On The Bridge..by Michael

A Story by Michael Reisman

Geraldine drove across the bridge with a specific destination in mind. It wasn't the usual place people go to, but something else. The deeply depressed forty year old had other thoughts in her head. She pulled her car over to the right and parked it right there, about halfway on the bridge. George was driving behind her and thought this was quite unusual and felt something was very wrong here. He pulled over also just to see what she had planned to do. She didn't see him or his car as her focus was just on committing suicide. Geraldine wept and cried as then proceeded to climb up on the railing just above the cold river below. George's instinct was right as he got out of his car on the passenger side. "Excuse me miss, but I am lost. Is there a river somewhere here I can jump into and end it all"? She laughed out loud at his subtle and casual yet clever approach. "Sure thing, just climb up here and we can jump together", she said. Forty five year old George climbed up there and sat right next to her. Then he said "if you can spare ten or fifteen minutes, can you tell me why you are doing this"? I guess she desperately needed someone to talk to as Geraldine told him her depressing story of how her husband left her for another woman. He held her hand and told a story of how his wife left him for another man. "How similar our circumstances " she replied. "Maybe a new beginning is all that is needed", he said. "I know that just over the other side of the bridge is a drive through at Macdonald's". "I'm really hungry so how about a first date for breakfast"? George asked her. She laughed again and then smiled at this strangers compassion and concern for her with tears in her eyes. Geraldine followed him as they both got back into their cars. The single man who made up a story to save a life ordered breakfast for the both of them. It was the best meal she had in quite a long time. The next trip they rode together over that same bridge. It was a year later when they had a destination of a wedding as the bride and groom. Maybe someone rides behind another for a reason of good timing. A life is saved and changed for the better. Case in point in a short love story involving a conversation on the bridge...

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