Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

The moment stops in place. 

The P-38’s trigger refuses to move. Leonard cries out, enraged. He dials the number Herr Silverman gave him. The teacher answers, but Leonard cannot speak in reply. Herr Silverman guesses that it is Leonard. Leonard makes a noise to assure his teacher of his identity. 

Herr Silverman repeatedly asks where Leonard is, but Leonard doesn’t answer. Eventually he says, “It’s my birthday today. No one remembered” (211). Herr Silverman wishes him a happy birthday. Leonard reveals his location, and Herr Silverman stays on the phone as he hails a taxi and travels toward Leonard. Leonard feels comforted but reminds himself that he can still kill himself if the secret of Herr Silverman’s shirtsleeves proves less powerful than he hopes. 

Herr Silverman, still on the phone with Leonard, reaches the bridge and tells the taxi driver to wait for them. He tells Leonard he is finding a pathway down to the shoreline where Leonard waits. 

Herr Silverman guesses that Leonard’s gun is the Nazi P-38 that he referenced in Holocaust class that day. Herr Silverman asks Leonard to hand him the gun. Leonard asks if Herr Silverman is trained to de-escalate student issues like these, and Herr Silverman says no.