Impressions

         A knock. Oh, how I loathe those. Where there's a knock on a door, there is a person behind it. I ignore the knock. Perhaps the unwanted guest will leave.
         They don't. In fact, just to taunt me, they hit the door harder.
         I open it. "What do you want."
         The woman that stands before me asks, "Are you Mr. Marcer?"
         "Yes." I say. "What did you come here for?"
         "I'm Jaine's mother." She says.
         Horror strikes me. Jaine: A high school girl. Me: A twenty-six year old man. I know the news. I know the stories. I met this girl once and never saw her again. Who knows what she told her mother. Who knows what devious acts I am falsely accused of. After all, it's her word over mine. Great! I'm being accused of a horrible crime that I didn't commit! That's what I get for doing the one nice thing for someone...

SIX DAYS EARLIER

         "May I give you a task?" My therapist asked me.
         "Whatever." I really didn't care to hear it. But I was going to anyway. I must admit that I can't complain that these sessions are a waste of my money since my brother is paying for them. But these damn sessions are still a waste of my time.
         "I am aware that you seem to have a cynical outlook towards other people, to the point that you hold a view of aversion and distrust."
         Wow. What a genius. "And?"
         So when you leave this office, I want you to go out of your way and do a random act of kindness." My therapist said this as if I should be excited.
         What does she want me to do? Cheer and agree? "What will this accomplish?"
         "If you find it difficult to trust others then try to make it so that they can trust you. Just try it. And tell me what you did after the meeting." Her false smile concluded the sentence.
         "Fine." The session was finally over. I stood up and walked out. The new England Winter wind mocked me with a random chilling gust. I got to my car and left the town to head home. I was on the freeway, about a quarter of a mile from the bridge that had a frozen river beneath it. A foolish girl was walking to it from the breakdown lane. She was heading in the same direction as I was.
         What is she? An idiot? Walking in this weather she must be.
         I pulled over. "Do you need a lift?"
         "Okay." She said and got into my car.
         "Where are you headed?" I asked.
         She turned her head and looked at me. Just looked. Finally she answered my simple question, "Lahey Hospital."
         "Appointment?" My one word attempt at small talk.
         "Yeah." Her one word answer.
         Do I have to spoon feed her a conversation? "The name's Marcer."
         "Jaine." She responded. "Marcer, huh? Funny name."
         "No. Marcer is my last name. My first name is, Daniel."
         "In that case, thank you, Daniel."
         "I'm glad I could help." I hid my apathy when I said this. I took the exit.
         "You live around here?" My four word conversation attempt.
         "No. I live in the next town over."
         "I see. Got any friends near here?" I asked pretending that I'm interested.
         "Not really. I often get picked on at school." She said with a sigh.
         I made it to her destination. I dropped her off. "Sorry," I told her. "but I won't be able to pick you up."
         "It's okay. Thanks again."
         "You're welcome." I said, then proceeded to drive off.
         I did my damn random act of kindness. That should be enough to make my therapist happy.

PRESENT

         "And- how did you find me?" I ask Jaine's mother.
         "Phone book." She says. "It provides an address as well as a telephone number. I tried calling but you weren't there to answer."
         So she was the one that has been calling me, ALL WEEK LONG! "So. What- do you- want?"
         "I would like to thank you." She says.
         "Excuse me?"
         She tells me, "According to Jaine, she was about to-" She pauses.
         "About to?"
         "To- jump- off a bridge. She said that your caring actions changed her mind and she recommended her self to a hospital to get help. Her eyes start to tear up she seems like she's trying to hold them back. "You saved my daughter's life. Thank you."

END