“I’m sorry, I’m afraid she’s gone.”
My voice broke the eerie silence outside the emergency room. The deceased girl’s family stood still, processing the shock. I watched as the hope drained out of their eyes. Then, the mother clutched her husband and began to sob. I always hated having to deliver this kind of news. It made it look like I had something to do with it. As if I could’ve stopped death. What am I? Jesus?
Unable to bear the sad scenario much longer, I began to make my way back inside the emergency room. A hand caught my wrist just before I stepped inside. It was the newly married husband. “Can I see her? For one last time?” Usually, this would be unacceptable; there were a lot of complexities around these sensitive issues. Something about his eyes made me change my mind; maybe it was the desperate urgency or even the everlasting melancholy. When the others seemed busy mourning for the loss, I snuck him inside. There, in the only bed in the room, lay the shape of a body enveloped in white sheets. I sensed the husband tense up, trying to control his out bursting emotions by clenching his fists. He was probably the type that thought boys can’t cry. Typical. He slowly took some steps towards his wife; I even let him peel the white sheet. His wife had died an unusual death – no symptoms of any sort of disease identified, no inherited illnesses, nothing. Yet, she claimed to be in excruciating pain throughout the past few days. Her heart rate had been fluctuating at dangerous levels during her last minutes. The husband gazed at his lost treasure and took her cold and lifeless hand in his. I saw him slip a sharp crystal ring on her 4th finger. “I want this to stay with her” He whispered. I nodded. It seemed like the only thing that would make him better – and me less uncomfortable.
The girl’s body was scheduled for removal at 1 am that night. I was fortunate enough to have been selected for the tedious task – because who wouldn’t want to package dead bodies and send ‘em off, right? One thing that had intrigued me was the mystery behind her demise. Her family hadn’t asked any questions about it; either they were too shocked or they already knew the answers. The entire time I had engrossed myself in different books, endeavoring to reach some logical conclusion. The last thing I was going to believe in was that “Jinn e dhorse” rhetoric. Pathetic.
When the nurse came in at 12:40 am, I remembered I had an unfinished job to take care of. Reluctantly, I abandoned my research and took hold of the coffin she had brought in. I caught a quick glimpse at the nurse but didn’t find her name in the ID card – must be a new recruit. Why do I always get handed with the amateurs? Seemed like she was either squeamish or very conservative, judging by the way she had covered herself head to toe in the white uniform. I gave her a series of instructions to carry out, starting by supplying me with the essentials. She was silent but efficient. As she handed me the key to the coffin, something sharp grazed my skin, making a small cut. It was more of a paper cut so it didn’t hurt. But what did sting was when the nurse tenderly touched the wound with her abnormally cold hands. I jerked back in surprise and that’s when I spotted the shining object on her 4th finger. A crystal ring. The crystal ring.
~ Noyolee
My voice broke the eerie silence outside the emergency room. The deceased girl’s family stood still, processing the shock. I watched as the hope drained out of their eyes. Then, the mother clutched her husband and began to sob. I always hated having to deliver this kind of news. It made it look like I had something to do with it. As if I could’ve stopped death. What am I? Jesus?
Unable to bear the sad scenario much longer, I began to make my way back inside the emergency room. A hand caught my wrist just before I stepped inside. It was the newly married husband. “Can I see her? For one last time?” Usually, this would be unacceptable; there were a lot of complexities around these sensitive issues. Something about his eyes made me change my mind; maybe it was the desperate urgency or even the everlasting melancholy. When the others seemed busy mourning for the loss, I snuck him inside. There, in the only bed in the room, lay the shape of a body enveloped in white sheets. I sensed the husband tense up, trying to control his out bursting emotions by clenching his fists. He was probably the type that thought boys can’t cry. Typical. He slowly took some steps towards his wife; I even let him peel the white sheet. His wife had died an unusual death – no symptoms of any sort of disease identified, no inherited illnesses, nothing. Yet, she claimed to be in excruciating pain throughout the past few days. Her heart rate had been fluctuating at dangerous levels during her last minutes. The husband gazed at his lost treasure and took her cold and lifeless hand in his. I saw him slip a sharp crystal ring on her 4th finger. “I want this to stay with her” He whispered. I nodded. It seemed like the only thing that would make him better – and me less uncomfortable.
The girl’s body was scheduled for removal at 1 am that night. I was fortunate enough to have been selected for the tedious task – because who wouldn’t want to package dead bodies and send ‘em off, right? One thing that had intrigued me was the mystery behind her demise. Her family hadn’t asked any questions about it; either they were too shocked or they already knew the answers. The entire time I had engrossed myself in different books, endeavoring to reach some logical conclusion. The last thing I was going to believe in was that “Jinn e dhorse” rhetoric. Pathetic.
When the nurse came in at 12:40 am, I remembered I had an unfinished job to take care of. Reluctantly, I abandoned my research and took hold of the coffin she had brought in. I caught a quick glimpse at the nurse but didn’t find her name in the ID card – must be a new recruit. Why do I always get handed with the amateurs? Seemed like she was either squeamish or very conservative, judging by the way she had covered herself head to toe in the white uniform. I gave her a series of instructions to carry out, starting by supplying me with the essentials. She was silent but efficient. As she handed me the key to the coffin, something sharp grazed my skin, making a small cut. It was more of a paper cut so it didn’t hurt. But what did sting was when the nurse tenderly touched the wound with her abnormally cold hands. I jerked back in surprise and that’s when I spotted the shining object on her 4th finger. A crystal ring. The crystal ring.
~ Noyolee
No comments:
Post a Comment