Blind Mans Bluff

The wind was from the east, bitingly cold and carrying with it the beginnings of a winter storm. The man was sitting in the corner of the small shelter looking out to sea. He wore a heavy overcoat, scarf, fur hat and gloves.
A young woman appeared suddenly at the side of the shelter, she took in the presence of the man before sitting down out of the wind. The man said his good afternoon and commented on the weather. The woman shivered and said it could be worse, the man replied it probably will be if it rains. The woman could see a curtain of rain out to sea sweeping inland towards them.
The shelter was covered in graffiti and the floor littered with cigarettes stubs. The woman was silent. The man sensed she was unhappy. 'Can I ask what brings you up here on such a day?' he said. 'Same as you I should think' she replied 'getting away from things' 'Yes' he said 'that's about right, people sometimes drive you barmy'
'Not people' she said 'kids, I've got two, one four year old and one twenty four year old and you can guess which is worse' then she said with some feeling 'There are times when I could walk over that cliff I get so sick of it'
The man looked at her. He said softly 'You mustn't do that'. 'Why not' she said 'Who's to stop me? It's my life, I'll do what I please, and don't give me any guff about those left behind'
'Im not giving you any guff' said the man, 'you're a pretty woman with all your health and vitality, whatever's wrong will pass and you'll still be the same pretty woman.'
She looked at the man properly now but his face remained impassive and his manner correct.
'How do you know it will pass' she said 'how do you know it won't get worse?'
The man shook his head 'I don't' he said 'but if you do away with yourself you'll never know if it gets worse or better'
The woman stood and pulled her thin jacket closer. 'Don't worry' she said 'I'm going home, not over the cliff' Then she hesitated 'maybe I'll see you up here again?'
'Yes, of course' said the man 'I'd like that'. She began to leave, then said to him 'I can't remember the last time someone said I was pretty!' and set off down the path towards the town.
'There you are dad' said the woman 'come on you must be freezing, where's your stick?' The man stood and retrieved his stick from his corner. The woman took his arm. 'Sorry I had to leave you like that, you know what Banks are like, especially at Christmas and it went clean out of my head'. 'That's OK' he said 'breath of sea air does me good and I'm well wrapped up'. The two of them set off, his daughter hanging onto his arm and the man tapping his white stick against the edge of the path…