This Is Goodbye

He stood on the edge of the bridge.  It was late.  Past midnight.  There were no cars coming by and no one saw him.  No one would stop him.  He wanted someone to stop him, deep down.  But no one was there.  Not a soul.  Just the empty road below him and the empty road behind him.

No street lamps either.  Well there was one, but it was out.  Typical.  Typical for his city.  Such a crap-hole.  Whatever, it wasn't his problem anymore.  He looked down.  The cool night air gently rustled past his hair.  He needed a haircut.  Maybe he'd get one tomorrow.  Or not.

He looked up at the stars.  So many stars.  Just a crescent moon, smiling at him all lopsided like.  So many stars.  The air brushed past him again, seemingly colder than before.  It was nice though.  The day had been hot and muggy.  Now it was cool and crisp out.  The day.  Oh man.

What a day.  Late to work do to a flat tire for the first time in his life.  Yeah, he'd never been late to work before, ever.  But that didn't stop his boss from yelling at him in front of the whole darn office.  Making him looking like a fool.  Like an idiot, like it was his fault he had gotten a flat tire of the way to work and had to change it on the side of the stupid freeway.  Everything went wrong that day.

Every day was a living hell for him but today had been the last straw, which was why he was here.  Not only had his boss yelled at him but an hour later a meeting was calling listing all the employees being laid off in a month.  He was on the list.  Oh joy, now to look for another job.  He'd been laid off more times than he could count in the past few years.  It wasn't his work, he was a great employee.  It was economy.  The crappy economy in his crap-hole city.  Then on his lunch break he spilled coffee all over himself.  Not a big deal, except he was yelled at again for not having a clean suit in the office.  Again, like it was his fault.  Stupid Debrah had bumped into him.  So that was his day at work.  When he got home he had a lovely eviction notice on his door.  Some bull crap about the neighbors complaining about his piano playing.  This was not possible since he had an electric piano which he used headphones for.  There was no way.  No way the neighbors could hear him playing.  Not only that but he had never even received any complaints personally.  It was all bull crap.

Things just weren't working out for him.  They never had.  From his dad leaving the family at the age of seven to his mom becoming an abusive alcoholic shortly after, and then being bullied all through school up until college.  College wasn't much better.  He did great in his classes but he had no friends, and no one wanted to be his friend it seemed.

Except her.  Emily.  She was a God-send.  She was the only good thing...and THE ONLY good thing in his life.  She's been there for him through most of his college, through most of his career life, and she was with him now.  He was going to marry her some day.  He was.  Not anymore.  That was the last thing he had to do.  He had to call Emily.  Just hear her voice one last time.

He dialed her number and stared up into the sky again as the phone rang.  He was afraid she wouldn't pick up but then...

"Hello?"

"Emily..."

"Hey honey, how are you?"

"Emily...I'm so sorry..."

"What?  What are you sorry for?"

"Emily...this is goodbye..."

"What?  What are you talking abo-"

The stars twinkled down and the moon kept smiling sideways.  The gentle breeze blew and the night went on.  His body lay almost peacefully on the blacktop below the bridge.  His shattered phone lay next to him, the cracked screen displaying a picture of him and Emily.  They were both smiling.