Earth Angel

Merry Christmas, guys.

Earth Angel
JD Rhode

Dear Diary,

I haven’t written in a while, I know. I’ve been tied up. Today is December 24th-Christmas Eve. Earlier today I was talking to a friend on my new cell phone that I begged for as an early gift. We weren’t saying anything too private-you know, talk about our jobs, what would be for dinner; just that stuff. But then, we both heard static and another conversation coming through.

At first, neither of us thought anything about it; interference like that happens sometimes. We paused and walked around every now and then to see if the other people would click out. Well, they didn’t.

My friend was getting annoyed, but I was getting scared. It was two men talking. One sounded a bit drunk, but the other talked as if he was contemplating suicide that night. He said he was going to jump off of the Ashton Bridge before midnight. His friend laughed. Then it was only my friend and I still on the line.

She assured me that that conversation could have traveled through the satellite from anywhere in the world, but our city has an Ashton Bridge, so I wasn’t even close to convinced. “Don’t get involved. It’s just some drunk guys,” she urged, but I knew it had to be more.

A lot of things raced through my mind as I scanned the park. It was almost eleven, and I hoped I wasn’t too late. I haven’t eaten since I hung up the phone talking to my friend much earlier. I wished so hard that that wasn’t a real conversation; I’d actually welcome people snickering, behind my back, at me just sitting here alone in the snow. I was the only one there until 11:15, and then I saw a man.

At first, it surprised me that he wasn’t wearing a jacket, but then I thought, if this was my man, than he probably thought he didn’t need one. I ducked behind a bench as he passed so as not to be seen yet. He seemed completely oblivious to everything around him as he made his way to the bridge. That had to be him, I thought.

I spent only a second or two wondering how hurt a person must be to even dream up such a thing as what I was seeing. It all seemed to be moving in slow motion. Then he stepped to the edge of the bridge, and that was the last minute I could stand.

“WAIT!” I shouted and ran forward. “Don’t do this.”

“Oh my God,” he turned, and I heard him say as I came closer.

I explained to him that his phone conversation earlier was accidentally heard by my friend and me, but I was so glad it was. I told him I was no expert, but I’d listen if he wanted to tell me what was wrong. He tried to tell me that it was more than I wanted to hear as he pushed back tears, but I assured him that those words didn’t even enter my thought processes. I told him I wasn’t going anywhere, and, though I just met him, I didn’t want him to, either.

To say I met a friend tonight, Diary, I think would be a slight understatement. We talked a bit, and he said he’d call me tomorrow, well technically later today. I invited him to church and brunch. Oh, he said I must have been his Earth Angel sent to him at just the right time. I guess that’s the second Christmas present I got early. I don’t think of this situation as if I did anything more special than somebody else would have done in my place, but he begged to differ. He said he wouldn’t have been here if I wasn’t.