Terence Smitherton Hayes had fallen out of his favorite wine bar on New Year's eve onto the streets of Dublin.
Depressed, he staggered down Grafton street, finding that his life no longer had any meaning.
He stood half way between the Northside and Southside of Dublin and climbed up onto the O'Connell bridge wall that had stood there for over one hundred years.
Penelope had dumped Terence for his best friend Roger and he was inconsolable. In these tough times, Terence still drove a BMW X5 and Terence secretly believed this was why Penelope dumped him.
"Goodbye cruel world!" shouted Terence, in his best West British accent.
Some young Northside teenager passed by. "Jump you wanker!" said one of the teenagers.
They laughed but were pushed away by a middle aged man and they disappeared into the gathering fog.
"Bud, I wouldn't do that if I were you," said the man.
"I don't want to live!" protested Terence.
The middle aged man pulled out a cigarette and lit up. It only seemed to be him and Terence now.
Fog covered everything else.
"Well then hurry up Bud, I haven't all night," said the man. He dragged hard on his cigarette.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me bud, hurry up. I'm bleedin' freezing and I want to get home."
"That's no way to talk to me!" shouted Terence. "I'm upset can't you see!"
"Yeah, and I'm cold Terence and I want to go home."
"How did you know my name?"
"It's in the book bud." He pulled out a book. "We can't afford no Kindle bud, cut-backs. Says here, Terence - that's you by the way - will throw himself into the river Liffey coz he got dumped by his girlfriend. Boo hoo."
"I don't understand," said Terence.
"I'm an Angel bud."
"You?! - you're an angel!!"
"What's that supposed to mean? Me!! - an angel?"
"You look rough for an Angel. What's your name?"
"My name's Paddy the Angel. You got a problem with that bud? Thing is if you'd chosen to jump from two pillars back, Gabriel or Gaye as well all call him would have had to turn up. But you're on my Northside turf now Bud, so what's it to be, jump or no jump?" Paddy the angel looked at his watch. "Times marching on."
"Aren't you going to tell me how important I am and how I made such a difference and that I need to stay?"
"Sorry bud, no time, cut backs."
"What do you mean cut backs? I demand to see my important bits so I can make up my mind!"
"No can do bud."
"I demand to speak to your superior! I want to make a complaint!!" protested Terence.
"Watch out for the ice," said Paddy.
"What ice?" asked Terence. Suddenly, he felt himself slip and he was hanging onto the edge of the bridge by his fingers.
"You put that ice there didn't you! You caused me to slip! I don't want to jump now!!"
"Sorry bud, decision's been made, you're going into the Liffey. You had a nice life but it's over now!"
"No please stop!!! I'll live a good life. I'll...."
Paddy the angel took out a small silver hammer and tapped Terence's hands until his fingers let go of the bridge.
"Sorry bud, cut backs," said Paddy and he winked at Terence.
Terence screamed out and hit the cold water, going under.
When he came up, there was a life saver there which he grabbed onto. A person pulled on the attached rope and pulled him to safety.
In the distance, on the top of O'Connell bridge, the figure of Paddy the Angel disappeared and the fog lifted.
Terence was pulled to safety and sat on the steps.
"Didn't you see him?" demanded Terence, shaking with the cold. "That angel tried to kill me!"
"Don't mind him," said the elderly man, smiling gently. "His bark is worse than his bite. Oh and by the way, my name's Gabriel."
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