Worthless Pride

"I can't believe you!" Miriam yelled, tears streaming down her already red face. "Miriam, this job could settle up the debt we owe." Caleb argued back, slamming his fist on the counter. "Or it could could fail completely and we would have a guarantee of becoming homeless! Think about the children for once and not just about yourself!" Miriam screamed, which startled the son and daughter who were listening behind the corner wall.

"Who do you think about? This is the only chance we got and I'm going to take it whether you like it or not!" Caleb yelled. He got off of the stool he was sitting on, and stormed out the door of his house. Miriam couldn't believe her husband; they were in deep debt, but the job he was getting was a risky and had the potential to get him killed if he was not careful; Caleb was becoming an agent for the Government, which meant he had to go into combat and wouldn't be home for long periods of time.

Miriam put her face into the palm of her hands and started to cry. She could feel the cold tears dripping into her palms and running down her arm. "Mommy?" two voices called out. Miriam gasped and looked behind her; her five year old son, Joshua, and 3 year old daughter, Lilian, were holding hands and looking up at their mother with tear-filled eyes.

Miriam held back the remaining tears, and sat them on her lap. "You two should be in bed." she said, trying to keep her voice at a steady pace. "Are we going to lose our home?" Lilian asked, clinging to her mother's sleeve. Miriam shook her head, and said, "No, no, darling. I won't let us become homeless. Don't worry about a thing." For several hours after that, Miriam clung to her children and tried her best to comfort and reassure them.

The next few days were tough; Caleb hadn't come back home, and the family was evicted from their home. Miriam found a cheap apartment on the poor side of the city, and after settling in she decide to start finding her own job; one that had potential.

Things were not going better with Caleb either; when he heard his family was evicted, he knew he should have listened to his wife, but Caleb became more stubborn and wanted to prove that he could provide for his wife and kids. The manager of the whole thing was replaced after retiring, and the new manager wanted the more experienced people at the top, so he demoted Caleb until he was at the lowest of the group.

Caleb desperately wanted to tell the Manager about his situation, but he was afraid that he would get fired and it would just prove how incapable he was to his wife, so Caleb foolishly kept working. One day, however, he was finally able to go home to his family, but he needed the address of the apartment they were staying in now. As he was driving down the road, Caleb glanced out the window of his car, and saw Miriam through a building window having a job interview!

After seeing that, he drove to the nearest park so he could process what he saw. "We had a deal, Miriam! I would get a job while you would stay at home with the kids." Caleb argued over the phone. "Caleb, we have been evicted, and your job isn't getting us anywhere. A friend was willing to watch the kids so I could get a job, and guess what I finally have one!" Miriam answered back. Caleb was speechless; Miriam had found a job that quickly?

"Miriam, I need you to stay at home with the kids. I can get the money." Caleb said. There was silence on both sides for a few long, and tense moments. "I told you this job wasn't going to be a guaranteed success because of your lack of organization skills, but you didn't listen. Caleb, don't let pride over shadow your judgement. I have a good paying job, so maybe you can quit yours's and look after the kids." There wasn't offense in Miriam's voice, rather calmness, and a hint of apology.

"Um, alright, but not yet. If I get a promotion in the next month I get to keep my job." Caleb tried to negotiate. He heard his wife's sigh, then she answered, "Okay, but if you don't get a promotion you'll let me do the working, deal?" "Deal." Caleb responded, hanging up the phone; he had to get that promotion.

Weeks flew by, and still no promotion no matter how hard Caleb tried. As the end of the month grew closer and closer, pride and selfishness started to take over instead of his thinking about his family, who originally this was all about. Miriam got a good payments at her job, however, and her and the children were able to move into a bigger and more suitable apartment. She missed her husband everyday, though, and silently hoped that he would get at least one promotion.

"Why won't you give me that promotion? I've been working harder than any other agent here." Caleb tried to explain to his manager. "I'm sorry Caleb, but we have enough agents at the next level, so you must wait which will be a long time." the Manager responded with. "F....Fine, then I quit. You guys don't need my any way." Caleb exclaimed, pushing the Manager's desk back and, like a little kid, stormed out of the office.

Caleb refused to go home; he couldn't face his wife after failing this badly. As he sat on the park bench, something snapped in Caleb's mind something that made him think that everything he did was for nothing. "I'm worthless." he mumbled to himself. He had destroyed the relationship with his wife and kids, he had to quit his job, and he felt alone.

Caleb, after a long time of thinking, decide to go back home. As he got to the sidewalk, Caleb saw Miriam on the other side talking to who he guessed was a friend. Sadly, he stepped out into the crosswalk without looking, but he heard his wife scream his name, and Caleb looked up. Miriam was running toward him, but what for?

Caleb turned looked to his right, just in time to see a speeding car only seconds from hitting him. Everything to him seemed like it was in slow motion. Once this car made impact with him, he would be gone lost into darkness; never able to see any of his family anymore. An unknown life flashed before his eyes, a life that what could have been his if he wasn't out to prove that he was the best. He saw where pride had gotten him, and he was ready for the consequences.

The car was only centimeters away, and Caleb prepared himself for the deadly impact. However, something else came; it wasn't the impact that would cause him to lose his life, instead it was his wife's body impacting with his as he was pushed out of the way. Once he hit the ground, real time caught up with Caleb, and suddenly he heard three sounds; screeching of the stopping car, some sort of loud impact, and...a woman's cry of pain.

"No, no, no!" Caleb yelled, shooting up too fast. His head was throbbing, and he couldn't think straight. Everything was a blur, but he saw groups of people around him and more people around another blurry figure. Stumbling to his feet, Caleb half walked half limped over to the other figure; Miriam!

Kneeling next to her unconscious body, and felt all over for a pulse. At first, he couldn't find one and he began to panic, but he felt a slow but existing pulse, and yelled, "Call 9-1-1! Someone hurry!" People all over got out their phones and started to call emergency centers. Caleb turned his attention back to his wife; blood was seeping near the temple of her head and and deep scrapes covered her legs, face, and arms.

Caleb clung to her, wanting to give her some of his own life, so he she had a better chance at living. "This is my fault. Pride got over shadowed my judgement and I led us both here. Please if, no, when you wake forgive me, I beg you." Caleb whispered, clutching his Miriam's body. Emergency sirens came closer, but Caleb wasn't going to leave the side of the love of his life.

Caleb had chosen worthless pride, but that was never going to get in the way of his life again.