BEST FRIENDS - Final Chapter

The man couldn't believe what his friend had said and exclaimed, "She left?  Where did she go?"

"I don't know?  Just off!" he answered somewhat perturbed.  "What does it matter?  She left and that's it!"

As small grey flakes of snow were collecting on the man's head and shoulders he thought, that's odd.  I know the snow isn't very deep yet but even so, there isn't really anywhere for her to go.  Something's not quite right - the last time I saw them, which was a little less than a month ago, they seemed pefectly happy, well as happy as anyone could be under the circumstances.

"Did she give any reasons why she left?" the man asked.

"If you must know," his friend said, "She ran off with a passerby she took a shine to; he told her he had a nicer place and could offer her a lot more."

The tone of his friend's voice and his not being the least bit broken-hearted about his woman leaving, alarmed the man, especially as he watched him nervously fidgeting beside him.  He was lying; but why?

"The truth is," his friend said, "My woman and I got into an argument about a week ago; she was always nagging me and she was so plain; not like your woman.  I didn't mean to hit her, but when I did, I just couldn't seem to stop."

While the man was pondering his friend's dilemma and nervous actions, his friend suddenly pulled a pistol from his pocket and aimed it at his head. "I didn't want to do this," he said.  "We've been friends for too many years and been through so much tragedy together - you're like my brother."

"This isn't the way brother's act," the man calmly said even though a revolver was pointing at his head.

"Put your gun away.  I didn't realize you were so hungry and desperate.  We'll try to work it out."

His friend just laughed, "Work it out you say.  You don't seem to understand; it's not just your food I want; I want your woman too.  If you would just go away with the boys and leave the woman behind, I'd let you go.  But I know you. You wouldn't leave without her."

And so," as he began standing up, the revolver steady in his hand, "I'm truly sorry it had to come to this."

A single shot echoed throughout the naked trees frightening a nearby rabbit, which quickly scampered off into a little hole at the base of a tree.  When all was silent again, the grey snow gently gusting about the man sitting on the fallen tree, a large hole in the side of his coat and a smoking revolver in his hand, his best friend lying dead at his feet he said, "I'm sorry too."