As I pulled my 4 wheel drive into motion, the eight year old was already chattering like a hungry parakeet. The light turn red and I brought the jeep to a halt. I was hungry and impatiently waited for the light to turn green, finger unconsciously drumming on the steering wheel. The light changed. I transferred my foot to gas and twisted the wheel. I saw a flash of grey. The gigantic pickup seemed in no mood to slow down. Metal touched metal. Metal tore metal. They say life flashes before you. I don’t remember it. The last passing thought was that thankfully the little girl was strapped. I had personally checked it.
* * *
The bright light hit penetrated the unopened eyelid. The eyelids seemed to weigh a ton. It took a monumental effort to open my eyes. It took me a while to adjust. I was in a nice room. Lot of glass. I was attached to five or six fancy looking instruments, the kind I had never seen before. I closed my eyes. I must have survived the crash. As soon as that realization hit me, a scream built up inside me. Where is the little girl? The scream was soundless. My throat was parched and my lips could not move. I heard a clipped accent that I could not place say, “He’s up. It’s high time”.
* * *
I was not able to speak. I was unable to move. A thousand thoughts crowded my mind. None of which could be expressed. A hundred people seemed to move in and out of the room. They were either unmindful or did not care. Except for one nurse. She has a kind face. She placed a hand on mine. One that I could see but not feel. “Everything is fine. Your girl is doing awesome”, she said.
My heart leapt. I wanted to believe her.
* * *
The place was somehow different. Very different. Very sophisticated. People dressed differently. Spoke a queer accent. Used words I could make out but not understand.
They had moved me to a military hospital? A specialized ward In a foreign land.
Who was paying for this? My insurance sure as hell would not cover this?
* * *
I could only move my eyes. A sixty degree arc. I faced a huge window that always had the blinds blinds drawn. A projection system on the left. Very modern. A digital clock on the right. Archaic. Through the blinds, I could see dark clouds. Always.
I felt like I was in a bubble.
* * *
The room was crowded. About a dozen people. Today, I had more tubes attached to me than usual. I saw my nurse on the left. and I relaxed. I was fine as long as she was around. She was my connection to the world.
My eyes slowly raked the quorum. Left to right. My brain deciphered a pattern. I was being paraded. I was a specimen in a crucible. Students were observing me.
I felt a huge rage boil inside me. I heard a series of beeps. Like a sonar pinging. I felt fluid being flushed into me.
* * *
Then I noticed a tall women against the wall. Early thirties. Long hair. Beautiful eyes with a hint of crowfeet. Two streams of tears pouring down her cheeks.
She was not inspecting me. She was reaching out. Why was she so familiar? Where had I seen her before? I felt a lump in my throat, a sensation I had forgotten. A memory was being invoked. I did not remember her. Yet, I had never forgotten her. She belonged to me, yet, I did not posses her.
I noticed a movement near her arm. A child. Chubby. Cute. One eye visible. the other hidden behind a toy horse. One eye. A reflection in the mirror.
My eye pulled back to the woman. I knew her, so why could I not place her?
The room was in a commotion. Many beeps. Too many beeps.
* * *
I dreamt. My incapable mind snatched a frame from eternity and replayed it. The projection system was on. The nurse stood in front of it.
“ …the fallen tower of Pisa…”
* * *
I connected the dots. I realized the reason for the crowfeet.
My little girl was fine.
* * *