Conversations at My Viewing

"She must have just jumped. There were no signs of foul play. She left a note and the shoes she was wearing."

"Why would she take off her shoes, that makes no sense?"

"That's tragic, and right before the holidays."

"You would have never known it, she always seemed so energetic, so full of life."

"You never can tell."

"What did the note say? Any one know, was it to him or her son?"

"The paper never said who the note was to."

"I'm still stuck on the shoes, why did she leave her shoes?"

"I don't know, perhaps symbolism... 'walk a mile in my shoes,' she was quite a character I can totally see that."

"Walk a mile in my shoes... huh?"

"But to jump, damn. How did they find her?"

"They found the note and her shoes first, a man was jogging. That and she never showed up to pick up her husband after work. He told the newspaper reporter that they had a difference in opinion earlier that afternoon and she never even said goodbye. But he never thought she would do anything this drastic. He said he waited around about an hour, and by that time the local authorities were contacting him at his work."

"So, they argued earlier? Geez... that's messed up."

"That goes to show you, always say goodbye and never leave angry."

"Thought it was don't go to bed angry?"

"Either way... you just don't know."

"Poor guy, he will never be the same. And her son. Wow, what a shame."

"How long were they together?"

"10 or 15 years, something like that. Last time I saw her she looked rough. I know they were struggling, times were pretty hard on them."

"So anyone hear, what's he gonna do now?"

"He mentioned to my husband that his kids are down South. He's been talking about going down there for years now. Maybe he'll go that way. Start fresh. Too hard for him here, too many memories."

"But didn't his ex-wife, what was her name, didn't she move down South, too?"

"Hmm, beats me."

"Yeah, he put in his notice at work. He's leaving, but I'm not sure where he's going."

"Anyone know where they were living?"

"I heard they lost their lake house. It had to be right before she stopped working at that burger place."

"Yeah, had to be. She was so funny."

"I heard they were staying at a friend's house."

"Which friends? I would know."

"No, they were all over. Sad actually. She tried to make the best of it."

"When I saw her the last time at the store, she was returning bottles, she said she was tired. That everything was becoming too overwhelming. That she couldn't do it any more. But I had no idea this was what she meant."

"I told her she can always come by if she needed anything. She just never did."

"She never asked for anything."

"She called me once looking to stop over, but this was in the summer, she said she and her husband was looking for some place to grab a quick shower. I had my in-laws over that evening. I never called her back... honestly, never even thought twice about it."

"I probably could have done more."

"I probably should have done more."

"They stayed over quite often. I was more than happy to help them."

"I loved having them over. We would have them over for dinner for them several times a week."

"Her son is doing pretty good I hear. He's a manager over at that place by the highway, has his own home, baby on the way."

"She would have loved to see his baby. That's a tragedy in itself."

"Her son must be so upset."

"Why would she do this?"

"I know they argued quite a bit, her and him. I remember years back when they first met, they were so cute, matching t-shirts and shit. They was cute."

"That was so long ago."

"I know he tried so hard."

"She was much older than him. Maybe that was it."

"No one will really ever know why she did it, obviously she wasn't happy."

"When I saw her the last time, she took me by the hand and told me she loved me."

"She told me to never look back."

"She told me to keep dreaming."

"She told me to never stop trying."

"I feel so bad, I wish there was something I could do."

"Is there a luncheon after the service? I want to give him a card."

"Where's the rest of her family, why didn't any one come?"

"That might be her brother."

"Yes, that's her brother."

"Didn't she have like five of them?"

"Her mom is in Chicago, I heard she wasn't coming to the service. She refused to come because it was suicide."

"Well how fucking stupid is that. It's your kid, it don't matter how old you are. It's still your kid."

"No parent should have to bury their child."

"She wanted to be cremated."

"Cremated?"

"My husband and I ran into them at Walmart about a week or so back. It was early in the morning, they were laughing. Nothing looked wrong. She was smiling."

"He was always smiling."

"Shit, you ever see him pissed off?"

"Wow, I can't believe she just jumped. That's crazy."

"The jogger found the shoes and the note under them. Then the police said someone reported the body floating down the river about seven miles upstream, soon after the jogger's call."

"I heard the jogger knew her, he was freaking out on the phone."

"Yeah, the cops told him not to call her husband, to let the authorities give him the news."

"No fucking way."

"Small towns for ya."

"That's crazy."

"But she was Christian."

"So close to the holidays."

"Last time I saw her, she whispered in my ear, when she hugged me, to keep watch after her boy, to remind him time to time how much his momma loved him. She made me promise her. But I never imagined this."

"Hey, is that him?"

"Shh, keep your voices down, he's here."

"He looks exhausted, I feel so bad for him."

"Man, I don't know what to say to him."

"Look, that's her husband there. That must be her son. Gosh, I don't even know what to say to them, except I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

Natalie Marie Rice