To forgive a broken soul

Every day, a man sits on a bench overlooking the city, never looking anywhere but the intersection far below. I’ve developed a deep interest for this man. There is nothing to see down there—I have checked multiple times.

I can’t help myself but to wonder what he is doing there, I need to know why.

I’ve been watching at this man for a while now, I am confident I memorized his routine. At the exact hour he looks at his watch and begins to ask for forgiveness. like a ritual. and without fail he—cries.

It’s always so meaningful, I feel… so bad for him but I can’t allow myself to do that, that would ruin my cover. I cannot be seen by him—or by anyone that remains around here.

He is a strong person, he is hurt, but he still finds time to help others, many around here are sad like him but he invites them to sit with him, to talk, he talked to so many and I’ve seen their eyes after each conversation, every single person that leaves after conversing with this man leave feeling better, it seems like their burdens are lighter after speaking with him.

He seems to be special, maybe that’s why I am so interested in him.

Other than sitting in that bench he also likes this tree that lays beside the end of the cliff. He goes up to it and admires it, he even hugged it once—or maybe twice. I don’t really remember, the point is he really likes that tree.

I can’t seem to remember a lot these days, I am not even aware of the time I spend in this place, watching this man, just be himself, he is so fascinating.

I just wonder, what is he doing here? maybe today is the day I go an ask him, it has been so long, I must wait thought, right now he is about to look at his watch,

but hold on…something is off,

He is not doing it right, he is not following through the procedure I watch him do so many times, he just turned his head, I follow his sight to look at what caught his attention, a boy and a girl,

They are walking towards him,

They seem young but not too young like around close to my age, why are they here, there is rarely people my age around this place.

The man turns his head back to its usual resting place, I guess he is just intrigued by their age, I don’t blame him I am as well.

Wait… I couldn’t tell before, but the boy’s face has so many cuts he has tiny red circles all around his face, is blood, he is still bleeding and the girl her arms are completely broken both the boy, and the girl seem to have many fractured bones, their joints are connected only by their skin,

how can they walk?

no,

why are they here?

I never seen anything like this.

The man, his head still locked to the interception far below, he has a better view of the pair than I have, he must have seemed them by now, but he is not fazed by their appearance,

That can’t be,

He is avoiding them I can tell by the fact his fidgeting his leg,

This is the first time I’ve seen this as well,

Wait… maybe… I must keep watching.

As the strange pair gets closer to the bench, the man’s head bows, and his body aches with the weight of the memories,

Is his right leg, his right leg is the one he is fidgeting.

The couple are now only a few meters. I bet by now he can feel their presence looming on his head.

Nothing happens,

But I can tell the man is on the verge of exploding, the boy and the girl are just looking at this ticking bomb, its pressure building, causing his insides to poke out until it finally bursts.

“I am so sorry!” he cries out—loud, this is the first time I’ve heard his voice-

“I didn’t want to do it, I didn’t want to cut both your life short, because of my mistake!!”

…

“I can’t even look at what I did, I am so sorry I never meant this I swear”

His head still locked to the ground while his body top to bottom trembles like lighting, he continues,

“I chose to relive the accident, every single day. I wonder why? Why have I done that stupid mistake, why have I decided to throw my life away”

He takes a second to catch his breath placing his hand to his heart he exclaims

“And bring innocent life with me!”

I keep eavesdropping with caution as his voice begins to crack,

“10 years have passed… and I can’t even answer that question, this action does not represent me, I always was grateful for life… I am not a murderer!”

My ears never felt such raw emotion before…

“My life pushed me to do it, I tried to live my life one day at a time, but each day kept getting worse, phone call after phone call, tragedy after tragedy. I could bare it no more; I grew old of spectating all I cared for die”

As the man regained his composure he kept going,

“For once I thought, if I did this, if I just let go to whatever was keeping me there, I could go to a place where I can see them again”

After he let that out his body returned to what I was used to, he finally broke the chains and raised his head to the couple,

“But I should have known better… because of my naïve actions and because of what I did we are face to face here and not where we are supposed to be…”

“I am so sorry for what I have done”

With the tranquility that characterized this man he apologized to the husks that used to hold a soul. Them shifting their shape into a light that ascended towards the grey clouds high above I finally found the reason for my presence.

This man… is the soul I was sent to redeem form purgatory.