It was all she could do to hang on even a few more minutes in the office. Her health had not fully returned, by all accounts a permanent situation. So she called the car service and slipped away to get a ride home. The car arrived on time, and she was thankful that the driver was able to quickly get her walker in the trunk. A walker at 30 years old, cut tennis balls on the bottom and all. Pathetic. Having to help was so tiring, and her leg was already swollen and stiff. She climbed into the back seat and turned sideways to stretch her legs out on its large expanse. Ah, the relief. Her ankle had resumed its big as a baseball habit, signaling its need to have a half dozen or so pillows propping it up. Just ten minutes. Just ten minutes.
As the car exited the highway, she could practically see her apartment building through her half-closed eyes. Just a few more blocks. Just a few more blocks and ... thud. Before she knew what happened, she'd been bounced off the back seat and on to the expansive floor of the town car. She was frozen. Frozen with memories, flashbacks, and the idea that this could be happening again, and again, and again. Though the muffled yelling of two drivers intruded on her shock, she could think of only one thing: call her therapist. When the therapist answered the phone, the words poured out, no identification necessary. "I was just in car accident." There was a silence at the other end of the line. A knowing, deep, long silence that was contemplating each instance of trouble she had endured and searching for the comforting words that no longer existed. The silence was broken with a considered and sincere suggestion. "Perhaps we should get you an exorcism."
As the car exited the highway, she could practically see her apartment building through her half-closed eyes. Just a few more blocks. Just a few more blocks and ... thud. Before she knew what happened, she'd been bounced off the back seat and on to the expansive floor of the town car. She was frozen. Frozen with memories, flashbacks, and the idea that this could be happening again, and again, and again. Though the muffled yelling of two drivers intruded on her shock, she could think of only one thing: call her therapist. When the therapist answered the phone, the words poured out, no identification necessary. "I was just in car accident." There was a silence at the other end of the line. A knowing, deep, long silence that was contemplating each instance of trouble she had endured and searching for the comforting words that no longer existed. The silence was broken with a considered and sincere suggestion. "Perhaps we should get you an exorcism."
I'm glad my therapist has never offered that option to me! I like the minimalist way that you handled the accident itself -- bouncing off onto the floor of the car and then her shock. It makes it clear it wasn't a serious accident but still something that bowled her over because of her past experiences. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteGood Lord!
ReplyDeleteMaybe in the next installment you could actually DO an exorcism!
Seriously, I think you did a great job describing the pain; how she felt about the walker with the old-people tennis balls; etc.
Gosh. I have nothing to complain about.:)
ReplyDeleteLibby, I love that idea!!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother felt the same way about her walker and she was old! You mastered that description and that of the accident. Like, enough already. Nice work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with Trifecta this week. I love the tennis balls--such a perfect image to create the scene. Hope to see you back again soon--hopefully with an exorcism. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh no! The image is just so horrible, and yet the sincere advice so hilarious. Good gravy. She clearly should never get in a car again, that's for sure!
ReplyDelete