It would be a straight drive –

from Bivins, Texas,

to our home in Grand Prairie –

once we got onto 20-West.

Clear blue skies

with streaks of cirrus clouds

opened up on the horizon

as our car accelerated up the ramp.

The warm wind whooshing in

through half-way wound-down windows

made my brother drift off to sleep

in the backseat,

as my sister and I chattered

now and then.

I occasionally shifted my eyes

to the rearview mirror

making sure my brother didn’t

catch wind of our prurient remarks or slanderous gossip.

But we were sisters.

Gossip, I thought,

was allowed between sisters.

Apart from

everything else,

what did we have to talk about anyway,

especially on Valentine’s Day?

It was hard to hear my own voice.

The wind often took my breath away,

and my sister’s laughs

were carried away

on its currents.

But this was bliss.

I barely noticed the needle

on the speedometer

inching its way past 80.

Now, the cars

ahead seemed to have begun

slowing their speeds.

Yet the back

of an 18-wheeler approached steadily,

like a falling Tetris block.

I glanced into my left

side-view mirror

and shifted into the left lane.

Our idle chatter continued –

until a red car

appeared to be

drifting into my lane.

My sister started shouting,

trying to get the driver’s attention,

but he didn’t

seem to hear.

He kept coming over!

I started to panic,

quickly reaching for my horn.

But it was too late –

he was about to hit us!

I swerved unto the grassy median,

losing control of the car.

Out of wind,

I started yelling,

“Hang on sister! It’ll be over soon!”

But I couldn’t hear if she answered.

The bangs of crashing metal

and the pounding of my racing heart

as our car flipped over and over

made it hard to hear anything else.

I held on tight –

arms out, stiff –

eyes shut

and body bracing for impact.

I felt nothing –

except the tug-o-war

of fear and hope within me.

I saw nothing,

heard nothing,

but the silence

that, in an instant, cut off all the noise.

We stopped moving.

I looked over with relief –

only to see

a metal barrier

blocking my view.

I took a deep breath,

unbuckled by belt,

as my heart skipped a beat.

I sprang from my seat,

my mind running wild,

my thoughts turning

vile.

I ran to her side,

and held her

lifeless body in my arms.

Then bitterly, I cried.

It’s hard to breathe today.

That day –

it took my breath away

when my sister’s breath was taken away,

and her laughs were gone

with the wind.