The policemen stood on the other side of the glass door, by the look of his face. I knew something was horribly wrong. He stared at the floor as I walked in. my names John, John Greene. I never knew what it was like to lose someone so close to you before. Yeah I’ve lost a few family members before, but they were always the ones I wouldn’t see for months or even years. This time was different; let me run through what happened.
Throughout my whole life I enjoyed what I had, even growing up when I wouldn’t get what I wanted for my birthday or Christmas, Instead I would get a puzzle or socks. Now honestly, how many seven year olds do you know like to get sock s for Christmas? I know I don’t have any on my mind. But like my grandma would say to me, I was different, I never really understood what she meant by that. She always told me it was a good thing though. I was the kind of person that would make friends with everyone; I was never the shy type. If I saw someone sitting alone at lunch or in public, I would walk up to them and be friends. I never had enemies growing up, but after the accident, I changed.
I lived in Iowa. It was a Tuesday morning, and like usual, I would get up and make myself breakfast. My favorite breakfast was pancakes and eggs. Every morning I would make sure I saved enough food for my parents, they wake up about an hour after me. I didn’t really mind making extra, after all I do have the time, I usually wake up a half hour earlier then I need to so I can take my time. Next, after making breakfast I would sit down and watch the news for a few minutes to see if there was anything important to watch. There was usually small local news on everyday and it wasn’t very exciting, but every once in a while there would be a huge story that would make the news across the country. Like a mass shooting or a major storm. The last story I heard about was a huge tornado that hit Wisconsin last week, killing over one hundred people. I never seen a tornado in person and I wouldn’t want to. After I would watch the news I would spend the rest of my time brushing my teeth and fixing my hair, it usually takes me about fifteen minutes to get ready from that point. I didn’t have a car at that point, I was saving up for one, but it took time to be able to afford a car. So I was stuck riding the bus, I didn’t really mind it though, I was friends with most people on the bus. One time I missed the bus by a few seconds and I had to run to the next stop, it was about two hundred yards away. The bus driver waited for me and when I reached the bus everyone clapped for me, I felt so proud of myself. After that day I made sure I would be at the bus stop early so I would never be late.
The bus ride from my house to the school was around fifteen minutes, it gave me a little time to close my eyes and get some rest. Even though I was awake for over an hour at that point, It usually takes awhile for me to be fully awake. After we arrived at school, I would do the same routine, each day I would walk into school and get a small snack to eat. Then I would walk to the same lunch table everyday and I had a few friends meet up with me there. Everyday Johns best friend Kyle would be waiting for him at the table.
“Hey John, want to go play catch in the gym for awhile?” Kyle asked.
“I’m sorry Kyle but I have a lot of work I need to finish up for first hour, we only have fifteen minutes until school starts,” “If you want to play catch, Mr. Watson is in his office, he might play with you.” I added.
“No, that’s ok Mr. Watson doesn’t like me that much anymore after I ripped one of the volleyball nets during gym class,” Kyle said.

“How did you rip the net?” I asked.
“Well I kinda went to spike the ball but I lost my balance and landed on top of the net.” Kyle answered. Kyle was always known to be clumsy but he never broke things that often. Kyle was pretty athletic in some sports, but volleyball was probably his worst. As me and Kyle went on with our conversation it was time to head to class, first hour was math, growing up I was never good at math but I would always get help on things I didn’t understand. “Ok class, please take your seats we’re ready to begin,” Mr. Farrell said. I walked to my seat and sat down, everyone in the class knew who I was and everyone would try and talk to me, which is why Mr. Farrell moved my seat to the very front next to his desk. Today we were learning how to day logs, it’s kind of complicated and hard to explain. So ill just move on to what happened next. I was doing a worksheet ignoring everyone else; the work sheet was tougher then usual so I tried to concentrate. That ended as one of the hall staff, Mrs. Leonard walked in, and I immediately paused and looked up. She stood about five feet away from Mr. Farrell’s desk. I thought it was a usual routine where she would call someone down to the office to either go home or to go to an appointment, but this time was different. I could tell by the grin on her face there was something wrong, I didn’t know what but I could tell. She turned and looked directly at me in fear. “John they need you in the office right away.” She said
“Am I in trouble?” I asked.
“No but please just come with me to the office.” She answered.
We headed down to the office like she asked, at first I thought I was in trouble for something, but I don’t remember doing anything wrong. There were three long hallways to walk down before the office, so we talked about school and how my grades are doing. I told her everything was great. As we reached the office I saw through the windows, there was a police officer standing there talking to the staff. There faces were in shock. At that moment I knew something went very wrong. I was hoping for the best but I didn’t know what to think. I glanced at the officer as I stepped through the door. He was wearing the full uniform, with his handgun on his right hip and handcuffs on the left. He wore a dark blue uniform; with a buzz cut that almost look as if he was bald. The officer turned to me. There was a weird silence for a moment. He put both his hands on his waist. “John?”
“Yes?” I answered curiously.
“I’m officer Jared there’s been an accident and your dad is on the way to the hospital right now.” He said. “I need you to come with me to the hospital, ill explain everything on the way there.” He added. I didn’t say a word as I followed him out to the patrol car waiting outside. As we walked out there were so many questions going through my mind. What kind of accident? How bad was it? Will he be okay?
I knew when we drove off that he would answer my questions, well at least most of them. We rushed to the car and buckled up as we drove off. “What happened officer Jared?” I asked, as we pulled out of the parking lot.
“I don’t know for sure, but your dad was in a car accident, from what the firemen said, the car rolled off the road down a hill, they say the car rolled at least seven times. I’m sorry to say, but I don’t know if he will make it,” He answered.
“Do you know what caused the accident?” I asked worried if he is okay.


“The medics and firemen said it could have been from a hit and run. It’s hard to tell if a car hit him since the car rolled down hill, but the investigators are looking at the scene right now, maybe they can answer your question,” He said. The rest of the ride, I stared blankly out the window without saying a word. I was trying to imagine what I would see when I got to the hospital, but I just couldn’t piece it together. My dad was always a great driver, he’s always aware of the people around him. He’s by far one of the best drivers I’ve seen. If I heard my dad was in a car accident, I would have to see it to believe it. As we arrived at the St. Joseph hospital, I glared up. The building stood ten stories high. I didn’t want to go in, but I needed to know if my dad was okay. Officer Jared guided me in through the automatic sliding doors. I sat down in a chair that was next to the front doors in the corner as Officer Jared talked to the nurse that stood waiting at the front desk. They talked for a good five minutes until she finally turned and walked up to me, she had a terrible frown on her face. I knew the news couldn’t be good. “Hi John, I’m nurse Jenny. I’m sorry to say but I talked to the doctors, they say there’s not much they can do. The impact was too much for a human body to handle. From my understanding, you guys had a great relationship, is that right?”


“Yeah, I’m really close to him. He’s all I could ask for in a dad, and I can’t believe something like this happened. Will he be okay?”


“I’m sorry John, there’s nothing we can do. He took a horrific blow to the head. The medics say he must have hit his head on the door; there wasn’t anything that protected him from that. If there are any last words you want to say to him ill take you down the hall into his room.”


“Yes, please let me see him.” “Follow me John it’s just down the hall.”


I followed her as tears were rushing down my face. I didn’t know what I was expecting to see. I walked behind her keeping a close distance; she stopped next to a door on the left. It was closed, she turned to me. “This is the room; if you need anything just tell me. I’ll be at the front desk.” She said as she walked off down the hallway. I slowly opened the door hoping for the best. I scanned the room as I opened the door, a small room filled with supplies for patience. With a narrow checkered floor, in the middle of the room, there my dad was, lying on the bed. Lifeless, his pail skin surrounding the cuts and bruises around his face leading up his hairline. It was too much for me to handle. I rushed down the hallway, the front doors barely opened fast enough before I hit them. Neither the nurse nor officer Jared had a chance to get a word out. My house was about three blocks away; I walked as I stumbled over my feet with each step I took. My mind was overflowing with thoughts and memories of my dad and I. I can’t believe he’s gone. I reached my house, I didn’t bother to step inside, instead I sat on the staircase of my porch.


Two weeks have past; thoughts about my dad are still drifting in my mind. I couldn’t focus, my grades are suffering and my friends that I would talk to everyday suddenly vanished. I was alone. And I didn’t know what to do. I barely ate anything besides for dinner, and even then I would only take a few bites until I felt sick and had to throw it away. Everyday I struggled to get through school, each class period felt like a year. My absences went through the roof. I couldn’t stand school at that point. It was Wednesday. I’m just heading home from school. On my way back home, there’s a park that I pass everyday, but today I felt like taking a break. I sat on the bench that stood a few feet from the sidewalk and a few more from the road. As always I thought about my dad. That’s all I could ever think about, I didn’t care about eating or sleeping or even doing my homework from school. But all of that ended when a stranger, someone who I never seen before sat down next to me. I had my head down. He noticed something was wrong, it’s pretty easy to tell, and not everyone sits on a park bench alone with their head down for no reason. “What’s your name?” the stranger asked.


“My names john, do I know you? What’s your name?”
“My names Mike, and no I don’t think we have met before. I saw you on the bench and thought you could use a friend. So what happened? If you don’t mind me asking.” Mike said.
“I don’t usually talk about it much, let alone to a stranger, but my dad died in a car accident just a few weeks ago. I can’t think straight.” “I know this might sound strange, but do you mind if I tell you a story?” Mike asked. “Sure, why not. I have nothing else to do today.” I said. “Alright then, well as I was growing up, I’m twenty six now but when I was about fifteen years old, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer in December, she died later that upcoming summer.”
“Can I ask you something Mike?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“How did you deal with it?”


“That’s the thing john, I didn’t deal with it. And just like you, I would sit alone thinking of why it happened and why it happened to good people. I got one other thing to share with you John.”
“What is it?” I asked.


“About seven months later, my dad struggled to get over our loss, he took his own life. That destroyed me inside, after losing my mom and later losing my dad, I felt more worthless than a leaf that sits on the ground.” “But you want to know something john?”


“What?” I asked him.
“From that day, I realized losing the ones I cared about the most was horrifying, but I used it to help me become stronger, look john, I know you’re having a tough time with your loss, but there’s one thing I tell myself that you should too.


Everyone is born and everyone dies, its apart of life. Most of us don’t know how to deal with it, but you can’t live in regret, or the past. After that day, my grades were better then ever before, I went to college and now I’m the owner of three different restaurants throughout the city.” “But if you’re that successful, why are you walking around here?” I asked.
“I enjoy the fresh air; it reminds me of where I came from and how I became who I am today.” Mike answered.


“Well why did you come sit next to me, and how did you know what I was dealing with?” “Well, since you had your head down and you’re sitting alone, I knew something was wrong. I didn’t know what though, but when I see someone like that, almost every time I tell them that story and what I used to get over my loss, it helps them out.”


“Well thanks for your help Mike; it’s really something to think about. Maybe that will be what I tell myself for now on, and your right Mike. I need to stop living in the past, before my dad passed away, I had a great future ahead of me and I can’t give that up because of my loss, like you said. Everyone is born and everyone dies. Its apart of nature and it was going to happen sooner or later.”
“I’m glad to help you out John, just try not to lets these things get in the way of your potential to being successful.


I never had someone like that come up to me before and help me with a problem as big as that one. No matter what age you are, or how your lifestyle is, everyone can use some guidance and that’s what Mike did that day. From that day on, every time I had thoughts about my dad. I always remembered what Mike said that day; I can’t let these things get in the way of my success. That was my turning point. I wonder what I would be doing now if I never met Mike in the park. Even alive for that matter.
























































































I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep, half the time when I’m doing something, I drift off and think about the memories we had when I was younger.


Two years have passed. I was a senior when my dad passed away, I’m in college now. After that talk I had with Mike, everything changed back to normal. Even though everything could never be the same. My grades sky rocketed higher than they were before. I joined a few sports, including basketball and track. I was one of the fastest kids on our team. I ran the one mile and the eight hundred meter run. I almost beat the school record for the one mile run; I trailed the record by thirteen seconds. But that’s ok, because I still got an offer from many different colleges asking me to run for them. I took one of the offers and traveled down to Louisiana State. I didn’t know too much about that school but I’ve heard a few good reviews about it. I loved to travel around and explore new things and that was a great opportunity to do that. But the only person I could thank for my success is Mike, ill forever remember that moment he sat down and told me his story.