Writing for Fun
February 2018
Last Summer - Bob Wendelkin
As he stood on the cliff’s edge he thought to himself was it only last summer that his life began to unravel. He realized that it was his fault he had fallen in love so quickly, so deeply. It was at one of those occasions when there was to be a party and John had arranged that some of the nurses from the local hospital should be invited to make up the numbers.
As soon as he saw her he could feel an instant connection with her, was it her face or her hair, he couldn’t say. He felt it was like the ancient Greek story Symposium where when mankind was created men and women were joined together and they ran around doing cartwheels. They were so happy that they began to take over the world, the Gods couldn’t allow this so they cut them down the middle and smoothed them until they had belly buttons. The humans were so upset at being separated from their partners that they now spent all of their time looking for their other half, and no longer challenging the Gods.
It was like that with her, he fell in love at that moment. For her he was just another person in her life, she didn’t feel he was her other half. How the Gods must have laughed at his condition.
They started to go out together, for him his love grew deeper, for her she thought he was just a nice man and love never blossomed for her. In the end last summer she ended their relationship. He because he loved her so had to separate himself from her, he could no longer see her or meet her.
As he stood there looking out to sea he thought could all this have happened only last summer? He felt totally desolate since then. Nothing was of any consolation for him, he changed his job to try to help. Since she had gone he felt his life didn’t have any real meaning, he felt so lonely nothing really mattered any more.
By the side of the cliff edge he thought it would only take about three seconds to end it all with him crashing into the rocks below, just three seconds and it would all be over.
He could see that there were other couples, on such a lovely Summers day, with their children, walking and running around on the green grass of the cliff top. He could see that they were living their lives together, their children giving it meaning, somehow their laughing and shouting seemed to emphasize and make his loneliness seem even deeper.
Since last summer he had gone through the motions, getting up, showering, eating, getting in the car, going to work, coming home just to spend a few hours watching the pointless programmes on TV. Going to bed to lay awake for hours before having to get out of bed to repeat the whole thing once more. Just filling time until that moment when it would all be over at an old age in the meantime just looking at four walls.
At the cliff edge he thought it would only take a few steps and about three seconds to end it all, just three seconds and it would all be over.
Once more he looked out to sea and saw the ships sailing and the birds flying and diving to collect fish for their young, all seemed to have a purpose in life. His life was a vacuum that since she had left him nothing seemed to fill. He was an inbuilt coward it would take courage to walk over the edge to nothingness.
Standing alone he suddenly felt a presence as a man approached him.
‘Hi there, a lovely day’ said the man.
He turned and saw that a man was approaching him.
‘I’ve been watching you, is everything Okay?’ asked the man.
He was dragged back from his thoughts and answered, ‘Yes I was just admiring the scene.’
‘I often come here as we sometimes have unhappy people come here to throw themselves off the cliff. I’m a part of a group who try to save them. Seeing you standing here for so long I was a little concerned for you,’ said the man.
‘No I was just lost in my thoughts and admiring the panorama,’ he replied.
‘I often say to those unhappy people that there must have been people in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome who must have felt the same way, that nothing was worthwhile and they have been dead for two thousand years, so it didn’t do them any good. Did it? We must just live our God given lives until something turns up to give it meaning,’ said the man.
‘Anyway if you are not considering the afterlife I’ll leave you to enjoy the view,’ said the man as he started to walk away.
He was once more left on the cliff top with some of his thoughts still going on in his brain but now with the Romans adding their confusion.
Then as he stood there he could hear the sound of a whimpering dog, it was making that sound that demands compassion. As he looked around he couldn’t see where the sound could be coming from, no dog was in sight.
He moved closer to the cliff edge and there on a ledge lay a small dog. The dog was in difficulty and was in pain as he could see that one of his legs was misshapen. The dog looked up and saw him with those eyes that only a dog seems to have, he knew that he must rescue him.
Laying on the grass and looking over the edge he wondered how he could manage the rescue. The dog was about three feet from the top, there was some foot holds that he could use to lower himself. Taking off his coat he started to move over the edge. Just then the man who had been talking to him about suicide appeared at his side.
‘I thought you were at risk that is why I spoke to you and I have since been keeping my eye on you.’
‘I’m not committing suicide I’m trying rescue this dog who is just over the edge of the cliff.’
‘Sorry’ was the man’s reply.
‘Can you hold my legs as I ease myself over the edge?’
The man took hold of his legs and said, ‘I think we should contact the fire service they have the equipment to do this sort of thing.’
‘Look he’s just over the edge I can easily reach him. Just steady my legs for me.’
He eased himself over the edge and quickly managed to take hold of the dog. The dog must have been mistreated by humans in its life for the dog tried to move away from his rescuer, he made his grip even firmer and asked the man to help him move up the cliff with the dog, with endeavour he managed to get to the top with the dog in his arms.
The dog looked at him with eyes that only a dog has, the look seemed to go right through to his soul. He could see that the dog needed love and treatment as it looked like his leg was broken.
‘Come on Boy lets get you to the vets and get your leg fixed.’
He moved away from the edge of the cliff with the dog in his arms. All thoughts of suicide had been relegated to the past, with this dog in his arms he now felt he has some purpose in life once more.
His life in other respects was to change because when he got home with his new dog there was a letter from her.
It is strange how a life can change in a few moments from desolation to meaningfulness.