The Diner


 

 

 

       I found him sitting at a booth near the end of the aisle next to the window. He was nearly finished with his meal when I sat down across from him. He sighed and I could tell he knew who I was.

 

        “Time's up, I guess,” he said wiping his lips with a napkin. I said nothing. The waitress came over and asked if she could get me anything and I thanked her but told her I was fine. She smiled at the two of us and with a wink to the other side of the table went to assist her other tables.

 

     "She really is an angel." He said with certainty, and I could tell this was not his second or even third time coming to eat here.

 

    "I bet she is, old man."

 

The man jumped up as if shocked back to youth in response to this.

 

    "No really! She is an angel!" He exclaimed, "And if all of the angels' are like her in heaven I won't mind going so much!" I looked back at him.

 

    "Let’s be honest, old man, you're not going to heaven." The man sighed and a sober look came over him that seemed to make the wrinkles on his face sink deeper. We all pay our dues when we reach the end of the line and his train had just come in.

 

    "You're probably right, but it would be nice if they were all like her." For a moment I didn't want to have to kill the man, but the choice wasn't completely up to me. We both stood up and calmly walked outside coming to the unseen place where I shot him.