THE ACCIDENT

The wedding was planned a month from that day, and we made preparations toward the day. Two weeks before the wedding, I dropped Sarah at the Wedding Gown shop and headed to work. I worked for about two hours before I saw Sarah's call.

"Hi, Beautiful," I said, keeping my voice down so my student won't hear what I was saying.

"Hello," another voice said.

"Who is this?" I asked, my heart beating fast. "Who are you?"

"There has been an accident involving the owner of this phone?" the voice said.

"What happened?" I asked and stood up from my seat. 

"The owner of this phone was hit by a car while crossing the road," the voice said. "We rushed her to Plateau Specialist Hospital. Can you please meet us there?"

"What happened?" I asked again, my mind confused and my palms getting wet with sweat. "Is she okay?"

"Can you please meet us there? We are waiting for you."

The phone went dead.

I am dreaming, I thought. I must be dreaming.

But the phone was still in my hand, and I knew that I had spoken to a man just now.

I picked my keys and ran out of the door. Mrs. Beatrice was in the hall.

"Good afternoon, Paul," she said. "Going somewhere?"

"Just need to run to the hospital. There is an emergency."

She nodded and walked into her class. I rushed out of the building and ran to the car. I was in the hospital within two minutes, and I ran to the emergency room.

I found two doctors standing by the emergency room. 

"Are you, Paul?" one of them asked.

"Yes," I said. "What happened? Where is Sarah? Is she okay?"

The doctors looked at each other.

"Mr. Paul, you need to be calm—" the second doctor was saying. 

"Tell me what's going on," I said interrupting. "Is Sarah okay?"

I pushed between them and passed through the door. 

"Mr. Paul," the first doctor said and tried to pull my arm, but I was already in the room. I found Sarah lying on the long bench in the middle of the room. She was looking at me, but I saw that there was no movement in her body. 

I drew closer and stopped. 

"Sarah," I said. "Sarah."

I drew closer and touched her hand. 

It was slightly warm. 

I looked at her face: there was blood on the side on her mouth and then in her nostrils. Her hair was smeared with blood.

"Sarah," I said, and fell on my knees, holding her hand. 

I turned to the doctors and the nurses standing behind me.

"What happened?" I asked, and heard the crack in my voice. I also felt the tears dripping on my cheeks.

"Someone hit her," the taller doctor said. "He was the one who brought her here. He was the one who called you."

I closed my eyes and bend my body, clutching to Sarah's hand. "Please doctor, help me. Check her again. Check her again."

I opened my eyes and stood up. "Doctor, please! Help her."

"We have tried everything…" the doctor said. "The trauma was too much for her and she couldn't bear it. It's unfortunate…"

I turned to Sarah. Her big eyes stared at me without seeing me. Her hand was cold in my palms.

"Jesus, no," I said. I felt the tears falling rapidly like raindrops from an angry cloud.

I pulled Sarah's hand to my cheek. "No, Sarah, you are not leaving me. I can't live in this world without you."

My knees felt as weak as I had been sick for two months and I was just getting out of bed. I heard the door of the emergency room swung opened at that moment.

"Has he come?" a voiced said, and I turned to see a tall man standing by the door.

I returned my eyes to Sarah. "Oh, Jesus, help me," I said. 

"Mr. Paul," the shorter doctor said. "This is the man who…who's car hit your wife."

I turned and looked at the man. I could see in his eyes that he was as nervous as a thief caught in the middle of the act. He stretched the phone forward to me.

I cleaned my face and collected the phone from his hand.

"What happened?" I asked.

"She came out of nowhere…I didn't see her. I am sorry."

"Were you speeding?"

He shook his head. "No; I was just unfortunate that I hit her, and she hit the pavement with her head. I am a doctor and I tried to revive her but there was nothing I could do. So, I brought her here, but it was too late. I am sorry."

Sarah's hand had grown colder, but I clutched to it tighter.

"Are the police aware?"

"Yes. That's where I am coming from. I brought her here first and then I went to report to the police station."

I stared at him again. 

"I am truly sorry for your lost," he said. "I didn't mean it to happen this way."

I nodded. He had the smell of peppermint all over him. Maybe he just finished chewing ten units of peppermint gums. 

"Where do you work?" I asked.

"I work in the UK. I just came into the country a week ago."

"You are a doctor? Working in the UK?"

"Yes," he said. "It all happened in a sudden…"

I looked at him closely and even in my grief, I know that something was wrong. I turned back to Sarah. Her face was pale and set. 

"Do you have anybody you want to call?" the nurse said.

"I will call them," I said. 

"Okay," she said. "We will wait for you outside."

I looked at Sarah's face and more tears dripped on the hospital floor. I felt nothing and my eyes were blurred with tears, but the reality was there as clear as sun standing at noon.

I dropped Sarah's hand on her chest. I removed the engagement I had given her and the wristwatch in her hand. I could not see her purse. I drew back and look at her again. The blood on her nose and on the side of her mouth had caked.

I pulled my phone out and dialed my mom. I wondered what to tell her, and what to also tell Stephen about his sister. Once again, my eyes turned blurred, but I opened them and raised to phone to my ear.

"Mom, please come to Plateau Hospital," I said.

"What happened?" mom said, and I could hear the alarm in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Sarah was involved in an…in an accident."

There was a momentary silence. "Paul, are you crying?"

"Just come, mom," I said, and cleaned the tears from my eyes. "Just come."

"What happened to Sarah?"

"Just come, mom," I said, and dialed off.

I also called Stephen asked him to meet me, too.

I didn't know what else to do, I remained with Sarah, waiting for their coming. 

I felt so much pain in my mind and heart that the pain of death seemed so trivial in comparison.