Accidents are interesting. In a split second, you move from planning something as mundane as going to sleep to hoping the effects of the accident aren’t dire. They were going home after a baby shower. It was a colourful event, full of laughter and hope. The roads were clear, and there was no traffic jam to lengthen their journey home. Then, out of nowhere, there was a loud bang at the back of their car.
Pauline was at the back of the car, and Alfred and their friend, Ian, were at the front. Pauline turned back and saw a flame. “We need to get out. The car is on fire,” was all she could think of. She turned to the front. The airbags were out.
“Alfred, we need to get out. We need to get out now,” said Pauline.
“Oh my God,” said Alfred when he turned to Pauline.
“What?” Pauline asked.
“Your head is bleeding,” said Alfred.
Pauline touched her forehead. She felt the blood.
“We need to get out!” She shouted as she opened the door.
Ian and Alfred joined her outside. The crowd was gathering. There was a car up in flames, but it wasn’t theirs. It was the one that had hit them. The bumper was on the road, a few metres from the car. The flames were spreading. There were two people inside the vehicle.
The crowd shouted and tried to get them out, but the flames proved too strong of an opponent. They tried putting out the fire, but the soil and water they were using weren’t enough. One of the people inside the car regained consciousness, but his leg was stuck. They listened to him scream as the flames gobbled him up.
The fire engine arrived an hour later.
Pauline passed out as the man in the burning car screamed. The vehicle in flames was a priority since all three, Pauline, Ian, and Alfred, had managed to walk out of the car on their own. Pauline’s fainting was the first sign that something was wrong. The ambulance arrived earlier than the fire engine.
The adrenaline had worn out, and she could now feel the cut. Her head was throbbing, and the sight of blood made her feel twice as bad. They were all admitted to the hospital for observation. Pauline had sustained a significant head injury and needed surgery. There was an internal bleed in addition to the cut on her forehead.
Alfred had some chest injuries, and Ian had a mild concussion. Their worry was directed at Pauline. Alfred couldn’t talk. He lacked the words to express his fears. As they waited for the doctor to tell them how the surgery went, Alfred had a thought, the woman he loved could die before he told her how he truly felt.
“She should be fine. We don’t anticipate any complications,” said the doctor, interrupting Alfred’s thoughts.
He cried when they finally allowed her to have guests. She lay in bed looking fickle, but he knew how precious she was to him. As he waited for her to wake up, he remembered their shared moments.
Everyone who met them for the first time thought they were dating. He thought of the times their friends had bet on them dating or at least hooking up.
“Alfred, tell us the truth. Are you sure nothing has ever happened between you and Pauline?” The friend asked.
“Guys, are we doing this again? Pauline is just a close friend,” he had told them.
“So you’d have no problem if one of us pursued her?” The friends had asked.
“No. Pauline is a no-go zone for all of you. I know you, and none of you are good enough for her,” Alfred had told them.
“You’re in love with her,” they had teased him.
They were used to people accusing them of being in love, but they’d had that conversation countless times. When one of Alfred’s exes accused them of being in love, it triggered a fight.
“Cess left me because apparently I’m in love with you. I jump through hoops for you,” Alfred told Pauline.
“I told you I don’t like her for you,” said Pauline.
“You say that about all my girlfriends,” said Alfred.
“That would be you and all my suitors. You scare them away. I like some of your girlfriends,” said Pauline.
“Yes. The ones who are similar to you,” Alfred had told her.
“I mean. I’m awesome. You need someone like me,” Pauline joked.
“What if they’re right about us?” Alfred asked.
“Right about what? We wouldn’t last a month. We fight over everything all the time. I have seen you with your girls, and that’s not my dating vibe. I mean, we’re not each other’s type,” Pauline had argued.
“I like our friendship. It’s like a home, you know, will always be there,” said Alfred.
That settled that topic until the accident. Alfred looked at her, wondering, “What if?”
When Pauline woke up after the surgery, the first person she wanted to see was Alfred. Somewhere between the accident and surgery, she had wondered what would happen if she died. Who would feel her loss besides her family? Was that it? Would people just forget her? Alfred came to mind.
He was in the room when she woke up.
“I’m not dead, right?” Pauline said.
“What gave it away?” Alfred joked.
“The big, horrendous balloons. I like the colourful flowers. I think I’d like to reincarnate as a bee- so much colour,” said Pauline.
“Glad to see you didn’t lose your awful sense of humour,” Alfred told her as he kissed her cheek.
It made Pauline touch her head.
“Dude! You let them cut my expensive wig? I told you wigs aren’t my thing,” Pauline said. She could see the fear and worry written on his face.
“You’re ruining the moment,” Alfred said.
“I know. I was scared, too. I still am, but I’m still alive, and so are you,” said Pauline.
She was released from the hospital in almost a week. Alfred was there with her until she was back on her feet. She insisted on going back to her house despite objections from her family. It forced Alfred to interact with Pauline’s family since they needed frequent updates on her recovery.
“My mother seems to think she’s gained a son,” Pauline joked.
“Maybe I’ve gained another mother,” said Alfred.
“I thought about dying and life when they were taking me to the theatre. I wondered if I had done anything meaningful, made meaningful connections,” said Pauline.
“And? Have you?” Alfred asked.
“You were at the top of the very short list,” said Pauline.
“I know we talked about our friendship, but I was so terrified of losing you without telling you how much you mean to me,” said Alfred.
Pauline could see the fear in his eyes again. She turned to him. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. There was no going back after that. It had to work out.
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