Cycles mean everything in life. The waves on the beaches swell and break, water evaporates into clouds before raining down again, the earth orbits the sun, the moon shifts through its phases from full to new. People are born, then they die. Empires rise, then they crumble.
The moon was there somewhere in the sky, a circle of black against an expanse of black. Christopher Menzies searched for it in the sky, as he looked over the edge, he wished he could have seen the moon one last time. Squares of light encircled him, everywhere about there were people in their offices, in their homes: laughing, playing, making love, fighting, working; they were all a part of life’s feast. He kicked off his shoes, their black leather glimmering in the lanterns which adorned the rooftop with yellow light. He bowed his feet, first one then the other to remove his socks. He wanted to feel the grass between his toes. He took a deep breath before turning around. In the distance, other people stood talking, they sat at tables sipping from their champagne glasses as the enjoyed each other’s company. No one noticed the shoeless man near the edge of the roof-garden, laying the jacket of his suit down over the railings. Christopher stroked his head, dismayed at the increasing bald spot on his crown. Nobody deserved to go bald at thirty-eight. He took one last gulp of his drink before placing the empty glass down on the grass. Stepping forward to lean against the rails, he savoured one last detailed look at the London skyline. Buildings stood against the night sky like an ECG readout: the heartbeat of the city. He placed his bare foot on the first rail, he almost drew back from its coldness, then he realised the ridiculousness of that impulse considering the context. The foot stayed, he shifted his weight forward, preparing to climb the other four railings.
“Just an exquisite night for it,” a male voice called from behind him.
Christopher turned his head without changing his position. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone,” he replied.
“But you are alone aren’t you? That’s why people usually do this dance. Life gave everybody else a glittering world of hope, love, wealth, joy and contentedness, but not them.”
