Returning Home

The day was sunny and the sky clear blue. It was almost difficult to drive as the sun rays shining through the car window kept reflecting on the beautiful diamond ring on your finger. You felt so happy you could fly. Finally, while enjoying lunch with Josh, he had asked you to marry him, and you were over the moon from gladness. Now you could hardly wait to get to your parents and let them know the good news. They love Josh as well and were glad to welcome him into the family. You certainly had lucked out; even his parents were the nicest, and life couldn’t be better. Your favorite music is playing on the radio and breezing down the roadway. Suddenly from a side street a large moving van pulls out right in the path of your car. Feeling a sudden jolt and panic, you step hard on the brakes, hoping to come to a screeching halt right before the van, and then you will give the driver a piece of your mind.

Darkness has fallen, and a full moon shines from above. You are standing at the side of a deserted roadway with no car light shining from any direction. I light misty rain is falling, and you are feeling chilled. Then it occurs to you that you have no idea how you got there or where you are. It's kind of a scary situation, but you have hope you will recall. Thinking of all the possibilities, you imagine that your car broke down and you left it and started walking, hoping to find a small town and a garage.

Well, you must have taken the wrong way and got lost. Probably broke down along a highway and in the dark turned off on a less traveled roadway. Well. The only way out is to use your feet so you look right and left to decide which way to go. The moon gives off enough of a glow so that you can see the road and what is ahead. At this point you notice a light glowing far off to the right through some tree tops. You sigh with relief because it must be from a house where you can find people and a phone. Another frown as you realize two things: you have no idea who you really are, and you do not know who to call, but a phone can put you in touch with the local police, who are sure to come to your aid.

So down the road you go heading toward that light. It seems to glow stronger as you approach, but you figure that is just an illusion because you are getting so close to that house. Finally you approach a gateway and a drive. The gate clanks open, and you walk up toward the house. It is a rambling two-story house with a wide front porch. The light is coming from one of the upstairs windows. By now you are feeling pretty weary, and so you practically trudge up the front steps and walk across the porch to the front door.

You look for a bell to ring, but there appears to be none. However, the front door has a large, heavy knocker, so you gather what strength you have left, and picking it up, you bang as hard as you can against the door. All you can hear is silence and absolutely no approaching footsteps. With a sigh you consider your situation, and surely someone is at home if there is a light in the upstairs window. You are suddenly feeling kind of frightened, so you try the doorknob, knowing that any human at this time, even a stranger, would be of comfort. Strangely enough, the doorknob turns, and you step into a hallway with a staircase straight ahead leading upstairs.

As you close the door behind you, you wonder how a person would leave their door unlocked when heading upstairs for the night. So first you shout out “Hello” as a warning that you are there and have entered and start making your way up the stairs. Enough light shines down to let you make your way. Once having reached the top of the stairs, you turn toward the room with the light. With trepidation you approach the doorway, and as you step into the light, you see you are lying in a bed; machines around you are blipping and beeping, and your head feels heavy, swathed in a bandage, and one of your legs is in traction. You feel a bit of pain, and suddenly it all clears.

You had run into that moving van; you could not stop your car in time. From the light streaming through the window, it looks like it is afternoon, but of which day or how long you have been there, you have no idea. Suddenly the door swishes open, and in come your parents and Josh. After a long journey you have finally returned home.