How Not To and How To

The guy had never met the other dude but had tried to steal his girlfriend. After school, the dude and his friends jumped him from behind and beat him so bad he ended up in the hospital. The beaten teenager lay in traction for weeks. When the others got out of jail and finally went to see him, it was not to call a truce. It was to demand an apology. The laid up guy wondered why his punishment was not enough. Thought to ask why the other had reacted so violently. But he already knew the answer. Hurting him had not done anything to ease the dude's pain. He still wanted an apology.

The guy considered his blood transfusion and broken limbs. He pondered his own situation. What would happen if he went after the guys his own girlfriend had been messing around with the way this guy had come after him? Sure, he blamed those guys, though not as much as he blamed her. Some were friends of his. A couple were very close friends, and verbally trashing one of the dudes had made him feel better only briefly. The pain was still there.

He had tried to finally take off the rose-colored glasses where she was concerned. He threatened to break up, but she would cry and beg him not to, professing innocence until he reached his breaking point. Then she would claim to be a changed person. This last time, when she came to visit him in the hospital, he thought their relationship might have a shot.

He should not have messed with this dude’s chick, but at the time he thought they were both experiencing breakups. The guy knew how the other felt, though. Probably worried his chick would continue doing the same things she had been doing. Both chicks thought they were getting by with stuff. Maybe they had. But not everything.

The guy asked everyone to leave except for the one. He wasn’t sure an apology would be good enough. Yet he understood the other really needed some peace. He looked up from his bed and said “Look, I’m sorry, dude. No excuses, no double talk. I’m really sorry that I hurt you.” He was surprised to discover that he suddenly felt a lot better. He didn't know whether the other could tell, but he hoped the dude knew that he meant it.