ostcard StoriesWhat Happened Here?
Oh, my God!
The words came to my lips, drawing in a prayer breath, and holding it in my heart. It took a few seconds, no more, for the car to run the red light. It missed the child, whose outstretched hand pointed her way across the street as the lighted sign instructed.
It was a moment that would make me question all that day: what the hell was the driver doing, running a red light like that? He was lucky; the little girl was lucky; the families of both of them were lucky. The guardian angels must have looked at one another and rolled their eyes. That was close, they must have said.
But what was he thinking, this red-light-running driver? He hadn’t stopped. Was he aware of how close he had come to changing so many lives today, his own included? Was he drunk or on drugs? Was he diabetic? Had he just had bad news of his own, causing him to rush to its place of origin? Had he fought with his wife before he left the house, storming out, not waiting for her ritual words of love?
There was no time to get a license plate number, a description of the car, or the driver. I presumed it was a man, but I didn’t even know that. It all happened so fast and life was already moving on. The child continued her walk across the street to school, I took my foot off the brake and drove on, and the cyclist pushed off into the traffic.
But I’m a little more aware of my actions today, a little less sure that I’ll arrive at my destination, a little more thankful for my life and loved ones. I call my sister when I get to work, just to check in. I say a prayer for the unknown driver and for the little girl. And I say thank you for the guardian angels.
© Judith Lawrence
