The Last Conversation

THE

LAST

CONVERSATION

I once had a conversation with a young man who was heading down what I believed to be the wrong path. Although I had never seen him use drugs, the signs were as obvious as the sun setting on the most beautiful of days. It was sad to see the light diminish from eyes that were so bright with potential.

On a warm summer day, I decided I would try to make a difference in his life any way I could. I decided I wouldn’t give up on him just as my loved ones never gave up on me. Though I’ve never used drugs, I too was headed down the wrong path. Fortunately a detour called unconditional love intervened and I believe I’m back on the road to a full productive life.

The next time I saw the young man, I asked him if he had a moment to spare. He said “sure, why not”. So we sat down and began to talk about sports and the neighborhood.

Eventually the conversation changed to something a lot more serious. We began to talk about life. We also spoke about things we’d like to accomplish. I had him right where I wanted him. He was finally thinking about the future. His future.

This is what was said during the last part of the conversation:

Emerson: If you had twenty dollars and I only had one dollar, would you gamble with me?        

Young man: no! of course not!

Emerson: why not?

Young man: because I’ve got more to lose than you.

Emerson: oh, I see. Do you value your life more than you value your friends?

Young man: of course I do. Their just people I hang out with. So of course my life is more important to me. I’ll always love myself more.

Emerson: I’m glad to hear you say that.

Young man: what’s up with all these weird questions? I mean like exactly what are you trying to say.

Emerson: actually you said it all.

Young man: There you go again. Would you please get to the damn point. I don’t have time to sit here and try and figure out what you mean.

Emerson: You don’t have to figure out what I mean. You already know.

Young man: look I’m outta here, I told you I don’t have time for this stuff right now. I have to go pick up something for mom.

Emerson: o-k, o-k wait I’m sorry… Look you did say that you wouldn’t gamble with me because you had more to lose than me?

Young man: Yeah!  So for the last time, what the hell is your point???

Emerson: Young man didn’t you say you value your life more than you value the lives of the friends you get high, I mean hang out with? Because if that’s what you said, then I’m sure you must think you have more to lose than them. I mean after all, your smart enough to not gamble with me when I had only a dollar to lose. I’m also sure that you realize that you are gambling with your life when you smoke; I mean hang out with your friends. It’s a gamble. Though you don’t see it now, you are definitely losing. The fact is, you will not survive if you keep doing what your doing.

Young man: look I have to pick up something for mom. I should have picked it up already. Are you finished yet?

Emerson: Yeah…Yeah, I’m finished. I just hope your not.

Young man: Alright man. I guess I’ll see you later then.

Emerson: Yeah, Peace.

I knew the young man didn’t have to pick up anything for his mother. His mother had long been deceased for for a short time now. He had forgotten the fact that I attended her funeral a few months earlier.

Unfortunately, I was right in my suspicion that the young man was in fact going to satisfy what had started as a weekend habit but has now evolved into a daily addiction.  I suspected but I could do nothing to stop him. His desire to do whatever he wanted do to was greater than my ability to stop him.

The young man was later found lying face down in the street unconscious. When I arrived on the scene, he was barely breathing. Though I’m not a doctor I checked for a pulse. If there was one, I couldn’t find it.

When the paramedics arrived, they performed CPR. It was too late. They covered him from head to toe. The young man was pronounced dead at exactly 5:36pm.. The official cause of death was drug overdose.

I am still trying my best to forget the look on his face when we found him in the street. It was almost as if at the end he was thinking about the same thing I’ll never forgot.

I believe he was thinking about… The Last Conversation.

Written by

Emerson Welch