There is No Need to Speed

Lightning filled the sky with flashes of white fury, echoed by the rumbling thunder that could easily be heard for miles. Rain impaired the visions of all who had the unfortunate need to be on the road this evening. Mrs. Davis, in her old broken-down guzzler, was one of these unlucky people. Her tires struggled to gain traction on what felt like a river flowing beneath her car. The playing music was barely heard over the pouring rain, which seemed more intense than usual. Although nervous, Mrs. Davis refused to slow down her speeding car.

Late for dinner, Mrs. Davis could already smell the freshly baked garlic bread. She could already feel the butter running down her hands and could not wait to take a bite of that greasy goodness. The spaghetti piled on her plate was probably getting cold and without a doubt her daughters had consumed what was left of last night’s homemade Caesar salad. Conversations of their day were certainly in full progress, which she was regretfully missing. While visualizing herself home with her family Mrs. Davis’s foot gradually became heavier on the pedal. The car began spinning out of control, putting Mrs. Davis into a panic. The harder she tried to bring it back on course, the more it refused. In a last ditched attempt Mrs. Davis turned the wheel hard, but it was hopeless. Quickly wrapping her arms around her head Mrs. Davis prepared herself for the inevitable. With a violent crash the car dove into the water filled ditch.

She shivered as the chilling water began to rise higher and higher. Yelling as loud as she could did not make a difference; there was no one around that could hear her. Gasping for air Mrs. Davis could feel her body gradually going numb. As the car filled with water, she took one last final breath. Imaging the smiles of her family as she arrived back at home gave her strength, and with a burst of energy, she kicked open the door and crawled out of the flooding vehicle. Lying on the cold empty road, rain fell upon her face washing the blood away from her cuts. Dazed, she stood up and stumbled her way down the road. Flashes of the distressed looks on the faces of her loved ones filled her mind. Without a doubt they would wonder what had happened, and she was unsure what she would say.

Upon walking up her gently lit path Mrs. Davis watched her family sitting down enjoying their dinner. Their eyes filled with joy and their mouths stuffed with food, leaving a guilty feeling in her gut. How could she ruin their perfect meal in explaining that she could have died speeding in these terrible conditions? Even worse, how could she ruin their joyous conversations with the reality that if she was only more patient, she would have made it home safely?

With the storm almost past, the moon shone brightly in the sky. The cool wind brushed by Mrs. Davis whose clothes were still dripping wet. In the distance she could see red and blue flashing lights. Not recalling that she had called the police, she assumed that a passing car had seen her vehicle in the ditch. Brushing it off, she turned away from the lights, and walked slowly up the rest of the path towards the door. Nervously she opened the unlock door, stepped over the threshold, and gently closed the door behind her. She could not longer put off the distressing conversation concerning her current appearance and tardiness.

The house was filled with overwhelming aromas that made her stomach growl. While taking off her shoes she was happy to hear laughter coming from the other room. Relieved that they had not yet heard her she took a deep breath and began creeping around the corner. Abruptly, two men dressed in police uniform knocked on the door. Ready to answer it Mr. Davis brushed passed her, welcoming them in. The girls sat silently in the next room, eavesdropping on the unfortunate conversation. Their house was no longer filled with joy or laughter. Even their home cooked meal sitting on the table was no longer appetizing.

Peering out the door, Mrs. Davis could see the soft features of an elderly man who she thought looked oddly familiar. Confused she started yelling at the two officers demanding answers, but they ignored her. Witnessing her crying daughters run by her and get wrapped tightly in their father’s arms left her confused. Flustered, she kept repeating that she was here and all right, that there was no need to cry. Leaving the girls holding each other inside Mr. Davis walked out to examine an oddly shaped black bag. Following, Mrs. Davis finally came to the realization that all the crying and heart break was because of her. Standing over her cold body Mrs. Davis looked back at her daughters and husband with great despair.

Reflecting back on the evening Mrs. Davis could now recall the accident with greater clarity. She suddenly remembered the elderly men pulling her body from the car and carrying her onto the shoulder of the road. Calling for emergency aid he did all he could to help her, but it could not make a difference. Lying lifeless on the cold, damp road the sky opened up all around her. Flashing lights filled the night, while emergency teams worked hard to revive her. Their attempts although heroic could not save her from her inevitable untimely death. Snapping her neck during impact Mrs. Davis never stood a chance.

Feeling remorseful Mrs. Davis cried for her family, who she could no longer comfort. If only she had not been so careless, and irresponsible. It was her fault that their meal was ruined, as a result of her excessive speeds in severe conditions. She was to blame for their cheerful conversations coming to an end that none of them could have even imagined. The heartbreaking reality is the fact that she was dead and that it happened only a couple of meters down the road.

Mrs. Davis sighed and then whispered in the ears of her girls, “there is never a need for speed, please always just focus on getting home safe”. Then she walked off into the darkness with regret.