Stories From the Subway

Richard leaned back against the trunk of the big Pine tree, he had been coming to this forest outside of Portland Oregon since he was a boy. Even though this place had soothed him in the past, today it brought him no solace. He had come here to make the biggest decision of his life. Slowly and deliberately, he removed the revolver he was carrying from its holster and laid it on the ground.

Last week he closed the doors of the Lost Dutchman restaurant for the last time. The business he had built from scratch almost 40 years ago. It had brought him happiness and enough financial security to raise three kids, two daughters and a son. He tried to keep the doors open, convinced that the pandemic would end soon, and he could weather the storm, but all that did was deplete his savings. In the end he lost it anyway. It's no wonder that Anna wanted a trial separation. He had been a pretty big jerk this last year while his livelihood failed. She tried so many times to talk to him, to help him see that everything wasn't all bad, that somehow they would make it through, but he turned her away time and time again. He was so tired, "I'm too old to start over again.", he thought grimly to himself. Tears streamed down his face as he thought about his children.

Richard picked up the gun.

"Hello!" a voice called from down the wooded trail.

"Hello", called Richard, quickly concealing the firearm.

From around the bend came a young man wearing a blue down coat. "My name is Scott Green, you don't know which trail to take to get out of here do you? I seem to be going in circles."

Richard eyed up the stranger, mid 20s, pleasant looking, broad smile. He seemed like a likable chap.

"Yes", said Richard, "That trail to the right goes for about 100 yards, them make a right at the big boulder and that takes you back to the parking area. The trail can be easy to miss because the boulder conceals it"

"Wow, Thanks", said Scott. "I feel like I have been wandering around out here forever. I've got to get back! My family will be worried sick about me."

Richard's blood ran cold. The thought of his children, all wearing black, crying at his funeral, struck him to the core.

"I can't imagine how devastated they would be if something happened to me. Sure, we've had a tough year, but I'm a smart guy, I can get us back on our feet", prattled Scott. "Hell, I can always drive Uber or deliver pizzas"

"Pizzas?" said Richard aloud. He had been told that his Pizzas were amazing, maybe he could open a Pizza joint, and just deliver until this whole COVID pandemic is over. It wouldn't even take much seed money, and with the small business loan programs they had out now, he could make it work.

For the first time in a very long time, Richard felt hopeful. He knew he could patch things up with Anna. He knew she loved him. He just needed to be the kind, patient, and loving husband he had been in the years before this accursed pandemic.

Suddenly Richard felt stupid for even thinking about ending his life, then he felt the blood drain from his face as he realized how close he had come.

Richard looked up to see Scott already ambling down the path in the direction Richard had given him.

"Take care Richard, Nice meeting you!", Scott called over his shoulder as he disappeared around the bend.

Richard quickly wiped the tears from his face and brushed the pine needles from his pants. He decided to sell the Revolver as soon as he could. Not that he felt he would ever be tempted to use it again, but because it represented what was almost the worst decision ever made.

"Good God, what was I thinking. I am not too old! I can do this." he thought to himself.

He would call Anna and the kids as soon as he got home, he would convince them that he was his old self again. He knew he could do it. His newfound confidence put a spring in his step as he headed down the path toward the parking area.

Richard was thinking about Lost Dutchman Pizzas when he rounded the final bend in the path. There was an Ambulance and several police cars in the parking lot, the paramedics were loading a man with a blanket over his face into the back. The man was wearing a Blue Down Jacket.

Richard ran to scene only to be stopped by a police officer. "You don't understand officer, that's Scott Green. I was just talking to him 30 minutes ago! What happened to him?"

Overhearing that, one of the paramedics turned to Richard.

"That's impossible!", said the paramedic, "This guy's been dead for at least two weeks. It's really tragic, I can't imagine what would make a young guy like this kill himself."