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The Man at the Window
He was just staring out the window. The snow on the ground whirled and danced in the air but he didn’t seem to be watching that. The people walking by didn’t seem to bother him either. He was just staring at nothing. His phone began to go off in his lap and he came out of his trance to look at it. The number wasn’t saved in his phone but he knew it well.
“Hello?” There was silence on the other end. He didn’t hang up though. The quiet continued and he went back to staring out his window. The line went dead a few seconds later. He put the phone down and went on staring.
The lady working at the coffee bar asked if had wanted anything. He just shook his head. The day went on and he continued staring out the window. The barista came over several times to ask if he wanted anything and each time he shook his head.
Finally it was a few minutes before the coffee shop closed and the lady tried once more to talk to the man. “Sir, we are about to close and you haven’t ordered anything all day. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”
The man answered simply, “Have you ever wondered what happens when you die?”
Taken aback by an actual answer, the lady shook her head no. The man went back to staring out the window. “I have. I have wondered if we reincarnate, if we go to a heaven, a hell, do we stay trapped on this earth forever or do we really just degrade into the ground becoming nothing other than dirt. But if there is something beyond life, then why do we have yet to find it?” He shook his head at his small outburst. “I am sorry for that. I didn’t mean to burden you with my troubles.”
The lady smiled. “No, it’s fine. But I have to ask. Is that what you have been here contemplating all day?”
Still without turning his head from the window the man answered, “Yes. I’m certain my mother has died today. Her housekeeper continuously calls me but there is only silence on the other end. I’m confident that she has yet to work up the courage to tell me the unfavorable news.”
The young lady didn’t know how to respond. “I am so sorry… Would you like some coffee or something? Its on the house.” She felt stupid for asking but it was the only thing she could think of.
“No thank you.” The man’s phone began ringing in his lap once again. He excused himself and answered the phone. But instead of silence on the line, a voice began speaking. The man listened to the voice on the other end. He responded when needed and hung up. He turned to the barista. “She’s dead. The housekeeper couldn’t keep her alive.”
Tears began forming in the young lady’s eyes. She went to hug the man to comfort him but he shrugged her off. He gazed out the window, not saying another word. The lady wanted to console the man but didn’t know how. “I once heard that talking about something can make it better. So um… how exactly did your mother die?” She stopped immediately thinking how stupid it was to ask when he just learned of her death. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“No, it’s fine. I should talk about it. She was of a young age. Only 38. She had me at 18 after a one-night stand if you must ask. But she had been shot a few days ago. We don’t know by who. It skimmed her heart just enough to keep her alive for now. The doctors didn’t think she would last the night but she made it. The wound killed her though. I couldn’t watch her die so I told the housekeeper to watch.” The man began staring at something out the window. His eyes widened. “I know what happens when you die…” he slowly said.
The young lady was about to ask but she heard something fall behind the counter and looked. She turned back to the chair and all that lay there was the man’s phone. She looked around frantically, trying to figure out how the man could have left so quickly or where he could have gone.
She reached for the phone, thinking there was another way to contact the man. A voicemail popped up on the phone but she didn’t remember it ringing. She knew she shouldn’t but the young lady felt the need to listen to it. She pressed play on the voicemail.
“Well, considering this phone seems to be lost, I might as well confess here so I can stop feeling guilty. John… I killed you. It wasn’t supposed to be you walking in the door that night. It was supposed to be your mother. I hadn’t meant to even kill your mother. I was forced to.” The lady on the other end began crying. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. But I had to finish what I started. I killed your mother as well. I had no choice. I’m sorry…” An incoherent sound was made on the other end and a shot sounded. The message ended.
“Hello?” There was silence on the other end. He didn’t hang up though. The quiet continued and he went back to staring out his window. The line went dead a few seconds later. He put the phone down and went on staring.
The lady working at the coffee bar asked if had wanted anything. He just shook his head. The day went on and he continued staring out the window. The barista came over several times to ask if he wanted anything and each time he shook his head.
Finally it was a few minutes before the coffee shop closed and the lady tried once more to talk to the man. “Sir, we are about to close and you haven’t ordered anything all day. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”
The man answered simply, “Have you ever wondered what happens when you die?”
Taken aback by an actual answer, the lady shook her head no. The man went back to staring out the window. “I have. I have wondered if we reincarnate, if we go to a heaven, a hell, do we stay trapped on this earth forever or do we really just degrade into the ground becoming nothing other than dirt. But if there is something beyond life, then why do we have yet to find it?” He shook his head at his small outburst. “I am sorry for that. I didn’t mean to burden you with my troubles.”
The lady smiled. “No, it’s fine. But I have to ask. Is that what you have been here contemplating all day?”
Still without turning his head from the window the man answered, “Yes. I’m certain my mother has died today. Her housekeeper continuously calls me but there is only silence on the other end. I’m confident that she has yet to work up the courage to tell me the unfavorable news.”
The young lady didn’t know how to respond. “I am so sorry… Would you like some coffee or something? Its on the house.” She felt stupid for asking but it was the only thing she could think of.
“No thank you.” The man’s phone began ringing in his lap once again. He excused himself and answered the phone. But instead of silence on the line, a voice began speaking. The man listened to the voice on the other end. He responded when needed and hung up. He turned to the barista. “She’s dead. The housekeeper couldn’t keep her alive.”
Tears began forming in the young lady’s eyes. She went to hug the man to comfort him but he shrugged her off. He gazed out the window, not saying another word. The lady wanted to console the man but didn’t know how. “I once heard that talking about something can make it better. So um… how exactly did your mother die?” She stopped immediately thinking how stupid it was to ask when he just learned of her death. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“No, it’s fine. I should talk about it. She was of a young age. Only 38. She had me at 18 after a one-night stand if you must ask. But she had been shot a few days ago. We don’t know by who. It skimmed her heart just enough to keep her alive for now. The doctors didn’t think she would last the night but she made it. The wound killed her though. I couldn’t watch her die so I told the housekeeper to watch.” The man began staring at something out the window. His eyes widened. “I know what happens when you die…” he slowly said.
The young lady was about to ask but she heard something fall behind the counter and looked. She turned back to the chair and all that lay there was the man’s phone. She looked around frantically, trying to figure out how the man could have left so quickly or where he could have gone.
She reached for the phone, thinking there was another way to contact the man. A voicemail popped up on the phone but she didn’t remember it ringing. She knew she shouldn’t but the young lady felt the need to listen to it. She pressed play on the voicemail.
“Well, considering this phone seems to be lost, I might as well confess here so I can stop feeling guilty. John… I killed you. It wasn’t supposed to be you walking in the door that night. It was supposed to be your mother. I hadn’t meant to even kill your mother. I was forced to.” The lady on the other end began crying. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. But I had to finish what I started. I killed your mother as well. I had no choice. I’m sorry…” An incoherent sound was made on the other end and a shot sounded. The message ended.
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One-shot. Let me know what you think.