Jumper

Hiraeth

Monday, November 16, 1998. I had just gotten home from school, my girlfriend Rachel wasn't in school today and I didn't know why. I decided to call her up just to check up on her and see if she wanted to catch a movie later. I knew the rest of her folks weren't home right then so I shouldn't have had any trouble reaching her but I got their answering machine... Something didn't feel right about that.

I got in my teal-ish Oldsmobile Ciera and drove over to her house and I didn't see Rachel's car so I pulled into the driveway. My mind was put at ease for only a second until I looked at the garage door and saw smoke coming out from under it! My first thought was "Oh my God, the house is on fire!" But all my time in high school I had been working on cars so I had begun to recognize that the smell was exhaust fumes! I didn't have time to think about the how or the why, all I knew was that my beloved was in that garage and needed me. RIGHT then and there!

I jumped out of my car, ran over to the garage window, and took off my shoe, I put my hand inside of my shoe and punched through the glass, I got my shirt up over my mouth and nose, and climbed through the window. It was hard to see and the smoke was stinging my eyes.

I could faintly see my beloved Rachel's maroon Acura Legend, I could hear "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls at high volume. At that point, I was holding back coughs, I ran over to her driver's door, reached in, shut the car off, and pulled the key out. I slapped the garage door opener hanging on her visor, and opened her door. I don't know if it was the last of the strength I had left or my love for Rachel that allowed me to do this, but just as I was starting to see spots, I lifted an unconscious Rachel out of the driver's seat and carried her out into the front yard.

I set her down on the grass and then fell beside her, I barely gave myself enough time to catch my own breath before turning my attention to Rachel, I swept some stray hairs away from her face and said "Why'd you do it, baby" as I started to cry. I felt her neck for a pulse and to my astonishment, I found one! I had been learning CPR in health class so I immediately started giving her rescue breaths... I seriously wondered if this was the last time my lips would touch hers... I kept doing this for what felt like hours until I felt her chest start to heave on its own, which then turned into coughing. I could hear her voice in her cough and she sounded beautiful. I took a few steps backward from her on my knees, got up, and ran inside through the garage and into the house to call an ambulance for her.

I ran back outside, back to Rachel and told her it was me, that I was there, and that she was going to be alright, she didn't seem to know where she was, she seemed to have very little awareness, I cuddled her close to me and whispered in her ear "I don't know why you did it baby, but it's not important right now, all that matters is that you're safe with me right now" I then kissed her earlobe and played with her hair, just like the night of our first car date, we parked in her Acura and we put the seats all the way back and looked at the stars through her sunroof. Some time passed,and an ambulance and a fire department SUV pulled up in front of the house and they put Rachel on a stretcher and let me ride in the back with her.

The paramedics gave her oxygen and got an IV going, her heart rate was very stable. A couple of tears fell from my eyes as I looked down at my girl and caressed her hand. We arrived at the hospital and the next few hours were a blur. I remember Rachel's family in the waiting room with me. Three hours went by before we finally got to see Rachel.

She was coherent but sleepy, she looked at us with tears in her eyes and said "I'm so... SO sorry, everyone. I was feeling really bad and I made a horrible choice, but God has shown me just what it is I have to live for. He acted through my beautiful boyfriend Max and gave him the strength and the courage to save me." Her family listened and all placed a hand on her and said their peace and that they weren't mad at her in the least, they were just so happy she was still with us. Some time passed and Rachel asked to be alone with me for a couple of minutes and her family and the nurse left the room.

Rachel looked me in the eyes and I could see her trademark twinkle in the eye that usually meant mischief, she signaled me closer and grabbed me into a hug, moving her oxygen mask to the side, she whispered in my ear "I heard everything you said out there on the lawn, lover boy, you're totally crazy about me, don't you deny it. I also felt you do this:" she then landed a long, over exaggerated kiss on my ear and laughed hard. I cry-laughed and kissed her lips before putting her oxygen mask back on and said "I love you, Rach. More than you'll ever know."