Searing wind gushed through my hair as I drove along the 1-40 connector – my trembling fingers barely able to hold the steering wheel – my life falling apart. My air-conditioner stopped working minutes earlier, adding layers of torment to an already scarring afternoon. I cannot believe they fired me. I went through the memory over and over…how could they care so little? Why does this always happen to me?

In the rear-view mirror I saw a broken man – tears slithering down my saddened face. I was barely able to drive; barely holding onto reality. I’m $37,000.00 in debt – weeks from having my home repossessed – fired from my job of nine years. Every muscle in my body contorted, twisted into strangled knots. Scenes of vehicular suicide played over and over betwixt my wicked theater of thought and the oncoming traffic.

I turned on the radio and a deeply resonant voice calmly throated, “Pull over Bobby…before it’s too late,” and quickly turned it off. I edged into a parking lot near a park and stopped. I called Marianna on my cell phone, trying to find the words; how could I tell her I had been fired in the midst of all this debt? With a baby on the way? I could not stop crying.

“Hello?” she answered.

“It’s me. I’m so sorry baby…” my body convulsing in agony – my stomach tightly wrenched.

“What’s wrong?” she said, “I’m glad you called, I have to tell you something.”

I could only imagine what she needed to say at this unforgettable moment, “Tell me…”

She said in a clear, unemotional, fiercely inhuman tone, “It’s not your baby. I meant to tell you before…but you’re so sensitive. It’s Steve’s baby and I am leaving with him. We are moving away together. I’ve already moved my things – today while you were working – I figured I’d better tell you now before you come home to an empty house…goodbye Bobby.”

I thought I had died. I opened my glove compartment and grasped my pistol – it’s time to end this. I opened my door – my sluggish, whithered body slumped onto the blistering pavement. The scorching blacktop  burned my tender flesh – harrowing pain splintered through my agonized soul.

I wrapped my lips around the barrel, cocked the hammer – shivering in a pool of self-hatred. My body quivered so intensely, from the windows of my glass heart – shattered – a fountain of tears…and I sobbed, and I sobbed. I removed the barrel from my lips, and in a moment of soul grinding epiphany I mumbled, “Please God help me…please…”

At that very moment a tiny shadow slightly cooled my face – a cute little 5 year old girl in a tiny red dress stood before me. She said, “Are you alright mister?”

I could not speak. I was paralyzed. She came closer – leaning her tiny head on my shoulder, wiping tears from my cheeks with her petite little fingers. She said, “Everything’s gonna be alright.”

I gurgled words through a sea of tears, “Are you sure? Do you promise me?”

She said, “Yes. All you need is a little love,” and gently kissed me on the cheek. She held a precious little kitten in her arms, “this is Sammy! Here, hold him for a minute.”

I held that beautiful little kitten against my face and he purred, eagerly wanting to be my friend. The girl said, “You’re smiling! See, I told you…all you need is a little love. Me and Sammy gotta go home now. I’m glad you feel better – and now my work is done! Bye-bye! Sammy says bye-bye too.”

She scuffled into obscurity and I never even knew her name. I was so astonished, I forgot to thank her. I put my gun away and got back in my car…finally calm. I saw my face in the rear-view mirror and thought, “I really am going to be alright. I’m gonna be just fine…”

I could not think of a single thing to write about today. I decided to just write a quick story without any planning and just let it fly. I usually spend more time crafting each sentence, but wanted something simple and poetic. I wrote this in seven minutes and did no editing. I actually shed a few tears during the experience…Jeez I’m such a sap. I hope you enjoy:)

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