Christine Hill
My Friend Eddie
He was a familiar visitor to the local surgery. The receptionists knew him well and always treated him with the utmost respect. This was always considered to be the best policy with him knowing of his very colourful and sometimes dramatic history. He was well known for being bi-sexual, frequently the worse for wear with alcohol or drugs, sometimes suicidal and it was always debatable whether he would be with a girlfriend or a male friend. On most occasions when he came he was in a sorry state, unkempt and unshaven. Usually he would be sociable with the receptionists that he knew best but he was always very anxious if he thought for one minute that he was not going to get what he came for. His regular visits were normally to collect his repeat prescription for anti-depressants. Because of his history of attempted suicide he was only issued with a weeks supply at a time.
When Janet saw Eddie approaching the reception window that Wednesday afternoon she was surprised to see that he was smartly dressed wearing a suit, shirt and even a tie. He was clean shaven and looked amazingly handsome. And he was actually smiling.
“Well Eddie, what a surprise,” she began as he approached the reception desk.
“Bet you never thought you would see me properly dressed,” he chuckled. “You will never guess what! I am going to get married!”
“You look great Eddie!” she replied. “Well that’s wonderful news. And who is the lucky person?”
“Pete!” he replied looking puzzled as if Janet should have known that.
“Oh great!” said Janet, “and what can I do for you today then?”
“The usual, my prescription please,” and he flashed another endearing smile.
Janet rummaged through the box file until she found his prescription and then handed it to him. He took it from her and walked away, waving his hand as he left.
“See you next week,” he called.
“Bye Eddie.”
It was three hours later when Janet saw Eddie re-entering the surgery doors. This time he was not smiling. No longer was he immaculately dressed as he had been earlier that day. His tie was hanging loosely round his shirt collar, his jacket sleeve was torn and his trousers looked as if he had been rolling around in a field.
Janet saw that Eddie was obviously distressed and she offered him a tissue to dry his eyes. From past experience she knew it was pointless in asking him the problem immediately; he would tell her in his own time. Usually when he came in this kind of state, it was when he had no money for alcohol.
“You’ve got to help me,” he began as he leaned towards her at the reception desk. “It’s all gone wrong, it was supposed to be our celebration this afternoon at The Gardners but when I got there, Pete wasn’t there and John said he has packed all his things and he has left. I can’t believe it, I really can’t. We were to be married,” and the tears flowed again.
“Oh I am sure there must be some misunderstanding, Eddie, maybe if you go round home, he will be there,” soothed Janet, as she tried to attend to other patients at the reception window.
Eddie shook his head in his misery and said that Pete was the love of his life and without him life wasn’t worth living. He announced that he was going to finish it all. Janet knew from previous experience that he was well known for attempted suicides and that all the local chemists were aware of Eddie’s problems and would refuse to sell him any paracetamol or similar so she felt confident that he would most likely make his way home as she had suggested.
At ten minutes before closing time, the cleaners were busy hoovering the reception waiting area when Eddie reappeared. This time he did not go to the window but he approached one of the cleaners. At that moment Janet was busy on the telephone and by the time she had ended the call Eddie had disappeared again. Becoming concerned she called the cleaner over and asked her what Eddie had said.
“Oh he asked me if I had any old rope, but of course I don’t have any. So I told him to go down to the boiler-house and see if the caretaker is down there, he might have some.”
“So did you see where he went? Did he go downstairs then?” asked Janet.
“Well he said he was going to look for Harry the caretaker,” she continued.
As Janet sped down the six flights of stairs she was worried at what sight might meet her eyes. Eddie was more than capable of finding another way to commit suicide, she knew only too well. He had tried several times and in many different ways but no doubt one day he might just manage it. He was well known to the psychiatric teams at the hospital. She hoped that Harry was there and maybe they would just be sitting chatting. He always had a soft spot for Eddie and all his troubles and liked to think that by talking to him that it would help.
As she approached the door to the boiler room she could hear the hum of the motors which became increasingly loud as she opened the door. It was very dark inside and she searched for a switch for the light. She flicked it on and looked around. She could see nobody. She called out,
“Eddie? Harry? Is anybody in here?” There was no response. Janet made her way cautiously around to the other side of the boilers and she froze in her tracks as she saw a shape in the shadows. She gasped in horror hardly daring to go a step further, but she knew she must. As the figure in the shadows began to sway, suddenly there was a voice from behind her. To go any further might be a step too far.
“What’s going on in here?” demanded the deep gruff voice. Janet recognised it as Harry. She breathed a sigh of relief but then turned her attention to the shape in front of her and she pointed, indicating to Harry that there was someone there. Harry flicked on a light from a huge torch and strode towards the shape. Hardly daring to move, Janet waited anxiously for Harry to speak.
“Oh not again Eddie,” Harry exclaimed. “Quickly Janet, come and help me get him down from here.”
Between the two of them they managed somehow to lower Eddie down from his noose on to the floor.
As with all of his suicide attempts so far, once again Eddie had failed. The rope he had managed to find was not strong enough to support his weight and he had slid at an angle and become wedged behind an old filing cabinet. Fortunately Janet and Harry had been in time and he was still breathing. As they waited for the ambulance to arrive, Eddie opened his eyes to see them both and he said,
“Oh no, I’ve failed again haven’t I? Why did you have to come and find me? I don’t want to be here, don’t you understand?”
A week later, Janet looked up to see Eddie approaching the reception window. He was grinning from ear to ear. He had a friend with him and he couldn’t wait to say to Janet,
“Hello girls, this is Carol,” and he flashed her an adoring glance. Then he continued, “We are going to move to Darlington but before that we are going to get married and I would be honoured if you and all the girls would come to our wedding,” and he looked expectantly at Janet. Shocked at the unexpected invitation she replied,
“Oh that’s wonderful Eddie, I hope it all goes well for you,” and she smiled at him.
“It will be at twelve o’clock on Friday at the Civic Centre,” he explained. Janet and all the girls knew that they would be on duty at that time and therefore unable to attend but they all wished him well. Eddie and Carol strode out of the health centre arm in arm, obviously deliriously happy in each other’s company. The girls all had a giggle but Janet was pleased that Eddie had finally found someone to share his life with.
It was two weeks later when Janet was opening the post when she picked up a lilac coloured envelope which was hand addressed to her personally. Intrigued she opened it and gasped in surprise as she took out the contents.
“Look girls!” she announced loudly to all her colleagues as she held up a photograph depicting Eddie and Carol all dressed in the finery on their wedding day. “Well they certainly look happy!” she remarked. “Let’s hope that this will be a new beginning for dear old Eddie!” and Janet never heard from Eddie again.
My Friend Eddie
He was a familiar visitor to the local surgery. The receptionists knew him well and always treated him with the utmost respect. This was always considered to be the best policy with him knowing of his very colourful and sometimes dramatic history. He was well known for being bi-sexual, frequently the worse for wear with alcohol or drugs, sometimes suicidal and it was always debatable whether he would be with a girlfriend or a male friend. On most occasions when he came he was in a sorry state, unkempt and unshaven. Usually he would be sociable with the receptionists that he knew best but he was always very anxious if he thought for one minute that he was not going to get what he came for. His regular visits were normally to collect his repeat prescription for anti-depressants. Because of his history of attempted suicide he was only issued with a weeks supply at a time.
When Janet saw Eddie approaching the reception window that Wednesday afternoon she was surprised to see that he was smartly dressed wearing a suit, shirt and even a tie. He was clean shaven and looked amazingly handsome. And he was actually smiling.
“Well Eddie, what a surprise,” she began as he approached the reception desk.
“Bet you never thought you would see me properly dressed,” he chuckled. “You will never guess what! I am going to get married!”
“You look great Eddie!” she replied. “Well that’s wonderful news. And who is the lucky person?”
“Pete!” he replied looking puzzled as if Janet should have known that.
“Oh great!” said Janet, “and what can I do for you today then?”
“The usual, my prescription please,” and he flashed another endearing smile.
Janet rummaged through the box file until she found his prescription and then handed it to him. He took it from her and walked away, waving his hand as he left.
“See you next week,” he called.
“Bye Eddie.”
It was three hours later when Janet saw Eddie re-entering the surgery doors. This time he was not smiling. No longer was he immaculately dressed as he had been earlier that day. His tie was hanging loosely round his shirt collar, his jacket sleeve was torn and his trousers looked as if he had been rolling around in a field.
Janet saw that Eddie was obviously distressed and she offered him a tissue to dry his eyes. From past experience she knew it was pointless in asking him the problem immediately; he would tell her in his own time. Usually when he came in this kind of state, it was when he had no money for alcohol.
“You’ve got to help me,” he began as he leaned towards her at the reception desk. “It’s all gone wrong, it was supposed to be our celebration this afternoon at The Gardners but when I got there, Pete wasn’t there and John said he has packed all his things and he has left. I can’t believe it, I really can’t. We were to be married,” and the tears flowed again.
“Oh I am sure there must be some misunderstanding, Eddie, maybe if you go round home, he will be there,” soothed Janet, as she tried to attend to other patients at the reception window.
Eddie shook his head in his misery and said that Pete was the love of his life and without him life wasn’t worth living. He announced that he was going to finish it all. Janet knew from previous experience that he was well known for attempted suicides and that all the local chemists were aware of Eddie’s problems and would refuse to sell him any paracetamol or similar so she felt confident that he would most likely make his way home as she had suggested.
At ten minutes before closing time, the cleaners were busy hoovering the reception waiting area when Eddie reappeared. This time he did not go to the window but he approached one of the cleaners. At that moment Janet was busy on the telephone and by the time she had ended the call Eddie had disappeared again. Becoming concerned she called the cleaner over and asked her what Eddie had said.
“Oh he asked me if I had any old rope, but of course I don’t have any. So I told him to go down to the boiler-house and see if the caretaker is down there, he might have some.”
“So did you see where he went? Did he go downstairs then?” asked Janet.
“Well he said he was going to look for Harry the caretaker,” she continued.
As Janet sped down the six flights of stairs she was worried at what sight might meet her eyes. Eddie was more than capable of finding another way to commit suicide, she knew only too well. He had tried several times and in many different ways but no doubt one day he might just manage it. He was well known to the psychiatric teams at the hospital. She hoped that Harry was there and maybe they would just be sitting chatting. He always had a soft spot for Eddie and all his troubles and liked to think that by talking to him that it would help.
As she approached the door to the boiler room she could hear the hum of the motors which became increasingly loud as she opened the door. It was very dark inside and she searched for a switch for the light. She flicked it on and looked around. She could see nobody. She called out,
“Eddie? Harry? Is anybody in here?” There was no response. Janet made her way cautiously around to the other side of the boilers and she froze in her tracks as she saw a shape in the shadows. She gasped in horror hardly daring to go a step further, but she knew she must. As the figure in the shadows began to sway, suddenly there was a voice from behind her. To go any further might be a step too far.
“What’s going on in here?” demanded the deep gruff voice. Janet recognised it as Harry. She breathed a sigh of relief but then turned her attention to the shape in front of her and she pointed, indicating to Harry that there was someone there. Harry flicked on a light from a huge torch and strode towards the shape. Hardly daring to move, Janet waited anxiously for Harry to speak.
“Oh not again Eddie,” Harry exclaimed. “Quickly Janet, come and help me get him down from here.”
Between the two of them they managed somehow to lower Eddie down from his noose on to the floor.
As with all of his suicide attempts so far, once again Eddie had failed. The rope he had managed to find was not strong enough to support his weight and he had slid at an angle and become wedged behind an old filing cabinet. Fortunately Janet and Harry had been in time and he was still breathing. As they waited for the ambulance to arrive, Eddie opened his eyes to see them both and he said,
“Oh no, I’ve failed again haven’t I? Why did you have to come and find me? I don’t want to be here, don’t you understand?”
A week later, Janet looked up to see Eddie approaching the reception window. He was grinning from ear to ear. He had a friend with him and he couldn’t wait to say to Janet,
“Hello girls, this is Carol,” and he flashed her an adoring glance. Then he continued, “We are going to move to Darlington but before that we are going to get married and I would be honoured if you and all the girls would come to our wedding,” and he looked expectantly at Janet. Shocked at the unexpected invitation she replied,
“Oh that’s wonderful Eddie, I hope it all goes well for you,” and she smiled at him.
“It will be at twelve o’clock on Friday at the Civic Centre,” he explained. Janet and all the girls knew that they would be on duty at that time and therefore unable to attend but they all wished him well. Eddie and Carol strode out of the health centre arm in arm, obviously deliriously happy in each other’s company. The girls all had a giggle but Janet was pleased that Eddie had finally found someone to share his life with.
It was two weeks later when Janet was opening the post when she picked up a lilac coloured envelope which was hand addressed to her personally. Intrigued she opened it and gasped in surprise as she took out the contents.
“Look girls!” she announced loudly to all her colleagues as she held up a photograph depicting Eddie and Carol all dressed in the finery on their wedding day. “Well they certainly look happy!” she remarked. “Let’s hope that this will be a new beginning for dear old Eddie!” and Janet never heard from Eddie again.