Hey y'all! It's Nala, and I'm back with something completely different! Most of what I've been posting recently has been some shounen-ai for some of my favorite animes, but I've gone back to my fanfiction roots - stories based off of whatever I'm reading in school! Yay! This story is based off of The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. It's my version of the "missing chapter" at the end...because we never find out what happens to Robert Cohn. I would like to thank Krissy-lynn for posting her version of this story. If not for her, I would not have had the inspiration to finish my version, or the courage to post it on the website. Thank you Krissy-lynn! Everybody, go read her version after you finish with this one!
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the plotline of The Sun Also Rises. Both belong to Ernest Hemingway. I'm just playing with his ideas, and I hope I do them justice!
"Epilogue" – Cohn's Downfall
Brett and I toured Madrid for a while, but then she decided to return to Mike.
"He's just so damn nice!" she said.
I nodded, and she left. I went back to France. It's nice in France. Everything is simple. I like it there. It's nice. I worked for a while, went to the races. I rather enjoyed it. It was a nice time. Occasionally, Bill wrote to me. That was pleasant. I did not hear from Brett or Mike. I did not hear from Robert Cohn either. I had not heard from him since he left us in Spain, but that did not trouble me. Cohn was annoying, with his pitiful pining over Brett. It was good he was not around. But one day he showed up unannounced at the office. He looked pale and thin. His cheeks were sunken in, and his skin had a yellow tint.
"Hullo, Jake" he said.
I let him in and offered him a seat. I took out a bottle of wine and poured us each a glass. He did not drink his.
"It's been hell, Jake. Simply hell." Cohn whined.
"Is that so?"
"Yes! I tried to find Frances, but she would not see me. I went back to America for a while, but the people there weren't nice – not at all like last time"
I nodded and sipped my wine as Cohn sobbed. It was rather annoying. He covered his face with his hands. I said nothing. Eventually, he looked up at me again.
"I just wanted to say, Jake, you're a swell guy. You've always been a great friend. And that whole affair with Brett? It was just hell. Simply hell. But I really did love her. You understand that, don't you Jake? I truly did love her. But you're a great friend, and I just want to know that you've put that entire mess in the past. That the whole affair is behind us. I could be at peace if you'd say that you forgive me. Oh, say you forgive me, Jake!"
"I forgive you, Robert." I lied. His sniveling was bothersome, and it didn't really matter anyway, what I said. But Cohn looked relieved.
"Thank you, Jake. You're a swell friend. Shake my hand, would you Jake? You're a real great guy!"
I shook his hand and he walked towards the door.
"Goodbye Jake. I'm sure this will be the last time you see me."
"Goodbye Robert."
I did not hear from Cohn again, but that was just as well. He really was an annoying fellow. I did not much care for him. I lived alone in France for a few months, and then Bill came for a visit. We went fishing in Spain again, and it was nice. We caught many fish, but soon Bill needed to return to America, so I returned to France. It was that very next morning when I was reading the newspapers while drinking coffee at a nearby café. It was then that I saw Cohn's name. It was in an article that read:
The body found floating in La Seine sometime last
month was identified yesterday eve to be that of a
man by the name of Robert Cohn. In an apparent
suicide, Monsieur Cohn jumped into the river and
drowned. His next-of-kin has yet to be contacted.
I read the article again. It was sad, really, and rather surprising. It was a shame too. Cohn was an okay fellow. I rather liked him.
So that's it! Thanks for reading! Please review, I promise I'll reply if you sign it!
3 Nala-chan