A Good Life

Note: I wanted to write a short story and had an idea, but instead, my writing took a completely different storyline. Perhaps instead of what I wanted to write, this is what my heart needed to write. This short story is evolving, even as I write this note to you. It will be written in parts simply because I anticipate that it has some length. It is unedited and that's pretty much how I write. Thoughts and words seem to flow from my right brain, enabling me to recognize that I have something to say. I hope you like Part 1.

Andrew and Katherine lived a good life. Their home was on a wooded lot near a beautiful creek. Katherine loved walking by the creek with Andrew holding her hand. She loved the summer nights best. Andrew had a good job which paid well, allowing them to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Often Andrew would barbeque on the deck and Katherine would be the good hostess to old friends from college. One night as they sat on the deck under a moonlit sky, Andrew leaned back and said, “We have a good life honey!” Katherine smiled, nodding in agreement. She thought to herself, It is a good life! The next day, having overslept, Andrew rushed to shower, shave, dress and drive to work. There was an important meeting he was invited to attend. More like required to attend, he thought. Day after day, he drove this same uneventful route to work. There was seldom any traffic until he turned on Bloomingdale Boulevard. On this particular morning, he forgot to look before turning. He didn’t consider this memory lapse important because he was in a hurry and he’d driven this same route many times before. As he turned the car to the right, he heard a horn blaring. It was the sound of a huge eighteen wheeler proceeding through the intersection. As he looked over his left shoulder, he could see the grill of the truck, and then the loud sound of metal hitting metal. He thought to himself, What a strange sound… The impact of the truck was beyond resistance as its wheels rolled over the top of the car’s roof. Still conscious, Andrew could now hear the sound of breaking bones. Although the driver of the truck attempted to break, it was to no avail. As the truck roll over the car and stopped, bystanders began capturing the wreckage on their cell phones. Someone called 911. Within minutes, the police, paramedics and fire department arrived. They would need to pry the car open to remove Andrew from the crumpled mess of metal and flesh. Firemen began cutting through the cars' frame while paramedics attempted to look for vital signs from Andrew. “I’ve got a pulse, but it’s very faint!” exclaimed one paramedic. “We’ve got to remove him from this car!” shouted another paramedic to the firemen. Finally, the firemen cut enough of the metal away to pull Andrew from the wreckage. He was a collection of blood and broken bones, but he was still alive. A policeman asked one of the paramedics to check for a wallet. Reaching inside Andrew's bloodied coat pocket, he retrieved a wallet and cell. The policeman wrote down his name and address: Andrew Schaeffer, 1502 Mulberry Lane He next checked the address book in his cell for any surnames matching Schaeffer. Finally, he found the name, Katherine Schaeffer, 806-297-4651 Just as the officer was about to call, his partner tapped him on the shoulder and suggested, “Sir, don’t you think it best if we drive over to talk with Ms. Schaeffer?” “You’re probably right son.” It was a short drive to Mulberry Lane and yet there was nothing but silence between these two policemen. As they walked to the front door of 1502, the older policeman checked the name and address one last time before ringing the bell. From the other side of the door, he could hear a woman’s voice politely reply, “Coming….” Short story by MTJ

Note: This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays (hosted by Charlotte).