A Short Story I Wrote to Myself for My 21st Birthday

This is a short story that I wrote for myself for the 21st birthday but I didn't share on any social platform. And today, I'd like to share with you this story and I hope you will enjoy it. It was based on my confusion and my fear in life when I was about to face the 21st birthday. It was about a reminder to myself what to do in my 21st year. It was emotional to read again. I believed that I did a great job in my 21st year. There were regrets, guilts, and sadness. But at least I can tell myself that "You did a great job!"

It was November 9, 2021. The weather outside began getting cold and it was colder when the night came. Today was a special day to a person because he would turn 21, the age that all things started to become legal and it would be illegal if he did not know how to maintain the legal.

He did not want to have a loud party with friends or family. He just simply wanted to spend time with his close friends, who always cared for him, understood him, and considered him as a good friend, and his family members who were everything to him. But there was a surprise for him that he did not expect at all. On the morning of November 9, he received an invitation from an anonymous sender to his email. It was a party and there would be important people that he knew and he appreciated in his life because, without those people, there would be no him. He was curious after finishing the email. It smelled like a scam to him. It did not say what the purpose of the party was nor what would happen there. But there was something inside him that wanted to go, something that told him that if he did not go, he would regret it. And he realized he was 21 right now, there would be nothing that he might be afraid of. So he decided to go.

The party would begin at 7 p.m. After taking shower, he stood in front of his favorite closet for 5 minutes to figure out what outfit he should wear for this surprise party. That was him. A person who always made it complicated when choosing clothes to wear even in a normal day. Then, he noticed a sweater that he had barely worn before. He took it out of the closet and he could see that sweater was the right one for the party since there was no dress code. He moved to the jean section and selected blue denim jeans. For shoes, he decided to put on a pair of white Nike. Everything had matched with his outfit. Now, this was his favorite part. Selecting a fragrance. Between Gucci Guilty and Versace Eros, both smelled so seductive and so sensual. He realized he had been guilty for most of his life and on his birthday, he wanted to be innocent for just one night. So, Versace Eros, it was.

After everything had been done, he drove to the party. The location was far away from the city. It is located in a mansion that only belonged to a high-class society. When he arrived, there were so many cars parking outside the mansion with cold ashes color, which had created a sense of chilling to the bone. There was no footman or no valet. He parked the car by himself and walked inside. Things were getting stranger when he saw a tray on a glass table with a masquerade mask. A little not tell him to wear this mask on so that he could come in. So he did.

The door automatically opened. He walked in and he started to hear the jazz coming from the main hall. He looked around and there was nothing so special about this mansion. The decoration made him think of his recent favorite K-Drama, “Penthouse: War In Life.” It was like he was in Hera Palace. He went to the ballroom. There were many people there. They were talking, eating, dancing, and enjoying the party. At first, he thought there was a band playing jazz live. But turned out, it was playing from stereos. A little disappointing but better than nothing. Everyone was wearing all types of masquerade masks so no one could know who. He walked in and joined them. He wondered who they were that so important to his life like that. Probably, they were his family, his friends, or his idols. Oh Gosh, that would be great.

From nowhere, a person in a blue navy suit came to him. He looked at that person.

“Good evening,” that person said with a soft voice but it was hard to know whether that person was a male or a female. “I’m glad that you have come. We have been all waiting for you.” He nodded and smiled. “Thank you for having me. Are you the host of this party?”

“You can say that.”

He looked at everyone around and he could see that they hid themselves really well which made them more mysterious.

“May I offer you a drink? You are 21 now so alcohol is legal to you.”

He chuckled. “Yes, but I think I can only drink a little.”

“No problem. Drink how many you want. It is your choice. What would you like to drink?”

“How about a glass of champagne. Do you have Moet?”

“Ahh, good choice.”

That person poured him a glass of Moet champagne. He took it and drank.

“Don’t you drink?” He asked.

“It is not the time for me to drink. But it doesn’t matter. This is your party so don’t mind me. Just enjoy it.”

He did not understand what that person just said. But he left that curiosity on one side and enjoyed the drink.

“What is your name?” He asked.

That person looked at him and said nothing. Then, that person quietly left him to do something else. He did not know what he did to make that person walk away like that. Did he offend him? He did not know. He was just simply asking that person’s name. That was weird and a little disrespectful.

The jazz was still playing. He walked around to pretend that he was enjoying the party but the fact was he did not know what the fuck was happening here. He saw a person who was talking loud and swearing a lot. He saw a person who told the stories of that person’s life. He saw a person who talked about dramas that came to that person. He saw a person who discussion his favorite books and movies. He saw a person who gossiped about everything. He saw a person who told about things he had helped people around him without any hesitation. He saw a person with an Oggy hoodie who talked about his fashion styles. And he saw more and more people with different characteristics and personalities. But then, in just a moment, he realized each person that he saw had something in common with his life because, in his personal life, he was also like that.

“Hello,” The voice came from the center of the room. It was the person in the blue suit previously. “May I have your attention please?”

Then, everyone stopped what they were doing and paid attention to that person.

“Thank you. And thank you all for coming to this humble party tonight. I hope that you are having a good time. Well, unfortunately, the real host can not be here tonight because of some personal business but he had asked me to host this party on his behalf. Many of you will ask if the host is busy, why wouldn’t he move to another day. The answer is that it must be on November 9, 2021. There can’t be any change. It is also a huge pleasure that all of you are all here without missing anyone.”

There was a pause.

“November 9, 2021,” That person continued. “is a very special day to one person who is also in this room today and this party is for him. The reason I required all of you to put on masquerade mask, not because of the Covid which I believe you all got the vaccine already.” There were laughs. “It is because I want to make a surprise for the person who has this special day. In the email that the host sent to him, he said everyone in the room right now is important and he appreciated his life because, without those people, there will be no him. You have made him into who he is today. You have shared with him all the bitters, the happiness with him in life. You have watched him growing up everyday. You have laughed and cried with him. All of those, I believe, he will never forget. And today, he has turned 21. A big milestone in his life where anything can happen. He has fully grown up to make the decisions in his life, to be more responsible, to see what is right or wrong, to be smarter in every decision that he is about to make. And I know it will be a little crucial to say this but in his journey of 21, some of us maybe not be here anymore because he can replace us with someone else. I don’t know.”

He still didn’t understand what the hell was happening in that room. Are they talking about me? He asked himself. At that moment, he felt like he was in a cult in “Eyes Wide Shut”. He wanted to get out of here but he couldn’t. As if he was frozen, he could not move a bit. So strange.

“Probably until right now he has not yet realized who we are so, can you all take off your masks?” The person in the blue suit commanded and slowly, each of them took off their mask. “Ah, perfect.”

He could not believe in his eyes. They were all the same and more surprised, they were him. What the fuck?

Then, they turned to him. The person in the blue suit took off the mask too and it was him.

“Happy birthday to you!” He smiled. “As you can see, we are one. We are living inside you. We are your creation. We represent your emotions, your feelings, your memories, your characteristics, and your life. Some of us could not make it until today because you had changed and they were no longer existed. We…”

He cut in. “Wait, wait, wait. Is this a dream or some kind of prank?”

“No, it is real.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter you believe or not. We are still all around.”

“Bullshit.”

“I am here.” A person in a black T-Shirt spoke out. “I am your swearing character.”

He did not believe. He wanted to try more. He asked about his regrets and a man in a white shirt spoke which was true. He felt regret when sometimes he could not hold his anger in him. He asked about the people who were important in his life. A man in a black suit spoke. More and more and finally he had to believe that everything is real. But how came there was a place like this? Or more specifically, where was this place?

The man in the blue suit walked to him and held his hands. The music started to play again. But it was not jazz anymore, it was one of his favorite songs. “Que Sera, Sera” (Whatever will be, will be).

“Dance with me.” He asked.

“What?”

“Just do what I say.”

“I don’t know how to dance.”

“Of course you know. You can tango. Come on. I will take the lead.”

The man in the blue suit took the lead and he dance with him. Others did the same thing too. They danced, they danced. He was dancing with himself.

Suddenly, everyone around started to fade away right in front of him. One by one. He asked the man in the blue suit what was happening but he just told him to keep dancing. Then, the whole room was only him and the man in the blue suit and he stopped dancing. The man in the blue suit pointed at the stage and slowly something appear. A silver curtain with the number 21 on it. The man in the blue suit told him to go over there. And he did.

“Hey, tonight is over. You are officially 21 years old. They disappeared because, after tonight, you are the person who controls them. Wanting them to stay or leave, it all depends on you.”

He looked at the silver curtain and said. “I don’t still get it. What is this place?”

The man in the blue suit smile. “This is your world. This is your mind. This is your body. And I am your guide. I am you but my administration is almost over. I will disappear into your long-term memory. It is the same loop going over and over again. We welcome new age, say goodbye to old age. I am 20-year-old you and I can only go this far with you.”

The man in a blue suit came near him. “His 20-year-old was beautiful but bitter. He had been through a lot. He created some new characteristics and new emotions. I had done my job to give him the best 20-year-old ever and deeply inside him, even there were a few regrets but he knew he was happy.”

The bell rang.

“It is about time. I have to say goodbye to you right now. All you have to do is walk through that silver curtain and begin a new 21-year-old journey with him. I wish you the best and I hope you can help him to achieve more things in his new age and be the best.”

The man in the blue suit turned away.

“Wait.” He called.

The man in the blue suit turned back.

“Yes?”

“I am not ready. It is too much and too complicated for me. I don’t know what to do with him. I have no clue at all about what I am facing. I am scared.”

“It is exactly what I felt when 19-year-old him said goodbye to me. But there is something you should know. He is a person who doesn’t know what the meaning of giving up is and there is nothing that can stop him from getting what he wants. You’ll see. Now go, he is waiting for you.”

“What’s his name?”

“Huy, Huy Nguyen.”

Then, the 20-year-old Huy faded away. Now, he had understood everything. What just happened was all in the mind of a guy named Huy and he is 21-year-old Huy. It was his birthday. He knew it. But what he did not expect was that this party was a farewell party to 20-year-old Huy and welcome him, 21-year-old Huy to Huy’s world. He understood that what happens in Huy’s life would be very unexpected. But Que sera, sera and he would do the best he could to make sure Huy will have the best 21-year-old. He smiled and went through the curtain.

Huy wakes up after a good night’s sleep. He is 21 years old now.