Paradise Crashing(A short story)

Paradise Crashing

The sky rumbled, a dark gray. It was going to rain soon. I saw her trying to supress her tears. She was clutching a peice of newspaper tightly in her hands. Then, mascara smeared across her face, her eyes still brimming, she suddenly got up from the table. She banged the alcohol bottle on the table in frustration, so loud that I was pretty sure it must be cracked by now. She was swaying on her feet, unstable, a ghastly mess. The worst part? She wouldn't tell me the cause.

We've been married for 3 years now. Childhood friends, teenage lovers and married at a beautiful location, deeply in love- with ecstatic friends and family surrounding us. A perfect love story as some would say. And it was. Our happy paradise...until a year ago. A year ago, when Vanessa first got her report that she could never be a mother. We had been trying for a long time and we both feared the worst, but the report was the final nail in the coffin. She started drinking extensively, sometimes until midnight and cried herself to bed every night. And every morning, she promised me she would try to be better, but every night she would revert back to alcohol to find her peace. However, I knew we could work through it. Because we still loved each other. And I knew, my Nessie could make it through this. Not maybe now...but someday. And I'll help her every turn of the way. And we would be back to our paradise.

Except now. Looking at her now- this woman who couldn't even stand up straight and wouldn't respond to a word I said...I didn't know if she was the Nessie I fell in love with.  And as I watched helplessly, I suddenly saw her walk towards the front door. She opened it and walked out, leaving me screaming after her-her that she was too drunk to walk. I rushed after her, but by this time she had already gotten into the car. I barely reached the car gates but she had already locked in the doors and windows. I banged against the windows, begged her to let me in. By this time, even my eyes were brimming and I was dripping wet. But I couldn't have cared less. Then, I saw her switching on the ignition. I had the momentary thought of jumping in front of the car- maybe that would stop her. But before I could even take a step, the car suddenly zoomed past me. I ran after it but soon I couldn't keep up. By now, the rain had started pouring heavily. The fog wouldn't let you see 10 feet ahead of yourself but somehow, I still managed to see it. The truck. And I know she did too. Except when it was too late. She swerved but we both knew she wouldn't make it in time.

A loud crash. I feel down to my knees, watching, helpless....

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Too loud.

Everything was too loud.
This was the first thought in my head. The police cars, the sirens, the chatter...everything was mixed in my head. My head felt like it would burst, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream. But I was numb. I wished to turn back time. I wished someone would stop all this noise.

Suddenly, I saw them carrying out a very mangled body from the site. A white cloth cloth covered the face but there was ni mistaking that ruby and diamond ring on her hand. I imagined her face on the day of our wedding. In my mind, I saw her smile as she saw the ring. She had the most beautiful smile in the world.

Two policemen were talking behind me, their loud conversations bringing me back to the present. The white cloth-covered body was just in front of me now. As I looked towards our wedding ring on her finger, I saw that the newspaper cutting she cluthed in her hand suddenly fell to the ground. And suddenly, I felt this indomitable need to know. To know what was in that paper, that triggered her to take such drastic measures. I picked up the paper

Somewhere nearby, Mrs. Harrington, our neighbour was sniffling silently while answering the police's questions.
"I'm not surprised at all. The poor girl was too hard on herself.  She considered herself responsible for her husband's death and look at her now...."
The newspaper peice fell from my hand. Still trying to comprehend, my mind went over the words again-
" Obituary of Dear Alex Houghton
   Cause of death- Car crash
    Family- Vanessa Houghton(wife)
    ...."

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