Sitting just under the bridge in his tired second hand car with the heating on he knew that he would not get out into the cold. Far less would he walk along the pathway beside the road over the mile long bridge. Much less again would he have the guts, because that was what he told him was stopping himself, would he be able to jump into the freezing January river two hundred feet below.
He saw the various numbers posted, in lighting, next to the pedestrian access for those who were thinking the unthinkable. Looking at the freephone number, suicide prevention, he called. More as a distraction from himself than for any real hope for peace.
Mark answered. He introduced himself, in a calm, soft, even caring perhaps, voice. The first words came easy to Paul and he started to talk. Looking down to the dashboard of his car, he noticed that it was gone midnight, and realised that he had spoken non-stop for around two hours.
He has explained everything. His loneliness, his lack of fufillment, his sense of never being able to be happy, financial worries, lack of relationship and his hidden sexual needs that he could tell no one about. He felt better, smiling to himself, as he realised he had openly spoken about bisexuality to another man for the first time in his life. He felt elated, though absentmindedly touching himself - aroused, and ashamed at the same time.
Still it came as a bigger surprise when Mark offered to exchange personal numbers - but in his state of euphoria and release from his inner burdens he did not hesitate and verbally confirmed his number to Mark.
The next day, back at work again, the gruellingly lonely weekend over yet again, he was absorbed in the code of the latest client website when his phone went. It was easy for the smile to come when he saw who the text was from and even easier to confirm, via text, that yes it was OK for him to be contact directly. He even thanked Mark again for his patience and caring words last night.
It was not long, reflection makes everything look clear, though before the texts changed. Though it was after Paul has shared more of his life. Where he worked, what he did for a living and, he did think it strange at the time, the car and street he lived in. The growing sense of unease, though still tainted with the hope that he had someone he could share with, was confirmed when Mark asked him to send a pic of himself. He definitely knew, even when he sent it, that it was just all wrong then but he sent it all the same.
Then knowing he realised, in a fit of self-protection, he knew nothing about Mark except for the fact he manned a suicide line. At the time Paul did not realise the charity providing such services had been closed and, the number, had been taken over by Mark. The unease became downright anxiety, even fear creeping in a little, when Mark sent him a summary of everything he had told him last night and the details of his life as it was today.