One Life's Worth

A Short Story By G.S.Vasukumar


It was one evening; Frank Willis was driving in his car, going to attend a conference. Perhaps, this conference would change the rest of his life forever. Of course, he had done his homework well.


He pulled his coat sleeve up and glanced at his wrist watch and it showed 5:05 PM. He would just manage to reach the conference hall in the nick of the time.


Now, he was passing by a lonely path. He saw a car dashed against a big oak tree. He applied sudden breaks, got down his car and walked towards the spot of the accident.


The driver was a young and stunningly beautiful woman in her late twenties. She was in unconscious state, with blood oozing from the cut of her forehead that rested on the steering wheel. He had no idea of how serious her injury was?


The hospital was fifteen to twenty minutes drive from that place. But, taking her in his car to the hospital would mean that he would miss his conference for sure. He was now in a dilemma.


He took his mobile, dialed 911 and asked them to rush an ambulance to the accident spot. He drove away having one last glance at the car from his car side mirror.


He was lost in his own thoughts like, did the ambulance reach in time were they able to save her life? Is she alive or not? Suddenly, someone called his name and he looked in that direction, with a jerk and he was in the conference hall.


He couldn't sleep well that night thinking about that incident. His inner consciousness really troubled him and pricked like anything. He should've have rushed her to the hospital and perhaps that could have saved her life...perhaps.


Next day morning, he was browsing through the newspaper desperately, searching for the article on that accident and what had happened to her? Unfortunately, nothing was mentioned about that accident in the newspaper neither in the news update on the television.

He went to the hospital to which he thought they might have taken her and searched for her from ward to ward, but, in vain. Then he enquired some other hospitals. But, the response was negative.


The next stop was the cemetery. He started looking at the details inscribed on the grave stones above the graves, searching for a woman aged somewhere between twenty and thirty years. But, that too was of no use too.


"God, I've to find her to get back my peace of mind...please God....please..." he prayed silently. He couldn't concentrate on his work too.


"Frank, what happened to you? It was not your fault...you had done your job and the rest was left to the God." said his friend and colleague, Jack Foster.


"No, I could've saved her life...I could've if I had tried my best." he replied,” Now, I don't even know whether she is alive or not?"


This had happened sometime back. Now, he was going to attend another conference and he was passing through the same road. 


It was already late and he was driving at 80 kms / hour. Suddenly, his car tire burst and he lost control of the car. The car went and rammed against the huge oak tree. 


Incidentally, it happened to be the same old oak tree where that woman had met with the accident sometime back. When he opened his eyes, he found himself on the hospital bed.


"Thank God. You're alive." said a stranger, smiling at him, "You were in coma from the last five days and doctors had given up the hope that you would survive."


"You saved my life..." he said, looking at her face, she reminded him someone....someone..whom he had seen somewhere....he started scratching his head, But where...?


"No. I only brought you to this hospital in time, that's all." she said, “I wouldn't have done it in the normal course. I would have dialed 911 and asked them to send an ambulance. But, one accident that had occurred at the oak tree sometime back changed my way of thinking."

"Aren't you the woman who had met with the accident at the oak tree?" he asked, leaning forward, looking closely at her pretty face.


"No. She was my twin sister, Susan. Unfortunately, she died last year because of someone who had dialed 911 instead of rushing her to the hospital. The time taken between the ambulance rushing to the spot of the accident and reaching her to the hospital had cost her life." She explained, "Now, she is sleeping peacefully in the grave of our home town."


"I'm sorry.." He said, “I am...."


"It's ok," she said, "We'll never realize the worth of someone's life unless we lose them. Take care...bye.." she said, standing up and leaving.


"I am responsible for her death." he said, "I could have saved her life....I could have..." Frank punched his fist into the pillow.


The End