He sighed heavily. 'I don't think we're right for each other.'
‘Why don’t you cool it for a couple of days?’ I advised, wanting to help but not wanting to get too involved.
‘Nah, that’ll just drag it out - I’ll tell her now.’ And he began composing a message on his phone, thumbs dancing over the tiny keyboard.
‘No - not like that - that’s really unkind go and see her ...’
‘Too late.’ And he walked forward with a spring in his step, chattering happily now about a course his employers were sending him on, a design for a tattoo, the speakers he wanted for his car, and other stuff close to a young man’s heart.
His phone starting beeping, as messages arrived. Standing under a street light he read them.
‘From her?’
He nodded. ‘Oh god, she sounds really cut up. She says she’s crying her heart out, she doesn’t want me, she needs me.’
Even as he read message after message pinged in, all from her, all in the same ‘please I know we can make it work’ vein.
‘Oh god, what am I going to do?’ He really was miserable again.
‘Nothing you can do now. I told you not to dump her by phone.’ People sometimes call me hard when I’m realistic.
‘But she sounds so .... crazy! What if she commits suicide or something?’
I didn’t laugh, he sounded desperate himself.
He’d been dating her for five days, they were both barely out of their teens and already this young girl had invested all her hopes and dreams into a young man without even knowing what toothpaste he used for christsakes!
But I remembered when my own life revolved around someone else, and the agony of break up. All I could do was give him the same advice my mother had given me.
‘You’re not responsible for anybody else’s actions. You can’t force yourself to love someone, and you can’t make someone love you.’
Freewill. It’s the greatest gift of all. Use it wisely. And chose with care the people you depend on for your happiness.