What That Day Did to My Life

The Driveway

 The sky was grey, and the darkness of the night was creeping in. The air was cold as it hit my cheeks; it smelled like rain and melting snow. I tucked my hands into the sleeves of my shirt to protect them from the cold. We stood there on the damp patio staring at the driveway where a silver car sat covered in salt and dirt. Someone knelt next to the car on the other side, so all I could see was the top of his head. There were lots of people moving around. It seemed as if they were moving so slowly. I watched them look and stare at the car, but they moved with no urgency. They moved as if the matter was not serious. I could hear them whispering but could not make out any of the words. Lights of red and blue danced on the garage door as the sound of the sirens still rung in my ears.

My heart began to race as I realized that something wasn't right. The look on the firefighter's faces said it all. I felt the knot in my stomach grow bigger and bigger. My hands began to shake as I realized I heard no familiar voices near the car. Soon the shaking took over my whole body. I swallowed hard, trying to choke back the tears that I felt coming up my throat. I grabbed my mom and pulled her arm close to me and did not let go. Her face was overcome with a confused sad look. My mind raced as I tried to remember when I last saw my dad that day. The officer was saying something to us, but I tuned his voice out, trying to grasp what was happening around me.

Forever that moment with the pale driveway, dirty car, police cars and officers in my driveway will be burned into my memory. As I walk to my car, I am reminded of what happened there. I am reminded that right there in that driveway is where the car fell on my dad and pushed the air out of his lungs for good. Right there is where he left us. As I walk by that spot, I think of his body lying there all alone, covered in just a plain white sheet. Every time I pass that spot I flashback to the sirens, the lights, the officers, their expressions, the words they spoke to us, and him. The sight of that driveway makes my stomach turn and my heart beat faster. The memory from that horrible and terrifying day will never escape my mind.