Valentine Tragedy

Valentine's of 2011 stated like every other day. I woke up, got myself and the kids ready for school and headed for the bus stop. We got home around 4, as usual. Finding a note that my parents had gone out together brought a smile to my face. They rarely had nights to themselves. My older sister's phone rang a few times before she picked it up. I went to the bathroom and when I got out, my sister looked at me blankly. I didn't really pay attention to her as I found myself a snack to eat.

"Uncle Robert died," she said seriously.

I scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious." She looked me in the eye.

"Stop," I told her. It wasn't a nice to joke about death.

"Mom and Dad are in Tulsa now with Uncle ***," she explained.

I shook my head in denial as I made my way to my bedroom. "Liar."

I laid in bed thinking about my Uncle Robert, the whole thing seeming unreal. He was my first close lost. Sighing absently, I waited patiently for my parents to get home. He was my mom's brother. The past few days, I had heard her complain over and over about him and talk trash about his girlfriend's laziness, saying that she would've kicked them both out if she was my other Uncle.

When the door opened and they stepped in, my sisters and I hugged my mom. For the first time in a long time, my mom hugged us all tightly, her eyes red. She proceeded to explain that the past few days, he hadn't come home. They just suspected him of getting drunk and getting arrested. His brother finally went to the police to see if he was there. They didn't have Robert and told them that there had been a car accident with a train a few days before.

On his way back from a Valentine's party, he had fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed into a train, derailing it. His car was torn up...

....

The anniversary of his death was only two days ago. Way to celebrate a Valentine's Day, right? I only hope and pray that people are more careful when they go out an party. I had promised my sister and cousins that anytime they need a driver after they've been drinking... don't hesitate to call me. Even if I had been working all night and live thirty miles away, I'll come.

Please don't drink and drive.