• "Happy 17th birthday, baby!" I heard my mom's voice trying to wake me, but I really didn't want to get up. Especially since I remembered it was my birthday. I groaned and covered my face with my blanket.

    "Mom, you can't call me that anymore. Only one more year and I'll be a legal adult going off to college, pursuing my dreams."

    My mom sighed, "Yea I know, Sarah. But you'll still be my baby."

    I groaned again. "Mom. Every parent on the face of the earth says that phrase."

    "So? I don't see why that means I shouldn't." my mom chuckled, said, "Now, wake up," and left my room.


    ~


    After a boring and embarassing (it was my birthday, everyone sang to me) school day, I got in my little red smart car with my best friend Matthew. We all called him Mateo ever since we could remember. It used to make him angry but he got used to it, and now it's all he responds to.

    He and I both worked at the nursing home and luckily, we even had the same shifts. So we carpooled there every tuesday, thursday, and saturday night. We both thought it was really cool to see how much the older people seemed to enjoy our youthful presence. We usually took some time to talk to them and make them happy while we did our rounds, making their beds. If they didn't stay in them all day. Some of them couldn't really do anything else but lay in bed and watch soap operas. All day long. How depressing.

    On the way there that Tuesday, Mateo and I were talking about our future plans. He wanted to go to seminary school and prepare to be a priest in the Catholic Church. I was talking about my college plans as we were on the highway.

    "I'm absolutely sure that I want to go to a creative center so I can be an artist. There's no doubt in my mind. I've been wanting to since I was like, what, four?"

    "Yea, probably." Matt said. "But are you sure that's what you should do? Maybe you have a different calling from God that you haven't paid attention to yet."

    "Hmm." I sighed. "I don't know. I really just think I want to -- OH MY LORD!" I stomped on the brakes and held the pedal down while all my being while I had been going 65 miles an hour (the speed limit). Mateo and I were practically glued to the dashboard as we were (screaming and) slowing down to a stop faster than should ever be done. We had barely stopped in time to avoid the five or so deer that were casually walking across the highway. In fact, we didn't really stop in time.

    We bumped in to one when we were still going about 5 miles an hour, and the poor thing flew backwards three feet and sprinted away into the forest. The little car jerked to a halt. My heart was pounding faster than it had ever gone and I stared at the space where the creature had been a second earlier. If you keep in mind the structure of a smart car, we were lucky the deer didn't come through the windshield.

    After a few seconds I glanced at Mateo and took a huge breath of air. Once I found my vocal chords again, I said, "Well. I am never going to forget this birthday. Even if I suddenly lose all my memories, I'm sure my wallet will remind me. I mean, this little car... it must be totalled!"

    Mateo said, "I'll help you if it costs a lot. But I think you should pull over, Sarah. I don't really want to be in the same boat as that deer. And I think the car should still work fine enough to get us to work when you're ready to drive again."

    I pulled to the side of the road and called my parents. I stepped out of the car and went around to the front, which was only about two steps away from the side door. I looked at the nonexistent damage and smiled.

    Nothing is wrong with my car. Thank you, God!



    ~



    At the nursing home, I was by myself in the stairwell, lugging a basket of sheets down to the first floor. The adults in the staff always made us kids take the stairs. But I didn't mind. At least I got some exercise.

    I turned on a landing to get to the next short flight down. I added a little skip in my step, trying to dance even though I couldn't see my feet while carrying the big basket. Bad idea.

    The first step down came before I expected and I completely missed it. On the second step, I landed and my feet pretty much rolled four different ways on impact. I yelled as it felt like my ankles snapped into a million pieces. It was a shame that that was only the first step.

    I fell forward down the stairs. The basket was out of my hands, but not far in front of me. It bounced up from its first impact with the stairs as my head was leading me towards it. It knocked me practically unconsious, which made the rest of the way down go slo-mo.

    I was tumbling down with the laundry basket, yelling in shock, fear, and pain. I was thrown against both of the walls, one after another, bouncing and rolling my way down. It seemed like every bone in my body managed to collide with something. Maybe even other bones.

    Because of the lovely slow motion view I had, I had time to grimace as I saw the solid wall cutting across my short but definite pathway. The next landing. MY landing. Hopefully. I really prayed that I wouldn't be bounced down the next flight, too.

    The basket was ahead of me then, and it crashed against the wall at the perfect angle to go down the next stairs. Please don't let me follow it. After spinning another somersault, my feet were actually the ones to connect with the landing, but my noodle legs could never possibly stand me up after a tumble like that. So, with the momentum that I had built up in really only about three seconds, I collided flat with the wall, breaking my nose and a few other bones as a bonus.

    After the collision with the wall, I fell backwards to the ground. Everything was black. Finally. So, I laid there until someone, probably Mateo, came and found me.