In 1913, the writer visited a friend on Capri, an island in the Bay of Naples across from Mount Vesuvius. One day during a stroll, they came across an old man in his fifties, dressed in old clothes with grey hair and a sunburned face sitting at the hillside while looking out at the sea. His friend told him that the man was Thomas Wilson and he is going to die at sixty. The writer was shocked and asked how he knows about that. His friend says that Wilson will kill himself as he only has enough money to live for twenty-five years on Capri. The writer finds Wilson to be an intriguing person to talk with. Considering most people would prefer living a simple life rather than making such a big decision. The writer gets his chance when his friend …show more content…
When asked about work, Wilson says he went back to London where he worked as bank manager at the same bank for years. So, with Capri in mind, he resigned from the bank to live a happier life. When questioned about his finances, Wilson told him that he had some savings and he sold his house in London to buy an annuity to help him survive. Days later, the writer went to Wilson’s home. A small cottage in a vineyard outside of town with a gorgeous view. The cottage has two rooms, a small kitchen, shed for firewood and a sitting-room with comfortable furniture with a piano that Wilson could not really play well. The cottage is own by the vineyard owner and his wife, Assunta who cooks and cleans for Wilson daily. Although living an uninteresting and lonesome life, Wilson is still content and does enjoy the company of others sometimes. The writer left Capri and a year later World War One takes place. Only after thirteen years of exploring the globe, does the writer return to Capri. His friend was still living there and the writer finds out that he is now living in Wilson’s old cottage. This reminds the writer of Wilson. He asked whether Wilson killed himself to which his friend replied