There are no lessons of survival for the survivors.
Lessons of Survival
Cascading waterfall. A wall of rocks. The ocean, calmly rocking. Alone in her beach chair, she sat, stretched out wearing her sunglasses, dissecting what had happened. The rays of the sun warmed her body as she played the scene over and over in her mind, a movie trailer unable to stop. A dish she was holding crashed to the floor, and her knees buckled and bruised from falling on them hard, unable to stop her body from the weight of its own heaviness pressing down upon her feet. She couldn’t keep herself up; gravity had a mind of its own. Her head landed with a thud. She cut her arm on shaved porcelain.
She could only stare straight ahead, her mind locked on the blueness of the water being swallowed by emerald greens, as the sea swirled and created a vibrant turquoise so exquisite, the only option was to be mesmerized by it. The white shore reflected the water. Sunbathers were happy, soothing their skin as they lay on the sand.
She had mourned. She had cried. People had called and stopped by. There were trays of food she’d left behind in a refrigerator she had no intention of ever cleaning again. She would not go back. She would leave that to the cleaning service. Her name had not been on the rental agreement, and so, the rent would go unpaid, and she could walk away.
The accident happened on a slippery night. The rain had been unrelenting. She had warned him to drive safely. Why hadn’t he listened? Always pushing the limits with his car. Speeding, he had reached for his phone that had slipped between the seats. The car flipped. He was belted in, but the way the car moved, it pummeled the roof. When the ambulance and police arrived, there was no hope.
There are no lessons of survival for the survivors.
Except to sit on a beach and breathe. Breathe for what was, what may be. Remember to never forget. Be angry and let go of anger. Smile when you know you must.
A wedding had been planned. His time on Earth far too short.
That time had not been enough.
