, and with time, more and more precisely played notes.

Random passersby probably thought the Young One was playing to earn money for beer or other stimulants so fashionable at the time, some even throwing a few silver coins at his feet.

At one point, the Old Lady rose from the bench she had previously occupied and glared sternly at the Young One, who, with the woman's sudden movement, awoke from the lethargy his own guitar playing had induced.

For a brief moment, the grandmother remained silent, staring at the unattractive-looking instrument. Then, reaching into her pocket, she pulled out something and said,

"So I wasn't wrong." My eyes, though old, can see beauty. Listen, boy... I don't have much, but I have enough for a new, decent guitar – I want you to invest in your future.

The bewildered boy stood there, stunned, then replied

, "That's very generous of you, but I can't accept it."

Grandma clearly expected the young man to refuse, so immediately after his words, she pressed the money into his hand, then turned around and began to move forward very quickly for her age.

The boy, surprised by the old lady's attitude, quickly gathered his equipment, slung the guitar on his back, and set off in pursuit of Grandma.

The chase didn't last long. He had barely rounded the corner of the building when he saw the Old Lady lying alone on the sidewalk. Many onlookers had gathered around the grandmother, shouting something about a heart attack. But the Young One paid no attention. He only stared at the Old Lady. Her face was shrouded in darkness. Her once silver hair, waving in the wind, now lay on the dirty, worn, pre-war cobblestones. A blissful smile, the same one she wore while listening to the Young One play, graced her lips.

***

The day was inexorably drawing to a close. It seemed like any other day, pleasant for some, quite the opposite for others. The first and last human breath gave rise to new life, both on earth and beyond.

The darkened sky, filled with small points of light, looked beautiful that evening. Sitting on a small wall, the Young One gazed at those stars. That day, he understood how fragile life is, and how one must make the most of it to die happy.

He already knew that the Old Lady's death would reveal to him the meaning of existence.

The young man energetically jumped down from the wall, and with the experience he had gained that day and the money he had been given, he took the first step towards his new life...

In his mind, he asked himself only one question...

"Will I be able to cope?"