Last Chance

Greg surprised himself by thinking about his ex-wife. He leaned out over the dam again; the white frothy torrents of water represented a kind of noisy stillness. He had left Shelly 4 years ago and he thought that he had purged her completely from his memory. It was not right that she should occupy the last few seconds of his life. He searched desperately for another memory, like a drowning man might cling to the hull of a ship. The image of his daughter appeared in his mind but he forced it out. He wouldn’t be able to do this if he started to think of her. The air had a wonderful moist feel against his face. He could feel it invigorating him as it travelled down his nostrils and into his lungs. He looked over once again. It reminded him of an old action film where the hero had thrown himself off a dam and bungeed down to the building at the bottom. He saw how implausible that was now. Would he still be alive when he hit the bottom? It was unlikely.

A young couple walked passed. They were, perhaps, 23 or 24. The girl wore an off-white strap dress that went down to just above her knees; it had a 1950’s style Scotty dog print running down it. On her far side and clinging to her hand was her boyfriend or maybe a young husband. He wore yellow shorts and a tight fitted black vest. They could have come out of any American magazine; the picture of happiness. The girl looked towards Greg and their eyes met. He looked away and then looked back, she was still looking. Her glance was not awkward or shy. She seemed to be wanting to communicate something to him. There was a simple and naïve love of life that was radiating from her and she seemed intent on showing it to him in her own unspoken language. He stepped towards her and slowly moved out his arm. He accepted her mute gift as he touched her hand. Her skin was warm and soft and seemed to give off that same compassion that he had seen in her eyes.

The girl snapped her hand away. Her dreamy eyes hardened in an instant. “Get off me” she shouted. He drew back, as if he had touched an electric fence. The look of disgust that grew on her face was not put on for effect. The fear and revulsion were unmistakable. He apologised over and over holding his limp hands out for forgiveness. Her boyfriend started to walk towards him and he backed away towards the dam. After a few seconds they continued on their walk, a little faster than they had before. When they turned around after a minute Greg was no longer there.