Undying Read Free

relaxed his composure a bit. He thought for a moment, looking at me with his heartbreaking gaze. This was a good man. More so, an amazing person. At the worst of times he would smile in the face of misery. What the hell could possibly do this to him, I thought to myself.
      "What is the point of all of this?" He muttered coldly.
      "That's kind of a broad question. What's going on, Hector? Are you alright?"
      He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. This came as quite a surprise to me because I have heard him boast about quitting smoking after twenty years more than once. He pulled one from the pack and lit it without skipping a beat. He took the first two drags like it had the antidote in it. He held out the pack. I took one. I had not smoked in a while but this wasn't a great moment to be turning down offers. I lit mine and thanked him. He took another deep drag and looked at me.
      "I caught my wife.." He choked up a bit and just stopped talking to take another ridiculously large drag.
      "Damn, Hector. That's really awful. I'm sorry, man."
      "With two of my friends!" He said in a tone that I couldn't believe was his own.
      What the hell are you supposed to say to something like that? I remember being in such shock that I couldn't think of anything to say that would possibly help. I had no right to say anything. How could I ever possibly put myself in that scenario?
      "I just can't.. I can't believe she would do that! I did everything and she's just messing around with everyone I know. Did you.. Did you mess around with my wife? Huh?!?" He yelled, all of a sudden, while pointing his pitchfork at me.
      "No way man! I would never-" I put my hands up and dropped my cigarette. 
      "Are you fucking my wife too?!" He threw the pitchfork down and began to approach me.
      "I would never do that to you, man. You're my friend!" I yelled in one last desperate attempt to not get my ass kicked.
      He stopped. His rage broke and turned into sadness. He looked down at the ground, ashamed. I must admit, I was extremely relieved.
      "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't.. I.. I'll be right back. Just need to go to the can."
      He strolled off to the nearest bathroom in the school. They let us use one of the bathrooms because our employers were too cheap to supply portable ones. I picked my half of a cigarette off of the ground. Each time I lifted it to my lips I could see the end shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't believe that such a kind person could snap so badly. Then it came to me. A thought I never wish I had ever conceived. If the nicest guy in the world, who made decent money and was always there for his family, could get cheated on in the worst way then it would just make sense that a loser like me would befall the same fate. It terrified me. I'd try to shake the thought, but it would always be there.
      I got back to work. I had to operate a sod cutter, a large push mower looking device with a huge blade that digs under the ground and cuts the grass below the root allowing you to pull it up in neat strips. This machine was loud when it was fired up. It gave me a headache even with earplugs in. It was getting to be late in the day and maneuvering that heavy beast was getting to be a hassle. Finally, I finished my last run. I proudly powered down my machine and pulled my earplugs out. Then I could hear the sirens. I looked up and I saw several police cars and an ambulance. I knew right away. One  of the workers were talking to an officer and he pointed at me. I saved the cop some time and started heading his way. The officer was nice. He explained to me that Hector had shot himself in the bathroom stall. Apparently, I was the last one to talk to him. I explained to the officer what he had told me earlier about his wife. The cop shook his head sadly and thanked me for my help. When they wheeled out Hector in a black bag, I remember it being hard not to start balling like a teenage girl in