HAUNT DAWGZ STORIES

THE HORRIFYING ROAD TO PEACE

                                                                                          STORY ONE

                                                                  THE HORRIFYING ROAD TO PEACE

"Mom! Are you there? I said, 'I love you,' Mom!" Lisa checked her phone screen. "Darn battery!" Lisa slammed her phone onto the couch of her dorm room next to her leg. I'm sure mom said, 'I love you, too, right after my battery went dead. Of course she did! I'll plug in my phone and call her back. It's always nice to hear those magic words from mom.

"Lisa? . . . Hello?" Lisa's mom checked her screen. Oh, the call dropped. I was wondering why Lisa didn't say goodbye. I'll call her back. Okay . . . speed dial one . . . enter. Voicemail? I'll try in a bit. Lisa's mother pulled out of the mall parking lot. I'll be home in a couple of minutes and call her back. Hopefully we can get together on . . . The boom of crunching metal pierced the air. The seventeen year old boy's phone rocketed from his hand upon impact; an unfinished text to his girlfriend lives on his shattered phone screen on the floorboard. Lisa's mom lay still; her head resting against the blood drenched passenger window.

A paramedic ambulance screeched to a halt; people blocks away focused to catch a glimpse of the chaos down the street. One paramedic raced to Lisa's mom. He placed the side of his face over her nose. "Not breathing!" He checked her pulse. "No pulse!" The other paramedic dashed to mom's car. "The other driver's okay. Just some bleeding and abrasions from the air-bag." "Let's start CPR on her. I'll flatten her seat back." After two minutes, the first paramedic checked her pulse. "No pulse, continue CPR." After two more minutes, the paramedic re-checked her pulse. "No pulse, continue CPR." After two more minutes and a check of mom's pulse and breathing, the first paramedic checked his watch. "Time of death . . . one thirty-one."

Later that evening, Lisa stepped into her grandmother's house. Her grandmother wrapped her arms around Lisa. Lisa cried and wailed. Her body shook. "Why did that stupid guy have to text while driving? Nothing is that important! Nothing!" Tears flowed down Lisa's cheeks. Her grandmother held her embrace. "Lisa honey, we all loved your mom. I know it's not easy losing her. My heart aches as I lost a daughter. We'll get through this, dear. We have to. Your mom would want us to go on as best we can. Live for her, sweet Lisa.

Lisa smiled for two seconds. Her lips straightened and she shook her head. "Why didn't I have enough charge on my battery! I hope she heard me say I loved her. I couldn't hear it back because my battery died . . . just like mom!" Lisa's body quivered; her tears splattered on the floor.

Seven years later...

Lisa carried a bowl of tomato soup to the coffee table at her grandmother's house. "Here ya go, grandma. This should be a good warm up for you. I'll grab us some dinner in a little while. I have to pick up your prescriptions anyway."
"Thanks, dear. You're a wonderful grand-daughter and person. I appreciate you caregiving for me since your mom passed." Grandma's eyes watered. Lisa plopped on the couch next to her and put her arm around her. Tears meandered down her face. "Grandma, we all miss mom, but she'll always be with us."

"Lisa, you're only twenty-six, and I don't want to burden you. We'll figure something out soon." "Oh, I'm fine. I can always finish college online."

Later that evening, Lisa rinsed out the soup bowl. "Grandma?"
"In the living room, dear."
"Grandma, I'm going to the store to pick up your prescriptions and some dinner. See you in about twenty minutes."
"Okay, dear. See you when you get back. Maybe we'll play a game tonight."
"Sounds good!" Lisa stepped into a pair of flip-flops, grabbed her car keys from a drawer, and walked to her old small car parked on the cracked driveway. Should I grab a jacket? I's a bit cool. Nah, I'll be back soon.