Crash
It’s a beautiful day for a drive and we are taking
advantage of it. Sunshine with just a few white fluffy clouds. There’s very
little traffic as we head along the highway. Laurie, my lady friend of the last
few months and I decided on the spur of the moment to take a Sunday drive. She
had said while blowing drying her hair,
“Let’s take a Sun Day drive… get it, SUN DAY?”
Yeah I got it and we are. Glancing over I see her hair is
blowing nearly straight back, sun glasses pushed tight against her nose, hands
in the air. She is smiling like a kid. Damn I love this convertible!
There’s a truck slowing in front
of us. I look right and there’s no one there so I flip on the blinker. Laurie
has undone her seat belt and is now standing, holding on to the top of the
windshields frame. This is not a good idea I am thinking as I change lanes. She is
yelling into the wind.
Suddenly the air is filled with
a loud bang and large chunks of black rubber; the trucks tire has blown and is
coming apart. The air is filled with pieces of all sizes flying in all
directions. A very large piece is heading directly towards my face so I react
by jerking the wheel to the right swinging my face to check for other vehicles and to avoid broken glass.
I see there are no other cars but do I see another very large piece of rubber hit just in front of
Laurie, slid up the disintegrating windshield, and hiting her in the chest just
below her breast.
She
is scooped up and out of the car at the same time that the right front corner of
the car hits the wall causing the me to spin.
As
the car revolves I see the truck, then the trees along the road framed by the
blue sky, vehicles behind us then Laurie flying up and outward from the car. She is spinning like
a top but in slow motion, arms and legs extended she looks like a slow motion helicopters
rotor her hair still sticking straight out behind her. Her face is totally in
focus, mouth wide open in a scream that I can’t hear. Again the wall, the truck,
and the trees then again Laurie head down feet pointed to the heavens this time
as she revolves. She is still moving away from me over the edge of the roadside
wall. I can see her eyes she is staring at me sheer terror on her face mouth still wide open.
Again
the wall, the truck which is now bellowing blue smoke from the remaining tires.
I hear the sound of my tires screaming on the concrete as I spin the sound from
the truck tires is deeper, more tortured. Again I see the trees, vehicles behind that are closer and
again Laurie. Her spin now has her heads up and she is almost out of sight as
she drops below the wall. She’s not going to make it, I'm thinking, why did she
unbuckle her seat belt?
Again the wall, the truck which
is now even with me but difficult to see through the choking blue smoke. I can
see the spare tire hanging under the trailer in its rack. The front of my car
impacts the undercarriage of the trailer jolting me, tearing off part of the
hood and front bumper. It slows but does not stop my spin. Again I can see the
trees that are so green against
that blue sky.
As
the car comes around again for the third time I turn my head to find Laurie but
she is not there. I know about where she went over the wall but there is
nothing there but sky. Oh My God, she is going to die; she is going to hit the
ground so hard that she will die.
The
cars spin has slowed after hitting the truck which enables me to look around
for her. Time seems to slow and sound has become background noise. OH GOD
please let her die quick, painless. If she has to die don’t let her suffer.
Then as the spin nearly takes me beyond where I can see, I see a large splash,
water flying up and away from some impact below the wall.
She
hit water, hot damn she hit some water, she might be alive, and she could
survive, that is what I am thinking as time resumes its normal pace. There is
another sound now. High pitched screaming sound climbing in volume.
I am
going to survive this too I am thinking as the car makes another spin, noticeably slowing. I am
still holding the steering wheel feet pressed deeply into the floor as the seat
belt digs into my hips and shoulder. Swinging my face to the new sound I see
the grill of a very large truck bearing down on me. The drivers face shows what
we both know, he cannot stop in time.
My
life flashes before my eyes.
Wait….
This is not my life; I don’t know these people or these places. Time slows from
flickers to scenes. Places that I have never been with people that I have never
seen before. I see myself in the mirror brushing my teeth. I see a little white
boy with curly brown hair.
I am not white. I see myself in a picture with mom, dad, and
my sister. I don’t have a sister, my
parents are black. Before me flashes scenes of all of us at the beach playing
in the sand. I have never been to the
beach, never played in sand. Again I see me, this time standing in front of a
full-length mirror tying a tie. I have a deep green shirt on with grey pants. I
have no clue how to tie a tie; I have never owned a green shirt.
What
is going on? Whose life am I seeing and why? I am an instant from death and I
am seeing some one else's life! What’s up with that!
The
impact of the truck on the spinning car was devastating. The truck finally
stops when the front bumper reached the passengers door compressing all the
metal, seats, and person into it.
The truck that blew the tire finally also came to rest,
as did the other vehicles causing the bridge they were on to be totally closed.
Everyone else managed to stop without hitting anyone. No one else was hurt.
People were
milling about waiting for the ambulances and police that could be heard in the
distance. They were surprised to see a very wet woman climb over the wall
between the roadway and the river below.
JMBlondin
6/6/15
