echoing winds

Chapter 1

TW: car accident

Yellow light, red light, wait...green, accelerate.

I knew nothing of driving but I knew what those stupid lights meant. That's how it usually works, doesn't it? Who wants to drive anyway?

I mean I did, I always thought about the freedom of wanting to go anywhere, everywhere, and with the liberty of fun. Of course, something had to make me change my mind.

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May 17

"OKAY PAPI SING IT!" I shout through the loud music bursting from the car speakers. I'm grinning with the view of my parents singing to Rosas by La Oreja de Van Gogh. It was one of our most loved and shared songs we always played when we were happiest, which was rare in a Hispanic household.

I started singing along with my parents as our voices were not the greatest but the memories are what caused us to keep going. My parents picked me up from school after I told them I wasn't feeling well, so they took me out of my 4th period very early. Something felt wrong with my stomach but I just couldn't tell, I'm just glad I was out of that school in all reality.

Hopping into the car again after a quick errand run of some carne de puerco (pork) and some green chiles, we started to head back to the high school again to pick up my brother. Since we had about 20 minutes left, we took the longer way of the road to listen to more songs together.

'La Ultima Canción'  by Los Temerarios began to sing through the low speakers and I leaned back on my seat in the back of the car. I feel so relaxed and happy from seeing my mom and dad singing to each other one last time without knowing.

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My vision became shaky, I heard something snap, and I couldn't feel my legs for some reason. I close my eyes and who knows how long I've had them rest until I felt my arm be pulled out of what felt like an eternity. With my eyes still closed, I tried opening them but I couldn't even bear to, it felt so heavy and painful yet, at the same time I felt at peace. I felt my body sink.

I widely open my eyes to muffled voices, blurry vision, and a repetitive sound with a huge figure of red and white colors. My vision tries to restore but it's unable to, I bring my hand up to rub my face but someone pulls it down gently.

"Honey, baby, don't do that right now, we're examining you okay? Now, can you tell me who you are?" this unknown lady talks to me in a sweet comforting voice

I try to respond but all that comes out is a struggling groan that I've never heard in my life come out of me. I move my mouth but I don't think I'm even whispering to answer back.

"Renold, get a neck brace NOW! Honey, you're gonna be alright just try not to speak for me right now okay?" My vision unblurs and I see a young black lady looking at me with the sweetest tone and face. She had the softest and glittering eyes that made me become so indulged in her that she kept me from actually listening to her. 

I move my hand slowly up to my neck and I realize what happened. My eyes widen and panic surges over me. Mi mamá, mi papá. Where are they?? Something's wrong, get me out of here, get me out of here. Please. My body feels like it's going fast but I'm moving slowly, I try to move my hand down to position my body upright from the position I was lying down but the sweet lady stops me.

"You can't move it's dangerous, we have to get you to the hospital" She finishes up examining me and quickly starts to push the stretcher that I just noticed I have probably been on for the past 2 minutes.

I am mumbling and trying to produce a 'no' signal with my vocal cords as I am being put into the back of an ambulance. As the sweet lady starts to close the door of the pickup van, I see a body and face many feet away looking my way. 

No no no nononononono

Tears come out and I cover my mouth with my unsteady hand. My body has become so numb and unable to move when my insides want to jump out of here, go and grab my mami in a big hug with tears filling her shoulder.