The day after I was killed.

I placed a linen napkin next to each plate and carefully filled the glasses with juice. I brought in the newspaper and spread butter over the toast.

I watched, my heart aching, as our youngest child clung to my wife, crying inconsolably any time she was set down. Her sobbing hiccups and wavering voice asking “where’s daddy?”

I felt my heart swell with love as my son sat on the front porch. Tightly gripping my old baseball glove, leaving crescent moons in the leather.

The day after I was killed.

I walked down a familiar sidewalk and kicked a few pebbles. Watching as they bounced over the gutter and onto pavement stained red with my blood.

I wandered over to our local pub and sat with my friends as they held a vigil. Their eyes wandering from their full glasses to the television, where my face was prominently displayed. The newscaster looked grave as he reported my death.

I watched silently as my best friend hung up his bicycle and vowed never to ride again.

One week before I was killed.

A woman walked out of the local police station. Tears of frustration in her eyes. Her attempts to report a dangerous driver unheeded by police. The officer stared dispassionately as she described the driver and their actions which killed me. Firmly the officer turned her away, saying “since you weren’t hit, there is nothing we can do. No laws were broken.”

One week before I was killed.

A stranger tried to save my life.

 

6 thoughts on “The day after I was killed”

  3. I have to wonder if dangerous drivers who act in ‘road rage’ exhibit dangerous behaviors in other areas of their life. By intervening with a dangerous driver, would law enforcement find that the driver was also involved in drug abuse or drug dealing, or other crimes? If there was some data to show a relationship, perhaps law enforcement would be more interested in intervening. I am really looking forward to what will be learned from the Naturalistic Driving Study http://www.shrp2nds.us/ to see if they find behaviors that occur more often before actual crashes.

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    1. Cherokee and I have discussed, and differed a little bit on this in the past. I’m convinced that cars alone cause people to behave very uncharacteristic of their normal selves. I’ve met too many folks that are the nicest, caring, sensible souls on Earth during their normal everyday life, but once behind the wheel, who they are changes dramatically. It’s as though they morph into something sinister, and take on the mental processes of a beast. Studies have been done on the topic. I found the book “Divorce Your Car” (Katie Alvord) to be particularly helpful in explaining it. It’s why I absolutely loathe motor vehicles, and will be car-free at the earliest that my life will allow.

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