Pretend

By NationChild

January 6th, 2007

“Beep, beep!” He moved the toy truck towards the long line of match box cars in front of it.

“Neer-nah, neer-nah!” An ambulance rushed past, hurrying to the hospital. Its patient was wounded. She’d been driving when an architect who’d had a bit too much to drink had crashed into her. She’d swerved off the road and collided into a tree. She was now unconscious, scarlet blood drying from a wound on her head. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Her boyfriend had cooked a special meal and was waiting at the apartment they shared. It was her thirtieth birthday. Poor woman. She’d survive with a few cuts and bruised adorning her head, but she would have preferred not going to the hospital room.

A few blocks away, another woman was driving home, almost delirious with happiness. That evening, she’d been promoted. A job she’d dreamed of since she was a little girl, she’d finally gotten it, finally earned it. When she arrived home, her husband and her teenage children rejoiced with her, as they all sat down to a supper of scrambled eggs and bacon, made especially for her with love by her two children. It was, after all, pretty much all that they knew how to make.

Two women, each within five miles of one another. One was struck with a reward for her perseverance, while the other was struck with injuries due to another’s mistake. Fate works in strange ways, does it not?

“Honey, could you help me in the kitchen?” The little boy’s head jerked up from his game. Setting his toys down, he headed out of the room, to help his mom. He’d have to continue playing Pretend later.