The Man in the Park

One Saturday evening in early May, I began to feel very lonesome and bored. Therefore, I rode my bicycle into the "Old Town" of Duesseldorf where people go looking for fun and pleasure on the weekends. One might call it, The Place of A Thousand and One Pubs!

   So, I walked aimlessly through the little streets wondering what to do. I do not normally like such places with so many people, much drunkenness, and noise. But, I was feeling out of sorts and searching for diversion.

   Suddenly, I noticed a piece of paper on the ground and picked it up.  It was a religious tract, talking about Jesus and the Bible. And on the other side was the address of a Free Evangelic Church.
   Immediately one question came to mind: Is it perhaps Claudia`s church? It was possible, but not sure. More than likely, there were many other free churches in town as well.
    Open meeting today! I read in the tract. I remembered Claudia’s

invitation. Should I give it a try? Maybe I’ll meet Claudia. Wouldn’t she be surprised? I smiled!
   Then I suddenly remembered that her fiance, the deacon, would naturally be there also! No, thanks!  I thought and put the little tract in my pocket.

Later, I went to a disco. I had barely entered the door and began walking through the room when a young man accosted me with loud and offensive language. I stopped and asked him, "Hey, what’s your problem? I have done nothing wrong to you! So, what’s eating you?"
   Now he became angry, shouting at me loudly, and it may have come to a fight! Fortunately, his girl friend pulled him away, and with an apologetic smile to me, said, "He’s drunk! Don’t mind him!"
   This encounter had made my day. I immediately left the disco, got on my bicycle, and left the "Old Town" in one foul mood!

On my way home I rode through a park. It was after 10 o’clock in the evening and already dark.  Passing a little lake, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, a young man standing at its edge looking towards the water. I didn’t give it a second thought. But suddenly I heard him talking loudly, "I feel so bad! I want to die! I’m going to kill myself!"I was puzzled and slowed down. What was going on here?

    Again his words rang out, "I don’t want to live! I’m going to kill myself!" Now I stopped. It looked as if the man was talking to himself and hadn`t recognized me. Or did he pretend to be unaware of me and this was a cry for help?

   "Oh, I want die. I’ll kill myself!" he yelled again. Hesitantly and without great enthusiasm, I got off my bike and cautiously approached him. "Hello, what’s the matter with you?" The young man turned half around and looked at me. He had an open, almost handsome face, but with a sad expression on it. “I`m so lonely!”, he said, “I have no friends. I wanna`die!"

Obviously a very unhappy person! But what could I do for him? I felt some way unhappy and lonely, too. "So, what`s your name?", I asked him. "Frank!" was his answer. I gave him a symphatetic smile. "Frank", I said, "you´re young and smart. There is no reason to throw your life away!"

    He gave me a shy, sad look. “But I feel so lonely. No one want to be my friend!” “But, look, Frank, you`re are still young and so many things can happen in life. Surely you will find friends, sooner or later!”

   So, I talked with him for a little while longer hoping to convince him. And actually, his mood did seem to change. He listened with an interested expression, and one time he actually smiled. At that point I thought that my job was done. And I said, "Okay, Frank, I have to move on now. Sure you will not do any nonsense?"

    Immediately, he went back to the previous sad and complaining tone, "When you leave me now, I’m still going to kill myself! I feel so lonely."  I felt a surge of anger rising throughout my body. Do I have not problems enough on my own? Wasting my time with this stupid!

But I forced myself to calm down and, instead of giving him some harsh words, I asked, "So, tell me, how do you intend to kill yourself?" He looked towards the lake, "I’ll jump into the lake!" I laughed a little bit in disbelief: "What! The lake is not more than seven feet deep in the middle. How will you kill yourself in it?" After a short pause he said calmly: "I cannot swim!"
   I was becoming extremely tired of this conversation, but did not know how to escape. So I continued talking. After another 10 minutes, I said to him, "Really, Frank, I have to go now!" He smiled at me and said: "I’m coming with you!"                                                

After a little while we were out of the park and walking the streets of Duesseldorf. At last, I had accepted his wish to go with me, but only to get some distance between him and the lake. I was waiting now for a good chance to get rid of him.

    We were just talking about one of his psychological problems, when he suddenly stopped. "Do you want have some tea with me?", he asked me. But before I could answer he went to the entrance of a large building and opened the door. "This is the Jesus-house!” He grinned, “Jesus-freaks, you know?They had an assembly tonight!"

   Actually, the building was fully illuminated, but no one was visible inside. I hesitated. "But when it is over, why do you want go in?" He smiled, "They always open the tea-room after an assembly. You get tea and biscuits and can talk with that Christians!" A man and a young woman came downstairs and walked out of the building.

"You are one of them, Frank?" I asked. He laughed, "No, no, don`t worry! I`m not a Jesus-freak! But sometimes I go afterwards to the tea-room for conversation! They are really nice people!” He made an inviting gesture. “Let’s go inside?"

     Suddenly I realized my chance, "Sorry, Frank! I am tired and I’m going to ride home now!" I got on my bicycle quickly. "But you should go inside! Have a cup of tea with them. Bye!" And I started riding away not turning around when I heard him cry, "Wait! I'll come with you!