I just finished my Saturday afternoon shopping. I was heading down the road to cross. I needed to get to my house somehow. My mom, sister, and I passed sweaty joggers, shoppers scurrying from one shop to another, women plastered in makeup not even taking a second glance at the world around them, and the two guys yelling at each other. All I could think about was, “wow” in that sarcastic tone. Yet, I could concentrate on the blue sky, the sun’s happy glow reaching out towards me, and the breeze wrapped gently around me. Nothing could take my mind off this perfect summer day. I did a little dance in my head, but when I stood at the crossing my smile faded and the dance turned into the “Dance Macabre”.
There were angry drivers honking at each other, the drivers racing past each other with a laugh of triumphant, and the drivers that are just plain crazy who zoom by for no particular reason. I gulped. I turned to my mom, “can’t we just cross now?” “No, are you blind can’t you see the cars?” was her reply with a hint of exasperation. I was new to Beirut so I wasn’t used to the roads being like this, but my dad said there are many car accidents here. Many thoughts were running through my mind but I couldn’t catch them all. The havoc on the road simmered down and I decided it would be a good time to cross. My legs started walking in a robotic motion taking on step at a time. My biggest mistake would have probably been not to look both sides. My mind was clouded at the moment, maybe that’s why I couldn’t hear the screaming coming from behind me telling me to STOP. BAM! That’s when it hit me.
I could hear the shrill screaming in the background and the pink Mercedes speeding away pretending not to care… I lay on the rocky road motionless never to move again. I wake up with a deathly headache and still hear the screaming and the distant dot of the Mercedes. Then I see it, a body on the road looking distorted. I feel a cold shiver running through me. Could it be? The world seemed to be walking backwards with me in the middle of it all. I walk towards the body, it looks familiar…it’s me.
“Umm excuse me…could you move a little”, I try telling people but they don’t seem to be acknowledging my presence. “This is a dream, this is a dream”, I repeat to myself. Minutes pass this is not a dream anymore, it’s a living nightmare. They are starting to carry my body away and my mom is crying and clinging on to my lifeless body. “Mom I’m right here it’s ok” I try telling her with my voice cracking. She continues wailing. By now they are starting to carry my body down the street to the nearest cemetery. I want to run behind them, but something keeps pulling me back. I try calling out, but I am choked back by tears. Everything is fading, I am fading…
“Woah!” I jump up from my daze. This time I look at both sides of the road four times, I hold my mom’s hand and with her nod of approval we cross.