Impossible Wings
By Joshua P’ng
If he had not forgotten the cleaning fluid by some stroke of fate, he would never have passed by the service staircase to retrieve it, and in that moment noticed the door to the service staircase closing. Then, finding himself standing in a concrete staircase momentarily adrift, he looked up above him to see the fleetness of feet – which by more than happenstance; he could have easily deluded himself to having imagined. Even though fate played a hand, it was still his choice, one he hadn’t given much thought to or wouldn’t have even realized the ramifications of until he would return perplexed and inexplicably saddened, finally realizing his cognitive thoughts that begun with his arrival at the roof’s door, opening it, and meeting her.
Her back was turned to him, strong black hair waving to the sky. She wore clothing girls of her age were prone to wear: tight, short whitish crinkled jeans and a white tank top. Her appearance would not have seemed different from those typical girls he would see giggling, clutching each other on their way to their lives; if not for where she had chosen to stand: on the edge, just above the precipice below. In that moment all he felt was the unforgiving wind rattling his shirt, fluttering against his skin as the building trembled whilst the girl’s figure moved with it. He could be forgiven for his immediate response.
“Hey! What are you doing up here?” he howled out against the sky.
She turned to him, having a confident smile that was more than he felt comfortable with her having, realizing why she was standing at the edge, the knowledge weakening him.
“Hey, uh you better get down from there before you fall off!” he shouted at her, scared now as he edged closer across roof pebble while she still stood swaying with the sky scrapper.
“Would you believe me if I told you I am already an angel and death is nothing to be scared of?” she replied back, her voice shooting easily across the wind, her words confirming to him what she meant to do.
“Wait! Don’t jump!” he pleaded as he came near with trembling steps “you may believe this is your only choice, just please trust me, There is always another chance, just step away from the ledge, please.” His imagination retched with the image of her broken body, limbs askew.
“Yes you should trust in that, but I’ve made my choice already.” She told him, walking along on the edge, with not a tear in her eye.
Oh God why is such a young girl killing herself? And why I am the unlucky bastard’s whose going to have to stop her!
She moved a body’s length away from him, just beyond the reach of his arms.
“No please stop! I don’t know why you chose this place, but could you just step away and talk with me about this?” he begged once again, a plan to stop her already decided.
She stood now at the corner of the edge, like she had all the time in the world, “It’s not too late for you to understand. I already have wings – angel wings – to take me away from here” she said.
“What, you’re just going to fly away?” he questioned, disbelief written all over his face.
“Yes, Can you believe what you see to be impossible? Just watch and you’ll see my wings.”
He stopped just then, a handbreadth away from grabbing her.
In that moment, almost in awe at her unshakeable faith, he almost believed he could see wings ready to take her to the sky and he felt soothed. Then his well-being demanded him to think, People cannot fly, that’s impossible! He imagined the grieving parents, the hard-faced cops, and his boss all looking at him for answers he wasn’t sure he could provide.
He did what he chosen to do – what he always meant to do if he could believe that.
He expected to feel soft flesh gripped in his arms when he lunged for her, to be pulled toward him and away from the edge. But she already knew, her eyes sad with the truth, before he felt open air within his arms.
And then he watched, astounded and then saddened, as she flew away with what he could almost imagine but never see to be angel wings. They carried her away from the skyline and beyond into the sky, leaving him alone, safe and away from the edge.
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