The Bridge

I was standing in the edge of bridge on my way to home, staring the fast river deep down of bridge in the late afternoon -Every time when I’m looking from high distance to down, it feels a little bit scary. And seems jumping from that height to down will be a mystery temptation-. I was in my dreamland that I saw a person walking to my direction in the dark. When he was almost behind me he said:
-Nothing better to do?
- To do what?
- Considering to jump!
- I wasn’t considering, just enjoying the view
- No kidding, how is it?
- Who are you?
- I’m sorry, I didn’t want to be sound rude, I’m Yan.
- Is ok even you were, Mohi, so tell me, did you want to do it?
- No! Hell no! I’m walking every night trough this bridge, go to down town for a drink and most the time I saw strangers hanging out here. Some of them got scared when they saw me, some were hidden behind the bridge pillars and some others were so depress that they didn’t even bother to look back to see who is coming.
- Sorry I disappointed you, haha!
- Ok, apparently I deserved it. Tell me how come you are in my night path to the hangover morning?
- Often I’m coming here, it feels good, even sometimes this height makes me to think about jumping. But even if I want to do it, I know much better spot. So when I’m here, I prefer enjoying the view and most important touching the cool breeze rising from the river to my face.
- So then you considered it some how? Tell me.
- It is a long funny story.
- Do you like to have a friendly drink?
- Why not, I know a good place close to here.
We started walking and talking whole way to bar and ended up wasted and laughing to my stupid backup-suicide-plan. I told him:
- Yes, I have a backup plan. You see, these are keys of JF building, main door and roof. I have them in my key holder for two years so if someday I want to do such thing then I will do it from JF building which is exactly located front of my office and I will do it in morning time. Because that spot is crowed and at end there will be a big tragedy and symbolic sign for longtime.
- Are you serious?
- Of course not, haha! I think I drunk too much. I just keep them for fun. Who knows what will happen in future, probably someday I will need them.
- You shouldn’t even carry them. The life is much more beautiful and funniest than we think. Try to enjoy happy moment, go to nature, talk to people, have kids, touch the freshness, run in rain, watch movie, play in grass, walk in moonlight, kiss girls, and lay under sunlight. Every moment of life is a good reason for living. I remember that I was thinking exactly like you and one night I saw a person on that bridge, which changed my life. Now I’m happiest person in the world.
I couldn’t take those nonsense talks anymore and I was waiting for him to finish his talking, to say him goodbye. But seems he doesn't like to stop, so for making him to cut the boring moment. I told him:
- These are the keys, take them, I don’t need them.
- You see, now is better. Someday you look back and remember this time and you will thank me. And in that moment try to help people like I did.
I became more disappointed and felt bad about those silly dialogs. Apparently that was clears in my face because he said directly after that:
- Hope I didn’t go to far.
- Not really, I touched with your wisdom and it was nice meeting you. If you let me I should go to bed and I have a lot to do for tomorrow.
- Have good night and take care.
- ThanX, bye
I told my self “Oh God! Finally is over”. I was so exhausted and I went to sleep as soon as I arrived home.
I waked up morning after several snoozing and warning by clock. It was almost late and I was jumped to shower fast. Having late night drink in weekday is never good idea. My head was killing me, and even I drunk two cups of coffee after the shower but still I felt a strong hangover. I run all the way to bus station and I took the bus in last second. After several minutes I left the bus in nearest station to my office and when I get close to work, I saw crowd other side of street front of JF building. Ambulance and some polices were there. I opened my way between people to see what is going on and I saw something really strange. I couldn’t believe it. Yan, the guy from last night, was lying down on his blood in middle of sidewalk. Most people were saying that he was jumped from the roof of JF. A woman said “God! Such a looser, just wanted to make my day horrible”. Other guy said “I can believe people still do this shit to get some attention, did he know, he could killed somebody else with this stupid act”. One of JF guard with uniform said “look at his hand he carries keys, how he has the damn keys, he doesn’t even work here”. And people said a lot of other things, which made me more embarrassed than I was. Not because I gave him the keys because that I had those keys for two years for someday like this to humiliate myself in most crowd area in the city.
Now I remember Yan's last words, he was right I can't forget him in rest of my life even I want it.
written by Mohammad Hosseini