Good Samaritan #3
Friday afternoon could have been spent elsewhere, anywhere actually, anywhere but here. That’s what Cheryl thought. She sat there, holding her young boy, a strong and brave young boy, and thought about what just happened. In shock, it was still replaying slowly in her mind. Driving in the right lane on Route Twenty-Two, listening to some whatever catchy child music was in the back seat that Brian was bobbing his head to, something she bought at the insistence of her friends at the last birthday party, she felt calm. It was Friday of course, time for the weekend, time to relax, even if just for a few hours. Grandma was coming up, and that would take the pressure of her youngling just enough to relax. That’s how the plan was supposed to go anyway. Funny how fate can change things when it wants to.
Shock was the only feeling she could grasp, she still breathed heavily, heavy enough to get noticed. It was such a nice day and somehow it got ruined. Figures, she thought. This fine early spring day was ruined on the account of someone who was too impatient to drive safely.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” A slightly short woman in a tan state trooper uniform said as she calmly put her hand on Cheryl’s arm. She was still shaking. All things considering, she was holding herself up pretty well dealing with a car accident. It’s not every day your care ends up in high shrubbery you know.
“Yes.” Her voice trembled. Everything happened so fast. She wasn’t scared for her anymore, it was now left over shock for her four year old, the only one actually calm during this who fiasco.
“Okay, good. Now listen, I need to know everything that happened, okay?” The state trooper, one that oddly looked like Ms. Blake from eleventh grade chemistry, said as she pulled out her clipboard and began to write out the accident report.
She took a deep breath, and held on to her little child. Looking around, she saw her poor silver Mercedes B-Class Sports-Tourer, still being taken out by a tow truck.
“Well, I was driving in the right lane down there.” She pointed out with her hand, as the shaking slowly began to diminish. “Suddenly I felt a jolt from the back, like something hit my car. “ She stopped.
“It’s okay. Everybody is fine now. You and your son are okay.”
“We-” She began to shake again but young Brian began to hold her hand more tight, as if on cue. “I looked back to see Brian, and my car veered left. And, I just remember closing my eyes and opening them up to the brush and my airbags.” She was going to say that song, but figured it would have been awkward to remember such a tense moment due to a sing-a-long song.
“How long were you in the car?”
“Not long. I don’t remember who came first. I just remember freaking out.”
“People stopped to help though, correct?”
“Yes. There were two ladies, and nearly moments after, two men as well. Well, one man, and his boy I guess.” She tried to figure out the correct order of events.
“Good Samaritan number one through four.” The state trooper commented to herself as she wrote all of this down.
“Excuse me? What did you just say?”
“When people help out in stuff like this, it has to be documented. So, I right it all down. What happened next?”
“One of the ladies, the stronger of the two, well, she kind of ripped the car door open to get to me. She was a strong one. ”
“Really? And what of your boy?” She looked up, acting more like a spectator then a state trooper.
“I remember this boy, this kid really. He just jumped in and said everything was going to be okay. He was going to get Brian. Pretty good with kids.” She smiled as she looked at Brian. Throughout the whole ordeal Brian was extremely calm, either out of not knowing what happened or because he was in shock as well. Maybe it was that crappy sing-a-long for all she knows. Whatever it was, it worked.
“And everyone was safe?”
“Yes. Just shocked I guess. And this kid-”
“Good Samaritan number three.”
“Yeah, well, he just calmed down Brian and let out his arms. And Brian got out.”
“And then?”
She paused for a second. In everything that happened, she just remembered this. It had been only an hour or so since the accident, this non-fatal yet completely stressful hit and run, and she just remembered this.
“Ma’am?”
“They just left. Asked if everything was okay, the kid smiled at Brian, and they left.” The shakes stopped. So did the heavy breathing. Despite being caught up in everything, she felt grateful.
“Good Samaritan number three.” Cheryl smiled and held Brian tight. Their ordeal was over. She quietly thanked those who few people who left their cars out of pure kindness. She remembered this vividly. And she smiled.
