"Oh, killing me softly and I'm still fallin'
Still the one I need, I will always be with you
Whoa, you got me fal-"
Incoming call from Sistah, answer?
My stereo is rudely interrupted by my car alerting me that my sister is calling me.
"Good morning, Bernard" that heifer yells while snickering over the phone.
Rolling my eyes at her absolutely amazing joke this early in the morning, one that I haven't heard for the umpteenth time this year alone, I ask her what she wants.
"First off you dirty bum, that's not my name and it is entirely too early in the morning for you to be yelling in my ear while I'm driving to work" I chime back while rubbing my ear. "Got my fricking ears ringing knowing I gotta go to work and wear a headset all day and listen to folks' orders, Good morning welcome to Jacks what can I get for you today." I say to her while repeating the same phrase I do every day at work and laughing at the end. "What do you want? I aint got no money so if that's what you're calling for, I reckon you keep it pushing."
"Well, excuse me for calling and trying to talk to my brutha this morning. I seen you were up and driving and thought you might be bored on your way to work. I don't always call and ask for money, only occasionally. I just wanted to give you a little entertainment is all" she snickers while talking to me.
I smack my teeth while listening to her, "Girl, you done interrupted my wake-up tunes, got my music all messed up. I am Beyonce, and you need to begonce" I bust out with laughter as I hear her laugh at me.
"Chile antyways" she clicks her tongue "I was just bored and wanted to call and tell you some of the most interesting things I done heard last night while talking to Shauntae. So, she told me that ol' girl Amanda done went and got pregnant by her ex-baby deddy, and is trying to convince her new man, Kevon, you know the tall light skin, that he's the actual father. Can you believe that? And then let me tell you"
She continues on about all the new things she learned last night while hanging out with her friends. For her to only be 18, she's always in the adults business, not that she's young, but Amanda is damn near 40, she can get pregnant by who she wants to, I think to myself. "Anyways pookie I'm gonna let you go so I can continue my music and get to work on time for once, if thats alright with you?"
"I mean I guess it's alright, since you don't want to talk to me or anything, but can you like, you know cash app twenty dollars? Please I love you"
"Nah" I reply, "you know it's hard out here for us biscuit makers, can't be giving my dough out to errbody else in here. You liked that didn't you?" I ask her as I laugh at my own little pun. "But yeah, I'll send you some later love you!!" I say as I hang up the phone and carry on with my singing and jamming out session. The interstate was surprisingly busy for the morning. Usually there's probably a good twenty to thirty cars spaced out driving, some going 70mph, the speed limit, others going nearer 80mph. Me? I'm most definitely an other, 80 is the go to because just like that cartoon race car, "I am speed" I think to myself. Suddenly my car starts making a weird grinding noise and I freak out noticeably enough that the lady beside me gives me a side eye and speeds on by.
"It was the car okay," I think to myself as I keep driving and staring at my radio. I drive a little way more and see the sign signaling my exit ahead on the right. I use my blinker and attempt to get over to the right most lane, but my steering wheel won't turn. I freak out and try to slow down but I crash into the back of the car in front of me. All I can do is hold onto the steering wheel as I run into the side wall and flip over the cinderblock railing on the interstate. I see the ground and sky become a blur as I spin in midair falling off the road. I hit the ground hard and felt the wind get knocked out of me. I couldn't breathe for what felt like forever.
*INITIATING Recovery program*
I tried to crawl out of my car so I can lay on the grass and look around me for help, but I couldn't move. I could move my head but everything else stayed still. I feel like I'm under an extremely heavy weighted blanket. I can visualize and feel my arm movement like any other time, but it just lays there on the ground. "Oh, to be a flower, just enjoying the weather at all times, instead I'm a person who just had a car wreck in their basically brand-new car!" I look at my phone and cry out the usual hey Siri, after she responds with her very dry and automatic "hmmm" I ask her to call Sistah. The phone rings for eternity and I notice a beautiful knockout rose bush growing near the road. No cars have pulled over near me enough that I can see, and I haven't heard any sirens yet no matter how hard I try
*Acute hearing and self-regeneration acquired*
My phone reached my sister's voicemail box and when my phone hangs up shortly after I ask for her to call one of my best friends. I know it's 5:30 in the morning and that they aren't awake, but I don't want to lay here and die without anyone knowing. I don't want to die at all! I keep trying to call anyone who I can think of at the moment, and the same thing happens for each person. I hope and pray deep down that someone returns my call before I pass out into unconsciousness.
*Resolute, hope, and will acquired*
I resort to leaving a message to my best friends, the people pleaser in me knows they would be so heartbroken to have missed my final phone call even though none of this is their fault. "Hey Siri, text home team.... Hey y'all, so funny story, I got into a car accident this morning and am now dying on the side of the road. So funny I know, but I just wanted to let y'all know that I love y'all so much and am so sorry for the distraught that my death will bring, I really was excited for dinner tonight and I'm sorry I won't be able to make it, but just promise me that y'all will remember all the hilarious and good times that we had and don't dwell on me for too long okay. Miss and love y'all." After the end of the message, I send it and think to myself why I hadn't called 911 by now. I asked Siri to call them but she went out half way. If only I could control my limbs or even the grass and plants around me, I could lift myself from the car and get help.
*Phytokinesis and Photosynthesis acquired*
I watched the sun rise and I saw memories that had long since faded from my mind as I got older. My life wasn't something spectacular, but it was mine and I had filled it with amazing memories of joy, laughter, and goofiness. I saw the first time my mom caught me walking in heels as a child and how she helped me to walk better in them. I saw the times we made strawberry cake for holidays and birthdays. I remembered Walmart trips and lugging all the groceries. I watched me and my dad make chicken coops and weed the yard and garden. I saw me and my stepmom running errands all day long while jamming to music from the early 2000's. I cried at the memories of all my siblings' firsts, their first steps and when they first said my name. I joyed in remembering my friends and how we met at college and lived together. All the late nights we would stay up and watch movies or just talk about anything and everything. Complete late night food runs and the early morning coffee as we went to club meetings. Finally, I just laid there and cried for the last few minutes or whatever they were of my life as I knew I wouldn't make it because still no one had come to save me. And the sun had long risen.
*Recovery program now complete downloading memories and skills into compatible being*
I closed my eyes as I remembered telling my friends one drunken night that I could rest when I was dead. Since I was close to it, I thought I could go ahead and cash in that token while I could. Suddenly I felt myself shrinking, I couldn't open my eyes anymore and while I could feel again, it all felt hard and leathery, but soft and warm at the same time. I waited for what felt like eternity, but nothing ever changed. Is this purgatory. I had read that it was like a waiting room until it was your turn to be judged by the man above. Not him but like the other lesser him, okay I'm done now. I had hoped that I could at least communicate with others while waiting, then again, I thought I'd go straight to hell also for being gay. Not much hope for this one.
"You are such an interesting creature; you make me laugh every time you speak." I look around panicked, but technically I can't, all there is, well all there is around me, is a black void, and I have no eyes! "Who said that, show yourself or I'll fucking Supplex you." I yell in my imagination or conscience, I'm really not sure at this point. I really wish I knew where I was or what I was in. "Oh silly, you're in an egg" the voice laughs while explaining to me, "well it's not technically an egg considering what you are, first of your species and all." At this I was confused but a lot less shaken than before. "What do you mean an egg and not an egg and first of my species, there are billions of humans on earth, and at that what are you? Only thing that's ever spoke to me in my head was myself, and the voices." Hahahaaha, there you go again with that ramble about the voices. But you are no longer on earth. In simplified terms I pulled you into my dimension and planet while you were on the brink of death. You seemed like such an interesting being and I had been watching you ever since you showed me kindness."
"You see your people, as you call them, are not very nice and tend to be terribly rude. It is in your nature to be destructive. You, while all those things are also quite kind and hilarious even though you say you're a, an uhm, what's the word… a bitch! You say that all the time and I've come to realize it's not true. You are extremely giddy and love to help others when possible. Like when you gave me free food at your job, or when you helped me cross the road at your school. You were even kind when I purposefully broke your umbrella but still helped me to stay dry. The only time you were not kind is when it had to deal with your friends. I made someone make a rude remark about them and you flew absolutely off the wheels and unhinged, it shows a fire and a passion for the ones you care about. It shows the fight you have in you that I need right now."