Getting Wet Before and After

Standing on the corner, ready to cross with traffic, then almost getting hit by a car passing by.

I jumped back and almost lost my balance. It caused my heart to skip a beat, and I was not able to move, feeling like my life has flashed before my eyes, metaphorically, not literally.

Then I came to my senses once more, moving more quickly out of the path of oncoming traffic, dodging each car to get to the other side of the street. After I reached the sidewalk, I was still feeling my heart beating faster and was not sure then which way to go. I headed down the street, towards my apartment building, was greeted by the doorman, who opened the door for me, I stepped inside, into safety.

I reached for my keys, to prepare to open my apartment door, noticing one of my packages was missing. "Damn, I will have to go find my package." I dropped off the rest of my bags, before hesitantly deciding to return on the path I had traveled to arrive home.

I passed the doorman once more, who was surprised to see me more than twice in a day. I was a reclusive writer and did not venture out of my apartment, for nothing more to catch a breath of fresh air. The filtered air inside my apartment was stifling at best.

I then was heading in the direction, towards the end of the block, approaching the stoplight. I saw several people gathered around waiting for the light to change. I almost made it, not to tempt fate or destiny, waiting for the next light to allow me to get safely cross.

Hard to believe how long it takes for this light to change, how far it is from where I was to the other side. Felt like the video game Frogger. Trying to get to the other side without getting hit. With the way people drive nowadays, and no respect for life. Damn cell phones and lawlessness.

It was later that I found out, the driver who had nearly missed hitting me earlier, was on the phone talking and not paying attention. I had to be more cautious this time. I was looking around, seeing my package glistening in the streetlights, and making a mad dash for it, was almost hit again.

This time I was slightly bumped and thrown into the curb hard. I got my package that was lying near where I landed. I was still lucky and was able to get up to then wait for the light. I tightly held my package under my left arm. My right arm started hurting.

The blood appeared first, then my arm ached and I was looking both ways to see if I could make it back across. It started to rain, making me all wet, quickly. A sudden downpour, drenching me to the bone.

I did almost make it across the street, before a truck came barreling at me and this time I was bumped, knocking me into a parked vehicle. This time I did not get so quickly. I tried and fell back down. Then sirens, then rescue vehicles. The police arrived; I was standing in the crowd watching. I was looking at my body still lying there by the car I had hit.

The EMTs all were rushing around me to revive me; it was touch and go for a few. I was revived then I fell back. The numbers were not good, they tried to resuscitate me, using the paddles on me. It was of no use after the 3rd time I went into cardiac arrest. I had a heart attack at my weakest point. I was not to make it back home. I was not to make it back to my apartment, wonder how this was going to be received by all those who knew me.

I was walking back to the apartment, when I arrived, no one greeted me. The doorman looked up but had a blank stare on his face. The cars that blocked the street, were similar to the ones at the scene of my demise, over by the stoplight. It was saddening to see no one was being passed over for what was taking place.

I walking to the elevator, not aware that I could pass through walls and glide up to my apartment. Of course, I tried to do this, failing. I had not gone through the process, I was still too human to accomplish that, yet.

I faded into the air and was back at the scene of my accident, being loaded into an ambulance, on the stretcher, and then suddenly I sat up, shivering. The EMTs all jumped back.

The one name Joe, stated, "I thought you was dead?" "We pronounced you dead at the scene and now you want to come back?" I was shocked by his tone and replied, "Well maybe I have a delayed reaction and was out because I go hit by a moving car." "What are you worried about anyway?" "I am ok or I think I am."

I looked at my body and my clothes, feeling the rain downpour from earlier. I was alive once more and was feeling more grateful for not having been part of deceased, returning to the land of the living. Like a second chance, perhaps.

While still conscious, I said a quick prayer. I was surely going to make changes in my life, shame that it took three things to happen for me to decide to do so. The 3 things are: (1) for me to be hit by a passing vehicle. (2) for it to rain on me and cause me to get soaked to the bone. (3) for me to almost lose my life, lose my life and to then return to my body as part of a second chance. "Wait was there some deal struck with the devil, for me to be given this second chance?" "Or was God being gracious and merciful in letting me live once more?"

I was looking around for the package I had dropped, lost, return to gather the package up, then being hit by the passing car. I was beginning to see that sometime material things are not worth saving or returning for. They can be replaced. A life on the other hand cannot be replaced. Once it is gone then you will never be able to replace it.