NO TIME

Max was in a real rush, cursing himself that he had slept through his alarm, on this morning of all mornings!  He didn’t dare be late for the meeting with his top clients – too much was at stake.   Sprinting from the park-and-ride lot toward the train, he didn’t make his usual stop at the newsstand to buy a paper.  All he did was shout backward at the vendor, “no time today!” as he raced on.  The vendor, paper in hand, shook his head, and then suddenly froze.  As Max dashed across the street, intent on reading some text message on his cell phone, he never noticed the car that came hurtling through the intersection trying to beat the red light.  There was a sickening thump, and then a limp form sprawled awkwardly on the pavement.   Some bystanders hurried to the scene to help, but one of them who bent over the form shook his head.   Max was obviously beyond any help.  The newsstand vendor, still frozen in place, murmured to himself, “He was right.  He had no time today.”