Weeping Angels

Part V: The Balance Of Life And Death, Over Cups Of Coffee.

“And then,” She said, tears appearing in her eyes, “One morning, he wouldn’t return any of my calls, so I went to his dorm. The door was unlocked, so I let myself in and . . .” She stopped, lowering her head to the table. Kettu looked on, not knowing what to say. He looked down into his cup of coffee, seeing his reflection in the placid, black surface of the liquid within. He hadn’t looked at his reflection in days. He had started to grow a thick stubble on his face, his long brown hair had started to tangle and look mangy, his eyes had sunken in behind a pair of dark circles.

“His room mate,” Nina continued, wiping tears from her eyes, “Had been in an accident a year ago and was prescribed pain pills. Pablo had gotten into them and taken them all, I found him, with his eyes still open, staring up at his ceiling, and the look on his face wasn’t of release, it wasn’t of relief, it was one of fear, I know, I just know that in his last moments, he was terrified and alone.” Nina said, Kettu noticed the change in her tone of voice, she had gone from being sad and angry to being just plain angry.

“You had feelings for him?” Kettu found himself asking.

“No, at the time, I had a boyfriend back home. Jason would have been furious if he found out I was spending so much time with another guy, but I didn’t have feelings for Pablo, I just wanted him to pull through, to begin to see life the same way that I see it now.” She paused, tapping the side of her coffee mug, “Which I guess is part of the reason I spoke up on the bridge. I saw another opportunity to save a life where I’ve failed before.” She looked back up at Kettu and sighed, “Selfish, isn’t it?”

“No.” Kettu said softly after a short pause, “Acts performed for personal gain, in cowardice, or anything in the name of apathy is selfish. You didn’t want to see two people die, so you decided to step up and do something to save my life tonight. If anything, I guess you would call that bravery.”

“There you go again.” Nina said, shooting Kettu a sarcastic look.

“What?”

“Defining human behaviour, you did it back on the bridge too, you said that people only want to help to attain personal gain or money, then you asked me what my price tag was.”

“So I did.” Kettu said, sipping his coffee.

“So what changed your mind about that all of a sudden?” Nina asked. Kettu set his coffee mug down, and crossed his hands on the table in front of him, thinking for a few seconds to himself before speaking again;

“You show genuine emotion toward others, Nina. Which is new to me, I’ve been treated with apathy all of my life, from my parents, to my friends, everyone, except for a complete stranger who decides to talk to me on a bridge as I’m trying to kill myself. Either you’re the genuine article, or you’re a really, really good liar with great acting skills. I’m normally inclined to believe the latter, but something with you doesn‘t resonate like that, you‘re empathetic, to the point where someone who shouldn‘t matter to you does, which, I guess would be the sole, irrational reason behind my change of heart.”

Nina sat, staring at him for a moment, she opened her mouth before he continued,

“I’m a bit of a misanthrope, I hate human beings. Their way of life, their deceptions, and most of all their general disregard for their fellow people, and that’s how all human beings are.”

“I’m a wolf, remember?” Nina offered up a weak smile.

“Which makes you an anomaly, a wolf in human’s clothing, as it were.” Kettu drained the last of his coffee, he lowered his head, “I have a nagging feeling you’ll be watching over me now that we’ve stayed up all night drinking coffee, huh?”

“Yup.” Nina said.

“And there’s no way of getting rid of you, is there?”

“Nope.”

“So I’m stuck with a wanna-be she wolf on my heels, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Damn.”

“What?”

“Guess I’d better abandon any hope of jumping off that bridge, seeing as how you’ll be watching.”

“You’d better.”

“Alright.”

“You promise?”

Kettu groaned, “I promise I won’t jump off of the bridge.”

“Good. I take it you’re the type that lives up to his promises?”

“I’m only as good as my word, if I break it, what do I have?”

Nina smiled, and stood up, looking out the window,

“It’s morning.” She said quietly. Kettu turned around in his chair, looking out the window to view the shadows of the night melting away with the first sunlight of the day.

“So it is.” Kettu replied, watching the darkness disappear, in some strange way, made him feel a little better.