-“So how do you feel buddy? Did you have a good time?” Jose inquired impertinently.
-“I sure did; she was a very nice woman. I think that I will go back to see her again.” Charlie said without offering further details.
-“Well, are you ready for all the details of my soiree?
You see, I could not make up my mind on those two since they were both aggressively competing for my attention.
Finally, they mutually agreed to offer me a deal like Payless.
As in 'Buy one, and get the other at half price.'
Of course they were more into each other, than into me, but I can’t honestly say that they neglected me.” Jose said with a mischievous wink.
-“Hey, let’s run this light before it turns red. We're almost late for work Charlie, and you know how anal Richard is about punctuality. Come on Charlie! Let’s make a run for it!” Jose said as he ran ahead of Charlie to cross the street, as a bus stationed in the corner to pick up passengers.
The massive bus impaired their vision, and both the car circumventing the bus from behind, as well as Jose, did not see each other until the moment of impact.
The brutal impact catapulted Jose into the air like a rag doll, landing him in a twisted heap, several feet from the crossing line.
The driver sped away, as Jose lay unconscious in the middle of the intersection. Charlie inebriated at the time was afraid that Jose would be run over again by the traffic coming in from opposite directions.
Charlie grabbed Jose from behind, and dragged him slowly to the curb, and away from harms way.
-“CALL FOR HELP!” Charlie yelled at the stationed bus driver, as he cradled Jose’s head on his lap and pleaded with him to wake up.
-“Help is coming soon buddy, just hang in there!” Charlie said through tears as Jose regained consciousness, yet started bleeding from his mouth.
Charlie felt Jose’s life force ebbing slowly away, as the minutes turned into a quarter of an hour, and still no help arrived.
-“Remember Jose when you said that we would be alright? You’ve got to hang on buddy, you’ve got to! Please do it for me. You are the only friend I have left.” Charlie said this as he sobbed disconsolately.
-“Sure buddy, you got it. Although from experience I’ll tell you that there’s no rush to save people like us. If something happens to me Charlie, you will be alright.
Look at you; you are a sharp dresser – thanks to me of course.” Jose said as he coughed up more blood.
As the minutes trickled, Charlie kept up the conversation to animate Jose into staying focused.
-“Jose, you never did tell me the story of how you ended up in the street, when you had all this money and connections.” Charlie asked out of curiosity and desperation that help was slow to come.
Spitting out more blood, Jose answered, “It was due to bad investments Charlie. The worst of which, was investing the heart in the wrong person.”
Those were Jose’s last words, as his spirit deployed with the delicacy of a falling autum leaf.
.
