Don't Look For Me…
Prequel to: Once Upon a Time in New York
By TunnelsOfTheSouth
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My Dear Peter,
"Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die…"
Mary Frye wrote those words, but they also hold true for me, my friend. Do not look for me, for I am nowhere to be found. At least, not in this world.
But, please, do not weep for me, thinking I am dead. The newspapers will report that I have taken my own life through despair. They will paint the headlines with lurid details of my demise. Believe me, at times I have been sorely tempted to end it all. I came very close to doing so last night. I had planned it all out, down to the smallest detail. But I was miraculously saved by a strange, new acquaintance.
My new friend stopped me, at the very point of no return, as I stood beside the East River, trying to muster sufficient courage to cast myself upon the tide. She offered me sanctuary, in another place, far from this city, where my skills as a doctor will be put to good use. I am told I'll find a renewed purpose in this life. It's all I have ever asked for.
I've also written to Alan Taft, instructing him to dispose of all my property, and give the proceeds to a charity of his choice. It seems I will have no more use for money and all its vices. I am truly glad to be free of it all. All except for you, my dear Peter.
You have been too good to me, my friend. And I love you for it. You held fast to my lost cause, when others sought to blacken my name, and deny my life's work. You were there when Margaret left me. It seems you are destined to gather up the pieces of my life. As I once gathered the remains of yours, when your beloved Elaine died.
I wish I could tell you more about where I am going, but I have been sworn to secrecy. It seems that this new world, to which I now travel, relies on silence for its very survival. So be it. I have kept many secrets and confidences, what is one more?
But you, I will truly miss. If I ever have need of you, one day in the future, you will hear from me again. I'm not sure how I will get a message to you, there is still so much I need to learn. But I know that you will do your best to help me, as you always have. You I can count on, beyond every other human being I have ever known.
That is your unenviable curse. To be my faithful friend, through all the trials that life has heaped upon us both. For now, I must remain faithfully yours, always…
Your friend,
Jacob