Page 40 - Contrast2008

grass licking at passing bare ankles. But mostly and let out an earth shaatttteerrimg cry. An exf:plo-
he told her it would be okay. He rubbed gentle
circles on her shoulder and told her she was sion of tears tormented his scrunched up aChe,
lovely and would feel better soon. When the
paramedics came, they barked at Pete to step and he slammed hiIS empty han ds onto t .e
aside. floor repeatedly. HI.S 1egs rce1t num b, and hkIS
aahrsimssssohbatsi.knifgnillgteedrb,eoddyPo.eutteH,soenhsteaoawdthhdeerreufw·a1ecOedupi..fnlahnoidrs badc ,
It was with great sorrow that Pete re- un der
moved himself from the injured girl's side. mm .,
"Be careful with her," he said loudly. "She's her beautif.ul, curved nose, an d the pile of [s;pI-
breathing, but she isn't speaking at all." The d hlids hacde
paramedics pushed passed him. "Thank you, raling curls. Spiky tears eras h ed own
sir, but please step aside." He watched as they
lifted her ever so gracefully onto the stretcher and soaked through his jeans. The wor a
and rolled her away. He had to turn from the ended, and Pete cur 1ed m. to hilmseIf desperate-
sight of her lower half, of her legs smashed
from the impact with the dashboard. His ly and disappeared.
stomach lurched, and he turned and threw up
there on the road, right in front of her retreat- ~ hi " Mike
ing stretcher, and shame swept through him. "We know we've asked you t IS, didn't
says, guiltily. "But, are you sur.e ~he ked
But he wiped his mouth like a soldier and
forged over to the ambulance as they loaded scream?" His eyes slide to Manan ~ mas
her on board. He was happy to see a kind-
looking man easing an oxygen mask over her face. "My wife still hears her scr.eam. d trI.esto
face. "You're going to be okay," Pete said one Pete puts on a calm expresSIOnan
last time as the door shut. "It was a pleasure wrenc h·mg mory away·
meeting you," he muttered to himself against wave the whole gut me y
the background of shouting paramedics. The
ambulance sped away, and he watched it long "Jocelyn never screamed. She could ~ea~:k
after it rounded the corner and faded from his
sight. voice the whole time, and I really don ttl

Pete and the older woman with the mini- she was frightened." rve as
van answered all the police officers' questions
they could that afternoon, with the sun shin- Marian's spine collapses into a C-cu She
ing overhead. And Pete prayed, for the first
time in years. He prayed to God, opening his a wave of pain hits her behind the ~yesl· tear
heart up and asking for peace for the girl, for
peace and for life. strugg 1es to S.it up strai.g ht, an d a SInge

His call to the police station the next day slides down her gaunt face. Pere is shown the
brought him to his knees. "She died in the Later that night, afiter • heir
emergency room," a gruff-voiced policeman 1
said over the phone. He gave Pete the nurn- door and Mike an d M·arran .are safely inSht e is
~er of the family and told him the girl's name.
bed, Marian internalizes the words. h that
Jocelyn," he said, just as Pete sank to the floor slee. ping fina 11y regI. ste.rS wI.inthh erhead.
when, it
er
Jocelyn wasn t the one screammg

It was Marian's voice all alaokng. up 1· ers of

The next day Pete w es toGsodIV for a

sntdruereniwevlsiegsdhhatceya,rpiengafesusthlseliyssd, rrateonhsodisnmekdl.ionoagknHsdeoangrtoohIyfueaosnn.dktsowawtehrotehr·dkeyhshoeBilliiedls,
n a hwotnwe with
heading next. In a bl ue h ouse
0

Mike has taken the day off to stay

Marian. we there,

"I just wish it could have be~\ on that
not him-not Pete," Marian told 1 ended by

sleepless night after the fu ner,a1 surrou