The chemicals that kill
*Names changed for protection and privacy
Yesterday, my brother and I went to church and rehersed for a play on Christmas eve, he was and usher and I was going to be babysitting the children whose parents came to see the play, the babysitting thing is called "care giving". For a while, I was sowing up the tattered puppets that were to be the animals in the play. They were pathetic, they didn't even really look like animals. Then we ordered pizza and after we ate, we went down to the Fellowship hall and stuffed bulletins. The must have been 1000 of them or more because my group did 450 of them and we had the small group. After that we went back upstairs and I sowed up some more animals while my friend Jen* was blasting music and videotaping everyone dancing around. When it was time to go, we all went over to my friend Shawn's* house. We had to fit mexican deep into Shawn's mom's car, lol. We played sports all day, then my brother and I went home, took showers and went back to Shawns house and got picked up to go to my friend Nikkie's* house for a party that night. When we got to Nikkie's house with alot of our friends from our church youth group we ordered 4 pizzas: two cheese, two pepperoni. We watched Napoleon Dynamite and Dawn of the Dead. We were having so much fun, it was a blast. I was laying on the floor right in front of the TV with my friend Kristy*. I was absorbed in the movie (Dawn of the Dead), and then I saw everyone get up and I followed.
Everyone was standing in a group with Nikkie's mom and Dad and we were told that our friend Shawn's father got into a car accident. Shawn's dad was the one that was supposed to pick everyone up and take them home. Nikkie's mom took Shawn to the hospital and my friend Jen started crying. I held her, closed my eyes and let the tears come silently.
Nikkie's dad took Jen, my brother, his girlfriend, her brother and me home. The whole ride, I held Jen and my brother held us and his girlfriend . Her brother was in the front seat. Everyone in the back just cried quietly. Towards the end of the drive, Jen started telling everyone that everything was going to be okay, she was not only trying to calm everyone else, but more so, herself. When we got to Jen's house, she kissed my cheek and I kissed hers and we all told each other to call in the morning. I watched her go inside and then we pulled out of the drive way, next stop, my house.
When we got home I thanked Nikkie's dad for the ride and ran inside and collapsed at the top of the stairs. I just sat there for a couple of minutes trying grasp what just happened. My brother went out on the beach and after what seemed like forever trying to dry the tears, I followed him. We stood at the waters edge, we didn't talk much. There wasn't much to say. When we started walking back to the house we saw someone walking around upstairs. It was my dad. When we got inside we told him what happened and he consoled us for a while. My father and I had a long talk about mortality and death and just how real it was. Everyone has a day coming, no one is special. There are no immortals.
I told him to find me on the otherside.
Afterwards, I went to bed. When I woke up this morning, I called Nikkie's house, her father said she was still asleep, did I want to wake her up? I said no, it's okay, I was just wondering if she had heard anything. He said, "Not much, we think both of his arms are broken. I'll have her call you back when she wakes up." I said okay, thanks, and hung up. I told my grandparents the news. They were shocked.
Later on, I called my youth group leader, Noelle*, and asked her if I could come by the church early tomorrow to sow up the animals before the play. She said that was okay, and asked if I had heard about Shawn and Lidia's* (shawns' sister) parents. I said , yeah, I was there last night, what all happened? She said that Shawn's father broke his arm and a couple ribs. I said thank you and hung up.
About a half hour later, Nikkie called me back. I asked her if she knew what happened. I wish I hadn't asked.
She said that both of Shawn's parents were in the car and that his dad broke both of his arms and had a bad gash on his neck that they were looking seriously at, but said he was okay. His mom broke an arm and a couple of ribs. They were both in the hospital. Noelle stayed with the kids all night. The person who hit them was a drunk driver, he side swipped them.
He died.
I asked Nikkie where she heard all this and she said her mom told her, her mom was the one who took Shawn to the hospital.
She said she had to finish her christmas shopping, and that she would call me back as soon as she got home. I'm still waiting on that call. It's 2:43pm, December 23, the day before Christmas Eve. The 21st, apparently, was Shawn's fathers birthday.
Now that you have read this story, I would like you to do me, Shawn, Lidia, Shawn's parents, and everyone else a favor. To spread the awareness of drunk driving, please if you agree copy these lines into your journal.
If you are against drunk driving: What you think are harmless drinks destroy families. Don't drink and drive.
If you do drink, and this story has made you, if not stop drinking, than atleast be aware of what drinking can do: For the fallen families, I put down the glass. Don't drink and drive.
Thank you.