The Things That Will Be

Chapter Three

Willow Tree was one of those places that despite all of the sun it got, it could get cool. Today was quite a cool day. Not too hot but not too cold.

James had jogged from the house to the park. There were several people walking their dogs, several people pushing baby carriages, and many people talking on their phones or just taking a stroll through the park.

James sat on a bench after jogging for about an hour and stared at the park and the people within it.

James looked at the parents with their baby carriages. A certain feeling had overcame him. He saw himself and Eileen in that position though at the same time he did not.

There was a familiar yet strange feeling he had when he saw the carriage. He could not understand or describe it. He just felt it.

"Jim Maxwell? A voice asked. James snapped out of his mere hypnosis and looked over at the person who called his name. It was a middle aged man who had a trimmed beard and nice blue ryes. James did not recognize the person he saw. 

"I'm sorry....do I know you?" James asked. The man chuckled in a light-hearted way.

"Yeah, it's me Corgan. Mike Corgan from fucking high school, man." The man said. Finally, it donned on James.

"Oh, Mikey! How's it been, man?" James asked. He got up and gave his high school friend a hug. The two sat down.

"Well, it's nice to see you. You look different than I last remember." James said. Mike nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, that's what turning 28 will do to ya." Mike said.

"So, how have you been?" James asked.

"I've been good. I've been good. Whay about you?" Mike asked. James thought about it.

"Eh, semi fine, I guess." James said. "Just some personal things." Mike nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mike asked, staring at his old friend in the eyes. There was a deep concern in them dwelling in his being. James shook his head. Mike nodded.

"So, uh, what have you been up to these days?" James asked. Mike cleared his throat.

"Well, I've been working part-time at this comic studio for awhile now. I've been working alongside the world's best forgotten minds." Mike said with a little laugh. James chuckled at the joke a little.

"What about you, where do you work?" Mike asked. James answered.

"I work at this entrepreneur type deal. A sort of firm so to speak." James said. Mike nodded.

"Alright, sounds kinda boring but you know what they say: different strokes for different folks." Mike said. James nodded.

James remained staring out into oblivion. Mike knew that whatever was going on in his friend's head was bugging him.

"You want to talk about it, don't you Jim?" Mike asked. James nodded. Even though he felt he didn't want to, he kind of wanted to.

"It's abour my wife, Eileen." James said. "I'm worried for her." Mike nodded and listened to him.

"Go on." Mike said. James did.

"Well, we're a good couple. We hardly ever fight. We are what you would see as a match made in Heaven. But, Eileen has...well....she has suicidal tendencies. She can't help it. One day, I found her in the bathroom slitting her wrists with a razorblade. I stopped her and took her to a hospital and got her help. She doesn't want to hurt herself, it just happens. Well, ever since I found her killing herself in that bathroom, it got me thinking. What if one of these days our son or daughter walks in and catches her doing that to herself? What kind of mother would that make her? What kind of father would that make me?" James said. Mike nodded.