Snow bloomed, cars passed and birds sang. It was quiet, too quiet for a school afternoon.
I was walking home, another school day finished. My crew went their separate ways so it was just me and the cold air around. Sidewalks and roads were frozen, everything looked like a frozen lake under the golden Sun. My mind was thinking what I'll make when I get home. I'm walking on a familiar road, remembered since childhood, my feet were moving before my mind. Screeching can be heard behind my back, I didn't think much of it until I turned around to see the car out of control. My mind went blank. I didn't know what to do or can I do anything at all? I think I was panicking more than the driver. The car was beautiful, a gorgeous navy blue color and what looked like a lady talking on the phone trying to steady the car frantically. Unexpectedly she crashed her car in a wooden fence that sent a few wooden poles flying everywhere. One flew right in her window and a few flew around her and one even slid to my feet. The time seemed to freeze. Everything felt like it was locked in time. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. My mind was lost in thought. What will my next step be? Should I help her? With every thought i kept going deeper and getting more lost by the second. The screaming of the lady woke me up again, I was back on planet Earth. With shaking hands I took my phone out of my bag to dialed 911. The operator answered in a blink and I started scrambling words without thinking what was actually coming out of my mouth. Half of my words probably weren't even real. The operator sounded like a nice lady, while I was sounding like a panicked maniac. Barely glancing at the road I was crossing, somebody could've run me over. Rushing to the accident I firstly checked on the lady. She was breathing but barely. The phone in my hand forgotten completely but the operator continued to talk. My ears weren't listening, eyes locked on the lady. I wanted to drag her out but that could cause a spinal injury. Standing in front of the scene I can only hope that the lady will be okay. The paramedics took what felt like forever to get here. They moved me away near a small corner to sit down. One paramedic stayed by my side to tell me that I was brave to call and stay, the other paramedics took the lady out of the car and moved her into the ambulance. Asking to come felt forbidden but I asked anyway because not only did I want to come and see but I wanted to be by the lady's side. Every day I came to the hospital to check up on her but sadly she was in a coma. Flowers are something I brought everyday. A small rose or bouquet. I never missed a day in the two weeks I visited her. Praying and hoping that she would wake up became like a ritual, quiet and exhausting. Preformed not because it promised miracles, but because it as the only way I knew how to keep waiting for her in the silence. I felt connected to her even if I knew nothing about the lady laying in front of me. Pale and gorgeous. I looked at her, really looked at her. Noticing her gentle face and shiny red hair for the first time. Reaching out to touch her felt like I was touching something precious. A delicate flower, soft and silky. Staying until late afternoon was my thing. I was the last visitor to leave and the first to enter in the early morning. It was like a schedule for me. Three weeks passed, It felt like three years. I thought she won't ever wake up. Worry was consuming me like a drug, like an illness I could never heal. Then a huge project came and my visiting time was shortened. Guilt was written all over my face every time I came in later than I usually would. Never have I ever forgotten to bring her flowers no matter how late I was. Saturday came, It was almost the fourth week of her sleeping so tightly like rock. Giving up never crossed my mind, not even once. I always had hope she would wake up. Sitting in my room, the loneliness and darkness felt like a second skin. Writing in my journal like it was a special book that could help me solve world hunger. That exact day, the unknown lady woke up. It was still early in the morning, I got the call from the hospital around late afternoon. Rushing to the kitchen, already dressing and brushing my hair. I saw my mother washing dishes, I quickly pulled her aside and asked her if she could drive me to the hospital. She didn't hesitate to drive me, knowing what and why I was going there without even telling her. Luckily the unknown lady didn't loose her memory and that small mercy gave me hope that everything can be rebuilt. She told me her name and I told her mine. Her name sounded like a lullaby, Eleanor Cruz. Talking for hours and then we just clicked. She may be an older woman but she had a mind of a young adult. We were like two puzzle pieces missing. I found out she's my new neighbor and that she's an intelligent teacher. Baking desserts and telling stories is her favorite hobby. Watching her recover was like watching a flower bloom. A sleeping beauty waking up again.
Going on walks and drinking tea at her place became so normal I started to see her as my aunt. Every day after school I'd see her walking or introducing herself in the neighborhood. We'd catch up and she'd tell me the new desserts she baked. Trying them and getting to bring them home is my favorite part of all! Advice is something she always gave me. Her words were always poetic and sweet. I started to try and see the world through her eyes. Everything looked different, lighter, softer and shiner. It felt like version of haven, a new world and a new start.