This weekend has been a blitz of preparation for final exams, last minute reports, checking various family members in and out of various rehabs, and the usual barrage of guy dating drama. After a long day of not studying and a long 20 minutes of stressing about wasting this weekend's ample academic opportunities, I did what I always do in times of stress: call Liz.
After dialing I realized that she likely had to get up early tomorrow and was in a later timezone than me. But she answered the phone cheerfully. Conversation as follows:
Jyll dials Liz.
"Hi! What's up?"
"Wow, someone sounds wide awake. What are you doing?" I ask, relieved that she is awake and happily settling into the couch for a long overdue Sunday night chat.
"Oh, I think that's the morphine. I know that it's supposed to knock you out but I'm wired!"
"Wow, someone sounds wide awake. What are you doing?" I ask, relieved that she is awake and happily settling into the couch for a long overdue Sunday night chat.
"Oh, I think that's the morphine. I know that it's supposed to knock you out but I'm wired!"
"Wait, what? Where are you?"
"Well, actually I'm in the hospital. I got hit by a car today."
*****
All jokes and glib remarks aside, y'know...we joke about how fast things roll by, and how suddenly things change. You can be riding your bike to work like Liz and find yourself on a stretcher being rushed to the hospital the next. You can be going about your day thousands of miles away, and not know that your best friend has nearly been crushed to death by a minivan, or that she was millimetres away from hitting her head and cracking her skull open. It changes so fast, and it happens whether or not you are there, or aware of it. You'd think that when something happens to someone that you love, that you'd be able to stop it, or change it, and you'd never dream that something could happen to your loved ones while you're dithering around a shopping mall in central Texas or piddling through the store on a routine grocery run. It's quick and it's dirty and it's vicious and it's pure luck that this time, it was a near miss, and that this time, it didn't happen to her. Or, selfishly, that the loss of a great love didn't happen to you.
****
(After various details were given, profuse reassurances uttered, and composure was restored):
"Lizzie I just still can't believe that you're--I'm going out first thing tomorrow and buying a helmet!"
"No you won't."
"Well, I won't ride with my ipod on!"
"Yes you will."
"Yes you will."
"God, I am so glad that you're okay."
"Oh, you know what's not okay??? My favorite dress! They insisted on cutting it off of me. I was like, 'no just pull my shoulder through the sleeve', I mean it was only broken it didn't hurt that bad, but the assholes just ignored me and now it's completely ruined."
"The Banana Republic wrap dress?"
"Yes!"
"The hell is wrong with people?"
"The Banana Republic wrap dress?"
"Yes!"
"The hell is wrong with people?"
****
some things never change.
Thank God.
