I wonder what life would be like if we could freeze time. Time could stop and we can spend more time with those people who we love, and cherish the most. People enter and leave this world so fast. It would be a gift to spend more time telling them how much you love them, and show them how much you care.
As the rain pounded hard against the thick windshield, it was like time was freezing; the rain gradually rolled down the window, and seemed to stop before completely getting swept away by more rain. Everything about this day seemed to move in slow motion, the movements I made, the cars passing by, and the way that the evening had played out.
It was late afternoon, the sapphire sky had vanished due to the gloomy dark clouds, the sun faded into an abyss of darkness, and an intense thunderstorm had struck the earth. Jacob raced the red pick-up truck down the highway. His light chestnut hair dropped into his emerald green eyes, and he quickly brushed it away with one rapid movement. His black tux looked as velvety as silk as his twisted the steering wheel, turning the car into the cramped parking lot. The building looked more like a creepy manor than a hospital. An ambulance was parked in the emergency lane, not giving us an easy entrance. Jacob swerved the car into the lot, which was rather far away from the entry. “Go, I’ll catch up,” Jacob said, unlocking the door. I gave him a quick grin, and then entered into the rain.
I grasped for the fluffy skirt of my dress and held it into the air so I wouldn’t trip over it. I splashed through puddles of water, getting my legs wet. The rain fell hard onto my straightened blonde hair, turning it into golden waves, and I could feel my mascara running slowly down my bronze freckled face. The sound of sirens wailed somewhere in the distance, but the only sound I could hear was the sound of my heels whamming against the concrete and my heart beat, which beat in wild strokes. Thump… thump… thump. I finally reached the doors which slid open and I darted inside.
The smell of hand sanitizer and the awkward scent of cinnamon packed my nose. My mind wouldn’t let me hear anyone nearby. Everyone’s panicky eyes glared at me as I darted through the halls; their mouths stirred up words, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. That’s because I couldn’t hear them, the only thing I could hear was the thump of my heart beating faster, and faster. Thump, thump, thump, thump. I sprinted as fast as I could. I ripped off my heels just to run faster. The hard dusty tile floor banged against the balls of my wet feet. It felt like I was running on a smooth rock. My long peach prom dress billowed in the wind behind me. My small freckled hand brushed against one the rough cream wall as I skidded around a corner, and flew and into the entryway of room 160.
A man was lying on the white bland hospital bed. An IV ran onto his tiny arm, which was effortlessly lying on his scrawny lap. The heart meter beeped as his heart pounded inside him. He had dark wrinkles on both sides of his face. You could distinctively see his cheek bones, which stuck out at weird angles. His cheeks looked like they were about to cave in to his mouth. His lips were in a tight wrinkled line. His bald head glistened like a smooth newly polished shoe.
He wasn’t looking at me, but was looking out his window at the rain which fell like snow. You could hear the thunder roar outside the small room. His brown eyes were the only part of him that still look healthy and alive, but they were full of sorrow. His thin legs were crossed at his ankles, and he looked miserable, but anyone who was lying on their death bed would be. He was lightly humming “La Vie En Rose,” one of many beloved songs that he learned when he was in France, but this song in particular was the song that he used to always sing to me before I went to bed.
I could feel the raindrops flowing from the roots of my hair to the tips, and falling gently onto the tile floor. I walked up to the man and slid my hand under his, conjoining them together. His looked up at me, and his lips widened into a smile. “Kate!” he sighed; his voice sounded like it was rubbing against sand paper.
“I’m here.” I chimed leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. He pulled his head back so look at me more closely. He lifted his cold hand and whipped away the mascara that had run down my face. “How was the prom? You look so gorgeous.” he whispered.
“It was good, and thanks.” I said. I didn’t want to tell him that I had only been at the prom with Jacob for a few minutes before I got a call from the hospital. They told me that he was about to lose the fight with cancer. I could feel my face start to turn pink, and my brown eyes began to fill with water.
There was a pause of silence, and then the man said, “Can you sing to me?” He loved when I sang to him. I was always a good singer, even when I was young. He said I had the voice of my mom. I nodded, and started to sing “La Vie en Rose”. I decided to sing it in French, even though I knew it in English, but I like the French words better. As I sang I melted into the words. They flowed out of my mouth like I was breathing them. My mind floated through the dark clouds outside, and into the blue atmosphere. There was no need for the song’s music. The words were beautiful enough by themselves. I could feel the tears streaming down my face, but I kept singing. “Quand il me prend dans ses bras, li me perle tout bas, je vois la vie en rose.”
When I finished, I looked at the man. With a cold hand, he wiped a tear off my check. His face looked as if he was himself again, a young 49 year old, but I knew that inside his was as mentally and emotionally as tired as a 95 year old. “Kate,” he whispered, his eyes gazed into mine with deep compassion, “I love you.” More tears gushed from my eyes.
“I love you too, Daddy.” I said, kissing his chilly hand. He smiled at me, showing his white teeth. He then closed his russet eyes, and took his last breath. My heart dropped, and water flooded from my eyes, and slowly hit the floor. A hand landed on my shoulder. I looked up; it was Jacob. I hadn’t seen him standing there. I fell into his arms. The world around us was whirling. Doctors and nurses rushed into the room in what seemed like slow motion. Jacob guided me through them, and took me outside.
The rain had stopped and I could clearly see the beauty of the twilight. The sunset was painted all over the sky like a picture. The sun was so large it was like I could reach out and touch it. The sky was orange, and lit up the world as if it was ablaze. The orange was tinted by yellow, lavender, a rosy red, and a light indigo. The olive leaves of the oak trees around the hospital were slowly dripping from the rain. The air was humid, so humid that it felt like I had just entered a steaming sauna.
The birds were singing and soaring in the nature-created painting. A dove landed on the concrete. I sat down and observed it. Its bleached feathers were as white as snow. Its beak was the shade of a lemon. Its beady black eyes stared at me with curiosity. It began to hop towards me. It spread its wings out. I don’t know why, but I had the urge to touch it. I extended out my arm. It flew into the air, and when I was about to pull my arm back to my side, it landed on my hand.
It stared at me more intensely now. I was shocked. Birds almost never had this kind of contact with people. This kind of stuff never happened. That’s when it hit me. My back stiffened, and I gasped escaped from my lips. The tears which had been falling from my eyes abruptly stopped.
“Daddy?” I asked. The dove pushed out its wings and soared out of my hands. It began to fly into the sunset towards heaven. That is when, unexpectedly, time froze.