At The Crossroads

AT THE CROSSROADS

Seventeen-year-old Mathew Todd, a typical carefree young man, was known as a loner by his peers. Like a lot of them, he hadn't made any plans for his future. He simply lived his life from day to day enjoying the good times while shrugging off the bad. As

far as he was concerned he came first. Other people's feelings didn't matter to Mathew.

He had no time to listen to their problems and refused to help them with their adolescent concerns. Even his few close friends knew better than to ask him for any help. Second in his life was his car. He babied it. For it meant freedom to him. He'd go for long drives in

the country preferring to be alone.

It happened while he was again driving alone and enjoying an afternoon with no special destination in mind. Sitting behind the wheel of his dark green sports car he came to a crossroads. His choices were to turn either east or west. He carefully checked

the highway for traffic. But before he could make up his mind, it happened. There was no warning and no time to avoid it. A large truck slammed into his car from behind.

Mathew had had everything, but now he was dead. His young life cut short by a drunk driver.

There were dozens of people at his funeral. The entire school body had shown up for he had been one of them. Seemingly endless tears were shed. But as the weeks passed people's lives in the small town naturally went back to normal. Mathew was talked about less often. The image of the teenager wearing the blue jacket and driving his dark green sports car gradually faded from the memories of his school friends.

The seasons quickly passed. Four years after the accident a vehicle came speeding along a highway on the outskirts of town. The late afternoon sunlight reflected off the

dark green paint of the small sports car. With hands on the steering wheel and wearing a blue jacket seventeen-year-old Mathew Todd was on his way home. He was alone and on his way back from a weekend trip to the family cottage. Staring at the long road ahead of him Mathew realized that he could not quite remember the last two days.

"Was I drunk all weekend?" he said to himself. "I can't for the life of me remember driving out to the cottage or even being there at all. I don't even know if I was alone or with someone else."

Puzzled and more than a little frightened he eased off the gas pedal. The car eventually came to a stop just passed his high school. Mathew turned around to watch the students leaving. A strange feeling came over him. He felt as if he were watching an eerie science fiction movie.

"The frightening thing about this is I feel as though I'm one of the characters in the movie!" he thought. A dark, inexplicable feeling swept over him. He felt that he no longer belonged here. Several students were staring at him. A couple even pointed as they walked past his car with stunned expressions on their faces.

Mathew started his car and drove towards his house. Houses and entire streets felt out of place to him. The neighbourhood looked different. He couldn't quite put his finger on why.

As he neared his house he saw his younger sister walking along the driveway.

She looked up at him as his car drew nearer. Her mouth suddenly dropped open and she stared at him as his car turned into the driveway. He turned the ignition off. For a moment she stood frozen just a few feet away. Then she ran towards the house

screaming. Mathew was totally perplexed. As he approached the front door his mother and father appeared on the other side. Their faces showed shocked expressions and their eyes were opened wide. It was as though they were staring at a ghost.

His father opened the door and yelled, "Who are you? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"It's me, Dad. Don't you recognize me?" Mathew pleaded.

His father recognized his son's voice.

"Mathew, my son!" his father stammered. "I buried you four years ago!"

The next moments were forever burned into Mathew's mind as the two stared into each others eyes. As the four family members all began to speak at the same time,

Mathew was horrifyingly aware that his family was slowly disappearing before his eyes!

The house, the driveway, the street, they all disappeared within seconds.

"What's happening to me?" Mathew asked himself. "I was home. I saw my family,

my house, my school. But they're all gone now!"

In the next instant Mathew found himself behind the wheel of his car driving along a a lonely stretch of country highway. Ahead of him was the familiar stop sign at the crossroads. The same sign that pointed east and west. He remembered that this was where things had suddenly gone black for him. This time he was determined that it would be different. Quickly turning the steering wheel to the right. He pressed down hard on the gas pedal and soon passed a number of farmhouses as he sped along.

Then something in the distance caught his eye. Situated on a small hill alongside a pioneer cemetery was a little white church. He drove up the hill and turned off the engine. He stepped out of his car and followed a white picket fence that led to a small gate. As he walked past the gate he saw the crumbling foundation of the old clapboard church. He noticed peeling paint around the door frame and side window as he reached for the door's handle. Strangely this all felt very familiar to him. He opened the door and walked in. A small number of people sat in the pews with their backs towards him. A few of them turned around and smiled at him while simultaneously nodding. That gave Mathew the distinct feeling that he had been expected. Because of the inexplicable things that had happened Mathew was resolved to let whatever this was play itself out.

He was ready for anything now. He chose a pew, sat down and looked straight ahead. An unseen organist began playing a very old hymn. The people in the church sang along.

Suddenly the two sanctuary doors opened behind him and the brightest light imaginable filled the church. Mathew stood up and turned around towards the open doors, facing the source of the light. He was compelled to walk towards it. Surrounded by the

blinding light, scenes of his childhood swirled around him. Vivid memories of long-forgotten things he did and said. The flash of the ribbons on his sister's bike as she rode away from him that weekend on their uncle and aunt's farm. The aroma of his mother's pumpkin bread fresh from the oven. His father's grease-stained hands ruffling his hair just after they successfully got his motorcycle running again. There were vivid memories of things he had said and people he had met. He saw the faces of departed relatives and

he heard laughter from unknown sources followed by sobbing.

He recalled the many lies he had told others and the unflattering comments he had made during his life. Once again he heard himself speaking deeply hurtful words to his family and friends over the years. He actually felt the pain that he had caused his girlfriend

Patty when he suddenly and coldly broke up with her for another girl. It was all before him as if shown on a giant display board. Realization and guilt swelled within him followed by remorse.

Wiping his tears away Mathew tried to make sense of it all but he knew he couldn't. Fully expecting to see the people again he found himself outside and when he turned around no one was there! Not a soul. Peering into the side window he saw that the old church was completely empty and boarded up. Incredibly, even the pews were

gone! He ran back to his car, started it and began the drive home, all the while feeling as though a heavy weight had somehow been lifted from his shoulders.

Things were different now as he drove towards his home. His friends waved as he passed. His high school was the same and so was his old neighbourhood. His younger sister was playing in the driveway as usual and his parents were tending to the garden.

He parked his car and was met by his mother and father.

"Matty, the strangest thing happened. Last night I dreamt that you had mysteriously disappeared. Then later you appeared just as mysteriously. When I told your mother

about the dream she said that she had had the same dream!"

Mathew smiled. "I know Dad. Strange things have been happening to me lately too. I found out a lot about myself and it certainly wasn't good. I didn't know until just a short while ago how many mistakes I had been making in my life and how many people I had been hurting. I actually felt the pain that I had caused all of you.

It's really hard to explain. I realized too that life is much shorter than I thought and that it can be snuffed out in a heartbeat. Something happened to me while I was driving back from the cottage. I don't know if I dozed off while I was driving or what happened to me but I want you and Mom to know that the next time I come to a crossroads in my life, I'll think about the feelings of other people before I think about myself. And that's a promise!"