Innocence Lost and Unexpected Death - Essay Example

Michelle Branaugh English Composition 101 January 25, Innocence Lost Death can find you indeed. Death can slither into your life just like smoke through a keyhole, take without warning and change your life in the most absolute sense. Death let the outside into my tranquil world and caused a chaos that still echoes through a small rural town and my outlook on life, at the age of 14, was forever changed in the blink of an eye. I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. My rural town with a population of 3,200 people was your typical piece of Hometown, a place within USA. This town had not changed in decades and it was as if it was stuck in time and the world around it shifted like the hands of an old clock. The main road downtown stretched like a tired old man in both directions and little dust devils playfully chased the shadows that crept along the sidewalks. The downtown seemed like an old ghost town with the occasional truck stirring the dust and murky leaves in the road. This town was safe and not a soul locked its doors at night and at any given day, you could see the local sheriff down at the diner chewing the fat with the community farmers. Generations of people had been born, raised families, and died in this peaceful town. Don’t get me wrong, death did visit this town but it came for the people who were waiting for it to take place, almost welcoming the release. But when this specter knocked on the door of my dear friend, no one would believe that it would make this choice or indeed come to a halt. The year this unwanted specter decided to visit this tranquil town was 1984. This year was a much-anticipated beginning; it was the start of our freshman year of high school, and much fun it was indeed. The first year of high school was greeted with much longing and lots of twisted tummies and we finally got to move from the middle school hallway to the fire engine red lockers that signaled that we had finally become upper classmen. In our minds and hearts filled with glee, we were no longer children but had made that huge leap towards adulthood. That year started like any other fall before it. The long hot summer had to let go its scorching embrace and fall had come in with its sheer majesty. Trees changed their colors, and the oranges and browns were indicative of the changing season and the upcoming school year. The local alumni started planning its assault for the upcoming football season, an act that was a much cherished feeling. The town lived, breathed, and consumed football. There were fundraisers that were being planned, calf fry’s dinners on the schedule, and the Masons with their triangle red hats with bright white stars rubbing their hands in much anticipation of the upcoming friendly betting. School started with all the customary fanfare. Friends came back together with the chance to renew bonds and we searched for some new faces within the hallways. My group of friends was back in full force and I adored it immensely. Christy was the good girl, Gina the tomboy, Kentra the ethereal beauty, Korina the free wild spirit, Misty the ditzy blonde and me; I being the bookworm with my face constantly focused in a book, and this happened always. We were inseparably friends who faced 9th grade with a sense of adventure and the hope for all young girlish fantasies. Football games came and went with the passing of the season and during the 6th football game of the season with the Chiefs against the Cardinals, things began to change dramatically. That day started like any other day with everyone excited about the upcoming battle. We all wore our maroon and white shirts to school that day and our corsages were made of white carnations that had the tips of the petals dipped in scarlet red paint, giving a holy feel undoubtedly. The school day ended with a rousing pep rally. Kentra, Misty and Korina were cheerleaders and they twisted their bodies into pretzel-like shapes and jumped into the air with skirts flying all around. I can still remember sitting in those bleachers and hearing the voices echoing off of the walls and feeling as if the roof would fly off from the building due to excessive noise. We were so excited about the football game but the dance after the game was the real prize and the school cafeteria had been transformed into a place of wonder and delight for this teen rite of passage. Gone were the plastic chairs and yellow formicca tables; they had been replaced with dazzling, twinkling lights and brightly colored crepe paper, hung from the ceiling. The room was full of bodies that swayed to the musical delights of “Wham” and “Air Supply”, and the hopefuls watched from the sidelines with much anticipation of them being asked to dance. Christy and I got to the dance before my other friends so we joined the hopefuls and tried not to look too anxious all this while. When Kentra, Korina, and Misty decided to grace us with their presence the dance was in full swing for about 30 minutes, and I vividly remember the moment they walked into the cafeteria. If I had known this was the last time I would see and talk to my friend, I would have said more to her than the few short phrases that I had spoken in that very moment. Kentra walked up to me and shyly said, “Hi, what’s going on?” I leaned my head in to talk to her, “Oh my God, you are wearing my favorite cloud shirt!” I whispered. “I just love it!” I said as I caressed the fabric gently. We talked about the dance and the newest, juiciest gossip but as always the dance seemed to end too soon, and as we walked out to the parking lot a couple of boys had started talking to Kentra and Misty. Todd Bender that year had received a sleek, shiny, jet black Camero and he was always trying to show it off to the girls. He asked us if we all wanted to go for a ride in his new car – a much craving aspect nonetheless. Christy and I declined because her mom was waiting for us in the parking lot. My other friends accepted and jumped into the back seat thinking of all the fun that they were going to be a part of. Todd gunned the engine and the car fish tailed out of the parking lot. I remember watching the car fade away down the street and wished that I could have gone with them but resigned myself to go home and lay down in bed. Walking through my front door, my mom gave me the ritual homecoming, “How was the dance?” she smiled. “It was fun!” I paused yet replied as I tried to duck into the hallway. “Did you dance with any boys?” her voice echoed playfully after me as I walked to my room. I tried to give as little information as humanly possible and slammed my bedroom door with a large bang – a sign of the enraging fire within. With that agonizing torment over, I changed my clothes, washed my face and went to bed wondering what my friends were doing, and thinking wishfully I could have been a part of the same. I knew something was horribly wrong when I awoke to a pounding on my front door. My best friend Christy was sobbing on my doorstep and her tear streaked face resembled the pale moon in the night sky and her eyes were black empty holes that stared at me in disbelief. Her voice cracked with panic, “There has been an accident and you need to come with me to the hospital!” “What has happened?” Shockingly I inquired. “Todd was driving too fast down a dirty road and his car ran into a telephone pole.” Christy exclaimed. My voice was barely audible as I whispered, “Are they okay?” “I do not know,” she sobbed while her hands crept around her shoulders to try to block out the cold. I grabbed my friend in a hug and we both sat on the front yard and cried as our bodies moved back and forth as if an unheard song was playing and our bodies moved to this sick dance. When we finally reached the hospital it seemed all the town’s folks were waiting outside in the parking lot. It was the middle of the night but news had spread like jungle fire and people were standing outside the hospital doors, awaiting any news that could come their way. Friends and families huddled together for support and prayer groups were asking God for a miracle. The news was not good. Misty had a compound fracture of her femur and Kentra had sustained head trauma; and the other people in the car had received only minor injuries. The hospital airlifted Kentra and Misty to Oklahoma City to the trauma unit. Standing in that hospital parking lot I can still hear the sounds of those helicopter blades beating the night sky. I still cannot explain the feelings of shock and disbelief that I felt as I watched the great bird launch into the night sky. These kinds of things did not happen in our town! These kinds of accidents were not allowed. But here it was pounding me in the face like some prizefighter that took no pity on my life and reality had entered my sheltered world. Kentra died from her injuries after a long drawn out fight, much to everyone’s shock. Our little town was plummeted into hell! I remember lying in my bedroom looking at the ceiling and thinking that could have been me. How could God take someone so young and beautiful? Was I a better person than her? Why would God choose to take her and spare me? Many questions were raised that I had not allowed into my little world. Our little town was never the same without my dear friend. She was a bright light that was extinguished all too soon. My life was altered and I felt a sense of restlessness creep into my thoughts and I felt unbalanced after that day. My faith had been challenged and my sense of youth was gone – bye bye to it! Death had robbed me of my childhood and when it came knocking that day it left a very big hole in my heart. We grew up, graduated and all went our separate ways. But when my friends and I get together we remember and talk about Kentra and about how special she used to be. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss my friend and how that experience changed my life forever, for good or for worse is what I can’t decide. Read More