My 2 Second Shelf Life

Rocketalk's post "Last Call" made me think of something that happened a long, long time ago.

When I was in my early twenties, just before I went back to school, I worked in a daycare centre.

There was one young single mom who used to bend my ear. Every time she picked up her daughter, she engaged me in conversation about the various dramas that were unfolding in her life. I knew she was troubled, and so did all of my co-workers.

Everyone that worked there would find something to do as soon as they saw her walk in because no one wanted to be sucked into 30 minutes of therapy with her.
One evening, I was the only one left and was in a hurry to catch the bus for my hour long trip home. If I missed that 6.10pm bus, I'd have to wait another 20 minutes to catch the next one. I just wanted to go home.
She walked in at 5.58pm and started to engage me in conversation about how she was having trouble coping with things, and how depressed she was.

I cut her off and told her that I had to get going.

All I could think about was not missing that bus...and she still had to gather her things together and sort her child out, and I had to do my walk through, and lock up.

The next day, I came to work to find out that she had jumped off of her eighth floor balcony.
The police had to break down the door to get her daughter.

I always wonder what would have happened if I had have missed my 6.10 bus and just listened to her.