Mr. Whitfield- By: Riley Rivers

Chapter XVII

Mr. Whitfield and Nate were pallbearers at Nicole's funeral, Nate wore all black while Jesse wore his navy blue tux he got married to Nicole in. The pastor walked with Nicole's father out into the graveside and Nate helped his father carry the casket, after they set it down they took a seat.
"We are gathered here today to recall the life of Nicole Anne Needham. I didn't know her all that well but I'm sure these people do."
"Hi. I'm Steve Hughes, Nicole's father and I'm also the principal at James Gordon High School. Go gophers, ah-hah. I was with her most of the time when she grew up, especially when her mother died in nineteen sixty-nine. I taught her how to ride a bike, how to tie her shoes, but I didn't teach her to pick up the dead mice under the porch. The cat taught her that. At least she didn't eat them, well she ate one when she was about four and she had to get a rabies shot. Hah, she was a silly girl and a great daughter. It's such a shame she had to go but she's in a better place now."
Jesse got up and went to go talk. "Um, hi I'm Nicole's husband. I teach at James Gordon as a science teacher for Physics I and II as well as Chemistry. Some of you may know me as Mr. Whitfield, other people who don't I'm Jesse Whitfield. My students and my son can tell you I'm a big science nerd. I wrote a little something right here." He unfolded a piece of paper that was in his pocket and choked on tears as he began reading. "In science death is just the decomposition of decaying matter. We all know the cycle of life. There are producers, consumers, scavengers, and decomposers. The decomposers take the dead body of an animal and basically decompose it. Before you know it, there will be grass growing on top of you where you had been buried. But enough of the science lesson, I think I should tell you more about my wife. Nicole and I met at James Gordon High School in 1984, roughly seven years ago. This is way before you were even in the womb Nate. I was rushing to get to school and I wasn't watching where I was going so I accidentally bumped into her. I dropped my glasses and my belongings and she helped me pick them up. Before she left I asked her to have lunch with me in the teacher's lounge. She said she would and I scrambled into the building. After lunch, we had a pretty decent chat about our students and I figured I would lean in to kiss her. I pulled back because I-excuse my language father, I felt like a dumbass. She explained to me that she liked me more than a friend and actually wanted me to kiss her. If I would have known that, I would have popped a breath mint and puckered up. So instead, I pulled her into my class and made out with her on the spot. She felt the same way surprisingly and I realized we still had 15 minutes from lunch to ourselves. The rest was kind of unbiblical because we weren't married and we sort of engaged in a little of how's your father right on my desk. Yes, Satan is now my mortal enemy, but it was so worth it! I ended up getting her pregnant that very day, no lie. Then when she was four months pregnant we lost the girl to a miscarriage. We tied the knot and shortly after, we tried again and that's how we got that little squirt right there. For him to be seven in High School-again sorry father, he's pretty damn smart. He has his mother's smile and his father's IQ. His mother would be so proud of him to hear that he's going into eleventh-grade next year. Before she died I sang her this song I wrote about me and her." Mr. Whitfield sniffled. "Before I met you I was just a lonely person. When you bumped into me that day, I figured you would never say... I've been waiting for you, I've been waiting for the day I could see my baby. I had been longing for you lover, you were always a magnificent cuddler. You treated me swell and I loved you oh so well. Through the rough and narrow, you were always tough just like a sparrow. I watched over you when you were carrying our son, I was sitting there merrying along. When you fell sick, I knew something had accidentally clicked and it made me absolutely ticked-off-at-my-self. So I remember the words I told you. I wish I could scold you, for making me feel so bad. I know that maybe love seems crazy and I might be a fool when I drool for you lovely lady. So you die, I will lie because I'm Patrick Swazy and... I will always be your baby. If you l-ove me..." Jesse cried and his son comforted him.
"Would anyone else like to say a few words?"
Nate was going to say something but since his father was grieving he knew he had to give him his sympathetic empathy. He shook his head and the pastor read the twenty-third Psalm. Moments after they buried Nicole, Nate laid a note on her grave and ran away. Jesse opened the note and it read:

Dear Mom,
I am very depressed about your loss three days ago. The best thing I can do is to take my own life. I'm going to jump off the tallest building I can find and I will be reunited with you once again. I can't wait to see your face!
Love, Nate

Jesse had to act fast or his son would jump off a building. Was Nate that stupid enough to do something like that? Anyone could take their own life, remember yourself? He shook his head free from the thought. Why the hell did he not consider moving on?! Damn it, Nate! You're stupid as sh*t! Mr. Whitfield tried calling his son's cell and he picked it up.
"Dad! Why are you calling me?!"
"Nate, don't do it! Don't jump."
"Since when do you care you're the one who gave Mom an STD!"
"Please, Nate. For your own good do not jump."
"How are you going to stop me now?" Nate insinuated and threw the phone off the building.
"Nate? Nate! Aw, damn it!" Jesse swore.
"Hey, son. Do you need a ride?" Principal Hughes asked and Jesse rode with him.
"His phone was last seen on seventh avenue."
"I'm flooring it." Steve pushed on the gas and Jesse flung back.
"You know where Seventh Avenue is, right?"
"Of course I buy knick-knacks there all the time for my car."
"What the hell is wrong with your car?"
"The engine smokes every once in a while." He looked at his red car in the rearview mirror "Sh*t."
"Damn. You need to get that checked out."
"I'm going to take a look." Hughes sighed and opened the hood.
"Just forget it, we don't have much time." Jesse insisted, grabbing his arm.
"But someone will-"
"Forget it, Steve."
Hughes grumbled and Mr. Whitfield hurried with him to the building his son was about to jump off.
"I love you, Dad. I'm sorry it has to end this way." Nate said as he stepped up to the edge of the building.
"Nathaniel Lee!" Jesse shouted at him.
"Why did you track me down, Dad?" Nate yelled back.
"I don't want you to jump."
"Too bad. I'm jumping." Nate pointed to his chest and looked down at the seemingly endless number of feet. He got scared and nearly fell. His hands waved in circles and he cried. "Dad! Help!"
"Stay right there, I'm coming to get you," Jesse called back and ran inside.
"¿Cómo te llamas?" The man at the front desk asked.
"Jesse."
"Me llamo?"
"Jesse! ¿Cómo se dice fire escape?"
"Me llamo?"
"Oh for christ's sake!" Jesse pushed the elevator door button but it didn't work, so he walked up the stairs to his son. "Don't worry I'm coming, Nate!" He said walking up his first flight. "Nearly there I hope." He said at flight 5. "Damn, flight 10? How many ******* stairs does this building have?" He panted at flight 10 and finally reached the door.
"Dad!" Nate wailed.
"I'm coming, don't move."
"Ah! Dad, I'm scared I'm going to fall."
"Just wait a second," Jesse told him.
"Dad, my foot's slipping!"
"Hold on."
"Daddy!!!" Nathan exclaimed as he fell for his death from roughly fifty feet.
Jesse immediately grabbed the emergency fire hose and threw it to his son. "Grab hold!" He ordered.
Nate caught his breath as he grasped the hose. "My fingers are starting to slip."
"Hold on with all your might, I'm going to pull you up," Jesse said, pulling up his son onto the top of the building. He sighed with relief as tears rolled down his face and he hugged his son tightly.
"I thought I'd never see you again." Nate laughed briefly.
"Son, please don't try to do something stupid like that again." Mr. Whitfield scolded and his son promised never to jump off a building again.