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Post date: May 2, 2016 12:25:42 PM
The spot looks more or less resilient and most buildings around are still standing.
I take my time looking around for people or clues of where anybody might be but nothing. Time is standing still here. Not even the trees talk...
A piece of glass took it's last breath as it falls down and shattered completely as I scare jump from that powerful sound that it made when hitting the ground.
I sigh as I regain my heartbeat and ended up recognizing a nearby building...
This one single time, I caught the old man drinking wildly after work hours. In that day I had impossible deadlines coming up so I had to work up until late for the third time that week. Everybody's life is only their business but I used to get together with the old man to pour my heart out from time to time... I should at least see if he needs help getting home.
I don't really like that idea for I'll be accounted as an intruder in his life for sure but... It is something that compels me to do...
I originally noticed him as I pass by from the outside and saw him from a bar's window, waving around erratically inside to someone else. A plan would be nice but I didn't felt like planning... Acting from the heart would be best... So I grabbed the door handle and entered.
The place had loud irritating music, lots of people talking nonstop and an all around reak of booze.
After a second, I spotted my target and approached him...
Arriving at his table, I invite myself to sit across. Didn't look like it bothered him so I ordered two strong coffees to the table. As they took their sweet time preparing them I was analysing the old man... He was beyond repair for now... Coffee won't cut it but it will help carrying him around... I'd hope!
He recognized me but was already babbling something about how he lost his daughter to some successful government business agent that then, someday, ended up betraying and hurting his little girl. Whether it's true or a figment of his distorted but vivid imagination is yet to be determined, but he looked like he was suffering from it. His tears made me uneasy and calming him down wasn't doing much, so I changed my play and indulged in his story...
- When did all this happened? - I asked...
He started his rambling and I could not make-up for any word that was being uttered by him and since the coffees arrived...
- You seam to have something clogging your throat... Why not drinking this to make it better? - I interrupted him as I pointed to the large cup of coffee in from of him.
With a mad expression on his face silently looked at the coffee and then me and then at my coffee and demanded me to join him. I was already planning to do so but nodded in agreement anyways. I started by taking just a sip to test it's flavor and heat followed by a big gulp out of it, taking my time... As I rested the cup I noticed that he drank his fully in one gulp down. Well... Could've been worst, I guess...
Through a little cough he regained his more or less coherent dialogue...
- That no good untrustworthy son of a...
- OK, I got it! - I interrupted. - Please! Continue...
- Well... He got married to my baby daughter and after he got her pregnant, he accepted a permanent foreign job, for money, without discussing it with my daughter! When she knew about it, he was already packing! ...a month before their one year old marriage anniversary! They got into a fight and he when anyway.
Meanwhile, I ordered two black tea's as we moved into a quieter place, then he continued...
- Two months after he came back!...asking for a divorce if she's not willing to go with him. At that time, she came to me asking for guidance but there was nothing more to save the marriage. She told me she knew some people over at were he was now working that he didn't know, and she found out he was sleeping with pretty much everyone that falls into his trap. I listen to her for hours and by the end of it she have made her own mind and we got closer like before as a result...
The tea arrived... His look was drawn into it and silence was the only thing he spoke for a while... Then he started crying.... I took some dischargeable tissues from my jacket and gave it to him. He nodded in thanks and continue...
- Promise me you won't tell her what I'm going to tell you but I have to tell someone! ...a couple of years after that, I saw him! - I nodded and he continued... - He got his life back together in some other foreign country and my baby was still mopping the floor with tears of him! ...and with a child in her arms in need of special care. Eventually she lost the baby to the disease and went into a deep depression.
A silence came between us like we were mourning for the baby... Each of us tried the tea. It was bitter... Just like the story. Grabbed a small bag of honey and poured it in. The old man wasn't talking anymore and I end up questioning myself why would I be there any longer. The answer is unclear but I just felt that he needed me and that seams like enough... And it is. He was clearly getting sober as time passes.
Although unnecessary, I felt the need to ask...
- Why tell me all of this? And why open up to me! A stranger from work!? - I ended up shying away and unable to face him.. - I mean... You're always listening to me but never spoke of yourself, much less your family!
A good couple of seconds had passed until he found the words...
- Aside from my late wife, a stranger like you call yourself, is what I've being looking for in people I've found all my life. You're completely oblivious of yourself and who you are, and who you can be, and that gets me curious but also hopeful somehow... It's all hard to explain... And I know I'm drunk but it's all true. I'm actually here, drinking my ass off 'cause it's my wife's death anniversary...
I didn't understood the underlinings of it all but didn't ask anything more... It's probably still the booze just talking.
- Anyways, thank you for listening... - He replied after a brief period of silence clearing his years away.
- Let's go! I'm taking you home! I'm just gonna take care of this bill and we're going! - I decided.
I rushed and payed the bill.. As I reached for the change, I incidentally peeked over the old man and he was dropped over the table like drunk sleeping.
- Oh crap! - I said out loud.
But as I got closer again I realized something was wrong so I rushed and screamed for an ambulance! With the help of some employees we gently put him straight on the floor. Meanwhile, the music stopped and everybody there was just looking. Just the bartender seems to be active as he rushed to were I'm at.
- I've called in for an ambulance and warn his daughter! - Said the bartender as he arrived. - Who are you? I've always seen him only either with his daughter or alone ranting to everyone!?
- I'm just a co-worker.
- Well look at that... And he said that all people are blood sucking vampires except for his little girl...
I didn't know what to take from that but I've remained in silence and eventually I've heard a siren and soon after, the paramedics rushed in. Looks like it was not their first time in there.
Since his daughter was going to meet him in the hospital, I was planning to go straight home but then I heard the bartender tell a paramedic...
- Take this one with you! - ...pointing at me!
For some reason I didn't react and just go with the flow getting in the ambulance. We got to our destination very quickly and eventually I found myself in a waiting room. It looked cold with walls painted in a bleached version of turquoise with hard and uncomfortable light brown chairs all around, no windows and two doors on each end. One for the visitors and another for patients and hospital staff. In the corner, a small table could be found under a dark light and next to it an old coffee machine.
I sigh and dropped myself near the table.
- So this is the waiting room they decided to put me in. - I thought!
There's no chance of not waiting, hence the name of the room, so I looked for something to do and my attention was drawn from afar at some lost magazines lost over the table but didn't went through them... I'm in a hospital... Doesn't seams hygienic, so, I started to sort my emails with my phone. I don't have network but I'll sync it later on. Always the same view... More than half of it is garbage and the rest is mostly divided into empty job offers, unrealistic promotions and mail from mailing lists that I don't remember signing on. From time to time I get a mail from someone I know... Usually just asking for something from me... Never wanting to spend some time together building up a friendship relation. That's the world we live in... There's no room for that anymore in people's lives. All that matters now is work and finding a suitable pair to build a family... If you look for love either you get lucky or you're bound to be miserable... The rest is filled with void fake friends... Usually... I do know someone that is very unconventional for the norm but unfortunately we rarely get to meet. Pity!...
Through the small windows of one of the entrances, I notice two people talking with each other just beyond it and it calls to my attention. I wrap up what I was doing for later and stayed quiet... Eventually they part ways and a nurse arrives next to the one that stayed. Talking and together, they enter in the waiting room...
- ...and this is the one that accompanied him in the ambulance. I'll leave you two. - Said the nurse in a hurry and leaves.
Hearing that I get up from my chair and get myself ready, but the girl is immobilised and with her back to me. I can still notice heavy panting and the shoulders frown. I take a step forward and stop. She turns to me and looks at me top to bottom twice before speaking...
- Thanks for bringing my dad to the hospital. You can go!
- Oookaay... Your father and I work for the same company. - I stretched my arm with my business card towards her but to no avail. - I'll leave my card on the table then. If there's anything I can do, call me.
No reply was made, only a cold stare... So I picked my things up and left...
On the following day the company was informed that the old man was hospitalized and is going to take a few days to recover fully. Nothing more was said and I pushed through the rest of the week like I didn't care. On that Friday I left a simple note on his desk the reads:
- Get well.
The Monday after he was back. At the end of the day we spent some time after work, taking about what happened until his daughter came to pick him up.
- The warden's here! Gotta go kiddo!
I smiled at the expression and waved at the car but got no feedback so I left it be.
The rest of the week I spent by killing time after work with him until she picked him up.
By the following Monday, I had a pretty good idea were she lives, how caring she's been to him and how tough she's taken life and all others.
Little did I know, that that day, aside from being the day before my vacation, would be a bloody Monday...
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