Ray

The evening was chilly. I was returning from work when the city had already completely sunk into twilight. Heavy raindrops methodically drummed on the dome of my umbrella, and the light from the lone street lamps blurred into oily patches in the mirror-like puddles. As I passed the park, I noticed a lone silhouette deep in the alley. A young man sat on a bench, his back exposed to the icy rain. He made no attempt to hide from the downpour, and his shoulders trembled with barely audible sobs. Something about this scene of absolute loneliness made me stop. I turned off the sidewalk, came closer and, covering him with my umbrella, quietly sat down next to him. "Excuse me, did something happen?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper so as not to scare him. The boy shuddered, slowly raised his head, and in the dim light I saw his face, wet from tears and rain. For a second he looked at me in confusion, and then, as if he had finally broken down, he simply leaned against my shoulder. Forgetting all about propriety and distance, he buried his face in my coat and, through ragged breathing, uttered what was burning inside him:

• She cheated on me... She just went and destroyed everything. I sat silently next to him, feeling my shoulder getting wet, and I understood that he didn’t need advice now – only this small dry island under my umbrella.