A Flyer

"Ohoy!!! You should watch out, Sir. Its quite sloppy there?";

Jay turned back. He saw an old man dressed in tuxedo. Sunken eyes. Balding head. The old man's face had wrinkles which made him look at least 70. The fatigue was clear in the man's eyes. A lifetime of relentless toil does that to people. Jay wondered what he would look life if he lived to be old like the person before him.

"Are you going to jump."; The old man cried out again.

"Yes."; said Jay. His face was still expressionless and numb.

"Please do not Jump. It will kill you"; He said.

Silence.

"Is it a girl?"; The old man's voice resonated;

Jay was astonished. One look at him, and this man has guessed why he is going to end his life.

"How do you know"; Jay asked.

The old man did not smile. Yet there was something in his voice that expressed deep care.

"I know well. I have lost something for love. I know when I see it again."

He turned again and faced the abyss. From there it was a long way down that he could hardly see the ground.

"I have lost all I ever wanted. There is no point in this futile existence anymore." Jay said.

"Not everything!" The old man replied. "Not everything is lost."

Jay turned again. He was frustrated now.

"Please leave. You are making this worse for me."

"Well, child. Tell me one thing. I shall leave you to death and peace."

Jay was exhausted. His legs were shaky. But he didn't move from where he stood. Not the best time to rest. After all, rest awaits.

"Ok. What is it?"

" What did you want to do with your life. Like a goal or something.?"; Asked the old man.

Jay was unsure whether he should answer that or not. His mind wandered. A far off place. An age when he was happier. Delirious. Filled with ideas. Youth is the best time in any ones life, he thought.

"Yes. I did. I wanted to fly planes. I always wanted to be a pilot. To learn to fly. To fly over the whole world." He paused.

"When I was a child, my mother used to show me aeroplanes as they cruised through the sky."; Jay's eyes welled up. He closed his eyes. A faint smiled appeared on his face.

" It was beautiful, wasn't it "; The old man asked.

"Yes. Definitely the most beautiful thing in the world."; Jay replied.

The old man nodded in reply. Then he turned and began to walk away. Jay was bewildered. He didn't know what to say.

"Who are you?"; Jay cried out at the top of his lungs.

"I flew across the world, just as I wanted to as a child. Sky has been my best mate. It was worth it. Definitely the most beautiful thing in the world."

The man did not turn back. He walked away and vanished in to the blue. As if he was never there.

Jay called out again but there was no answer. He felt his heart thumping against his chest. He turned to the abyss. In to the future. Closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Memories came back to him. His past and future converged at that moment.

In the face of death, he dreamed again.