I once saw a man die. He looked shocked to see me. His eyes wide open and teary. But it was too late. The trigger was pulled. Life is just a series of random events that we walk into. Unwelcome guests.
His name was Mr White. He had two daughters; Janet and Kim, and a wife; Karien. He was quiet and distant.His classes were boring and stale. I never had the pleasure of being taught by Mr White, but Janine had. She was the reason I was there.
I had art with the youngest daughter, Janet. She was much like her father; quiet and distant, but her paintings were vivid, loud and full of colour.
One day Karel took their daughters and left Mr White. They flew to the United States to be with her much younger boyfriend. That same day Mr White took the .38 from his safe and put in his bag. He decided to come to class early. He stuck the gun into his mouth just as I opened the door to his classroom. I don't know if he would have really pulled the trigger or if it was me scaring him that made him pull the trigger. He looked straight at me for a split second and then in a spray of red mist he was gone.
Janine had claimed to have been off sick, but really she was just miserable with school and how fake it was. She had just read 'A Catcher in the Rye' and had begun thinking a lot of things were 'phony'. I knew if she didn't finish her year end assignment for Mr White's class she would fail the year. I couldn't take the risk of losing her. I went with the plan of convincing Mr White that Janine had swine flu and I would collect her homework for her. I should learn to knock before entering a room.
The whole class was let off of having to complete the task.
