Three Fated

The day that the crash happened, it changed the course of three people’s lives: Steve, Anna, and Luke. Here is their story:1

My name is Anna, and the day of October 12 is a day that I will never forget. I was happily engaged to my future love of my life, Robert and we were driving down the main street of our city where we were staring at each other lost in bliss. If I had that day over, I would have asked Robert to keep an eye on the road. But, of course, I didn’t and the van crossing through the intersection smashed into us at thirty miles an hour. Robert’s side of the car was hit and the momentum carried our car into the building across the street. Robert was crushed atop of me and I remember hitting my head on the side of the car. Then darkness claimed me.2

My name is Steve and I was walking down the street when I heard the crash that changed my life. I was walking away from yet another job due to incompetent management and I heard the smash and the gasps of people near me. The car nearly ran me over and I dived out of the way just in time. I hit the ground hard and rolled until I came to a complete stop on my back a couple of feet away. Getting to my feet, I surveyed the damage.3

The car was a mangled mess and the van was still connected to it. The driver of the van was asleep and bleeding from the head and I heard a small moan coming from the white car. I ran over to see if anyone was alive and the man driving the car had his head turned towards me and stared back at me with blank eyes. He was dead on impact. I closed his eyes and looked towards the woman in the passenger seat. 4

The woman’s head was resting against the door and she was moaning softly, though her eyes were closed. Her head had a nasty gash and she looked to be barely conscious. The door looked to be hanging off its hinges and with a few hard tugs, it came free. Tossing the door aside, she fell into my arms easily enough and I laid her down on the sidewalk when the police and ambulance arrived. I didn’t even think of calling them, thank god for good deeds.5

The paramedics looked over the woman and other than the gash at her head, she seems unscathed. The man, they deemed dead on impact and the driver of the van had a concussion. When they rolled the woman onto a stretcher, they asked me if I wanted to come along. I didn’t hesitate. 6

My name is Luke and the day that I stopped drinking and driving was the day that changed my life. I was driving down to the bay to visit with some friends and get stoned. However, the night before, I didn’t get any sleep. I partied until the early dawn and then I couldn’t sleep because I got my second wind. So I hopped into my van and headed that way when my eyelids felt like lead and I fell asleep at the wheel.7

When I awoke, I was in a hospital and a day had passed. I was handcuffed to my bed and I didn’t know what had happened. A nurse came to attend me and I asked her what happened. 8

She said that I was involved in a collision with a car and that the man driving the care was dead on impact. I was shocked and for a full minute, I couldn’t speak, knowing that I took a life by my recklessness. I asked if anyone else was in the car and she said that there was a woman and that she was alive, resting across the hall. I turned my head towards the wall and the handcuff on my wrist felt a lot colder. I felt despair for what felt like the better part of a day, but then I made myself snap out of it and resolved myself to help this poor woman anyway that I could.9

Anna’s POV10

I awoke to a bunch of machines around me and I looked around for Robert. But I didn’t find him. I was confused and when I finally was able to see past my bed, I saw a rugged man with a two day stubble on his face sleeping on the couch on the far side of the room. He was tossing and turning as if having a bad dream. I stared at him a little longer, and as if he knew that I was watching him, he stilled and stopped, face turned towards me and he slept peacefully. He was handsome and I couldn’t help but smile at his sleeping form.11

When the nurse checking in to see me an hour later, I asked the nurse what had happened to my fiancée and her eyes looked down and she said slowly that he died in the car crash. I felt cold and it felt like I didn’t have a future without him. Tears came unbidden to my ears and I screamed my sorrow out. I screamed my hate, anger, and fear at the world and anyone around. Then I felt hands holding me down and a needle in my arm. And then I passed out. 12

Steve’s POV13

I woke to a scream born of pure sorrow. I jumped out of the couch and went to Anna, unsure as of what to do. I wasn’t the person that she wanted in her life, hell, I wasn’t even a person in her life. I was just the poor fool that helped her out of that wreck. Now I was here and she was crying out for her love to come back as if he would come through the door of her room and say that it was all a prank. But that would never happen. 14

I’ve gone through that once and I never want to go through it again. I lost my first wife to cancer and it was very sudden. She lived only three months after diagnosis and I remember that at her funeral, all of the comfort I received and the words telling me it was all right would not bring back my love. I cried myself to sleep that night and I’ve never slept right since. 15

I’m sure that there was a reason that I was needed her to make sure that this beautiful woman doesn’t lose herself in this moment. The nurse rushed out to get the doctor and the doctor prescribed a sedative. By this time, Anna was delirious and wasn’t seeing anyone other than the ghost of her fiancée. 16

But after the sedative was through her, she was out and sleeping peacefully. I sat down on the chair and one of the nurses came with a cup of water for me. I drank deeply and tried to settle my nerves. 17

After about an hour, she seemed to be speaking in her sleep and she was begging for her love to come back. I did the only thing that I knew to comfort her. I held her hand and rubbed my thumb to calm her. She relaxed almost instantly and her sleep went uninterrupted for the rest of the night.18

I ended up sitting next to her the entire night and fell asleep on my arm when I heard a soft knock at the door. It woke both of us and I withdrew my hand before she realized that she was holding it. But however she did and she smiled at me and said “Thank you”19

Luke’s POV20

I walked cautiously into the room, still sporting a bandage on my head. I wondered what she would say, but I thought that I might as well get it over with and admit my guilt. Sometimes terror can be a bitch and a helping hand. I stood right in front of her bed and swallowed hard. Here was the real hard part.21

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Anna, but I thought that you might want to hear it from me rather than from anyone else. My name is Luke and I was the one that was driving the drunk that killed your fiancée.” 22

A pregnant silence filled the air and I waited from the inevitable scream from her, but instead all I got was a hard stare and a calm voice from her. 23

“I understand that you are sorry, however that doesn’t make me forgive or forget. I hate you and I want you to know that for the rest of your days. If you had shown even a slightest hint of self control, my fiancée would still be alive. Because you didn’t bother to do that, I have lost my love forever. Think of that the next time that you are about to do something stupid. Leave me!” she said through clenched teeth. 24

I was shaking so hard that I didn’t even protest. I left that room with a cloud of shame over my head and anger at myself for doing one of the stupidest decisions that I ever did. I ran back to my room, put on my clothes and left the hospital.25


Anna’s POV26

After Luke left, the pain of my words dug holes in my heart and I cried.27

The man by my side held my hand through all of the pain and after I cried enough tears to fill two rivers, I wiped my eyes and looked at him. 28

“Who are you and why are you here?” I asked.29

“My name is Steve and I know, in part, of what you are going through.” 30

He told me about his first wife and how he lost her to cancer. After that story, he and I looked into each other’s eyes and we connected. Two people who have gone through tragedy.31

Throughout the day, we talked about our lost loves. Our memories of them and the things that made us love them so much. The next day, the doctor came by and gave me a clean bill of health with discharge papers.32

I asked Steve to accompany me home and over the next few weeks, he became the rock for which I held to when things got too rough. Even though I went to the funeral alone and dealt with the grief of losing my love, Steve helped and made things so much easier for me. Though there were times where I thought that he had it better than me. I remember one such time:33

We were walking at a park about two months after the crash and I was lost in thought and I didn’t know what possessed me to say it, but I was thinking it and said it out loud:34

"You know what I wish sometimes, that I was you; that my whole life could be sane and everything was wonderful yet everytime I think that I always say I'm disturbed...Crazy Imagination right?" I said, looking into his eyes.35

He looked back at me and his eyes were filled with a mixed emotion. Part of it was sorrow because of our losses and yet they were filled with understanding.36

“Nope, I had those same thoughts around the time that I lost my wife. I looked at every husband that had a wife beside them laughing and enjoying life and I couldn’t help but be envious. But fate has an interesting way of answering prayers.” 37

He looked deeply into my eyes and kissed me.38


Steve’s POV39

Why was I kissing her?40

The woman just lost the love of her life and yet I feel this attraction to her because we both know exactly what each other is going through and I can’t help but admire her for her strength of will.41

I pulled back sharply and apologized for kissing her. And she surprised me by cupping my face and kissing me back. I knew that she wasn’t thinking rationally, so I pulled her away and asked her why she kissed me back.42

“I’ve been feeling our connection from when you stayed with me at the hospital and my affection for you grew over these months.” She drew a deep breath and clutched her arms around her in a hug, looking away from me.43

“I fought the attraction because I still felt grief over Robert’s sudden death, but then he came to me last night in a dream and he said that he understood my dilemma and said that he only wanted me to be happy.” She turned and her eyes were shining with tears and she was smiling. 44

It was the first smile that I saw on her and it clutched at my heart and I felt myself go to her and hold her tenderly. The sun never shines so bright as it did that day. 45

Luke’s POV46

Two years later…47

Every year since the crash happened, I take one day and go to the spot where my life changed and if I hadn’t had that happen, I would have never met my future wife, Erica. 48

I brought her to this spot and told her what it meant to me. Since she was from a support group, she understood and supported me. The only thing that I didn’t expect and was surprised to see was Anna and Steve there.49

Steve turned and he was surprised to see me as I was. He touched Anna on the arm and she turned to see me standing there. 50

Her face was sorrow-filled, but not with hate. We talked for a few minutes and I told her that the crash changed my life for the better and in a way the crash brought some good to people’s life. 51

Anna looked deep into my eyes and said that I should enjoy and do right in my life because that’s all Robert ever wanted for anyone. 52

We all looked back at that intersection and remembered that fateful day. Such heartache, hate, and unexpected love came from that tragic time, but life is a lesson and some lessons are harsh. But from the tragic ashes, there is always a new dawn around the corner.