Finally at Home

It started out as a routine day for Jim as he got up in the morning and went to work later that day. But today was different. It was Christmas Eve and after work he had a puppy to pick up. Jim was a husband with two little girls and a baby boy. This year he and his wife decided to get their daughters a puppy. Already now he could see the joy in their eyes once they brought in the little yellow lab.

Jim took his card and punched out from work. We went to his locker to grab his keys and his coat. He bundled all the way up; it was cold out there today. It was a little after four and there was barely any daylight left. Outside the snow was a foot deep and more snow was on its way. It was practically a blizzard out there and with the on and off sleet you could practically stand on top of the snow.

Jim started his car and pulled out of the parking lot, the tires crunching the snow underneath. Jim waited for the snow plow with the flashing orange lights to pass before he left the lot. He made his way to the Johnson’s house where he was to pick up the puppy. In the back of the car he had the pet carrier awaiting its guest.

Jim arrived at the Johnson’s to a couple of dogs barking and chasing his car as he pulled into the drive way. The owner heard the dog’s racket and greeted Jim outside. “Don’t worry, they’re friendly. They are just hyper when cars drive in.” Mr. Johnson reaffirmed Jim, while covering his head with his coat hood.

Mr. Johnson led Jim inside to pick up the puppy. It was a short stay. The weather was persistent with the heavy snow. Jim unzipped his coat and carried the puppy inside it as he made his way out the door. Mr. Johnson stood behind him holding open the door. “Have a safe drive home, it’s scary out there.” Mr. Johnson warned.

“Thank you, Bill. Merry Christmas!!” Jim waved from his car.

“Merry Christmas to you too! I hope your kids enjoy the puppy!”

“Oh, they will!!”

Bill nodded, waved and shut the door behind him. The warm glow of the yellow light inside followed the closed door. Now it was just the cold blue and white icy snow.

Jim set the whining puppy in the carrier and locked the cage door. He clipped the buckle into the carrier and then shut the back door. Jim hopped in the car and cranked up the heat. “BURR!” he exclaimed, rubbing his gloved hands together. He then put his car in reverse, putting his right arm behind the passenger seat headrest and looking out the back window.

He was back on the interstate. The road he took every week from work to home and home to work. He knew what these roads could be like and he knew what to watch out for. Jim kept the radio off for concentration. The car was silent other than the tires sloshing through the slushy roads.

The ride was long. The quiet car made it easy for Jim’s mind to fall into autopilot as he daydreamed what Christmas was going to be like tomorrow. The girls would be in bed the time he got home. Alice would probably be up with little Steven.

Jim could see the girls in front of the bright and colorful Christmas tree opening up their dollies and make-up kits. They would be joyful enough just with that, but just to put the sweetest icing on the cake, an unsuspecting squeal of excitement and joy would spill from their hearts when he would bring in the puppy with a pretty pink ribbon tied around its neck. The rest of the day they would play with the puppy not wanting to have lunch because they would be preoccupied. They wouldn’t even be able to take their eyes off the little guy. And at the end of the day he could see them both, sharing a bed with the puppy in the middle of them, the puppy even more tuckered out than they were.

Jim’s phone started ringing and Jim shot out of his daydreaming state and found himself smiling. He was just as excited as his kids were going to be. “Hello?” he answered.

“Hello, sweetie. You pick up the P-U-P-P-Y?” his wife asked.

“Yes I did! I can already tell he’s going to be a good dog. I haven’t heard a whimper out of him since I set him in.”

“I am very glad to hear that.” Alice replied. “Well, I’m about to send the girls to bed, it’s almost 8 o’clock and they wanna tell you night, night!”

“Aww, okay, put them on.” Jim smiled, his heart filled with love for his family.

“Hi, daddy.”

“Hello sweet heart, I heard you’re getting ready for bed.”

“Yeah. Mommy is tucking us in soon, but I’m not tired!”

“But you will be!! You’re going to need your rest for tomorrow so you can have all day to play!”

“EEE! I can’t wait for tomorrow, daddy! Santa’s coming, Santa’s coming!”

“Yes his is, sweet heart. Do you wanna put your sissy on?”

“Yeah… good night daddy, LOVE YOU!”

“I love you too, darling.”

Jim heard rustling over the phone, “Here you go, Jessie.”

“Daddy!” she squealed.

“Jessica, how’s my little girl?”

“I had a great day today! I drew a picture for you, but you don’t get it until tomorrow. It’s a present!!”

“I’m sure it will be lovely!”

“Hehe. I’m so excited for tomorrow! I’m gonna get up real early!”

“Just not too early, mommy and daddy need their sleep too.”

“Okay. Mommy wants the phone back. I love you daddy! See you in the morning! I can’t wait!!” Jessica giggled.

Jim chuckled at his daughter’s innocence. “I love you too, my dear.”

“Here’s mommy.” Jim could hear the girls giggling in the background.

Alice laughed over the phone. “It’s going to be hard putting them to bed. You remember Christmas when you were little. It’s so hard to go to sleep.”

“Yeah. But tomorrow will be worth all that shopping hassle we had to go through. Frankly, I’m excited myself. I know they are going to love this puppy.”

“We will have to teach them to care for it.”

“Yep! I’m sure it will be fun… at first.”

Alice chuckled. “Alright sweetie, its bed time for my babies. Have a SAFE drive home I’ll see you when you get here. I love you, Jim.” Alice said sincerely.

“I love you too, Alice. I will see you in thirty minutes, give or take.”

“Night, hun.”

“Good night.” Jim heard the phone click on the other side. He pressed end on his cell too.

Jim smiled again. He was all full of joy. It was Christmas time and he was full of the Christmas spirit. Driving through some towns on his way home, it was beautiful. The bright red, green, blue, and gold lights decorated the houses and lawns. And the little family looking over their beloved son, and Joseph standing watch over his wife and little boy. The little sheep curled up and resting, and the three wise men and an angel—all for the important day of Jesus’ birth. In other yards Santa sat in his sleigh while the reindeer flew away, and the inflatable figures of snowmen, globes, Santa, and the Peanut characters lit all for the spirit of Christmas.

In the back seat of the car Jim could hear the puppy resituating himself. Jim kept his eyes on the road. A stop light was a few blocks up ahead. Single lane road, there was a white truck in front of him hauling metal poles and other metal objects sticking out from the tail bed. Behind him was a semi catching up to him.

The light ahead of them turned yellow, then red. Jim slowed to a stop behind the white truck. The semi stopped behind him. Jim stretched and cracked his knuckles and turned down the heat and yawned. He was almost home.

In a moment of seconds briefly after the light just turned red Jim could hear a semi laying on its horn on the other side of the stop light. Jim tried to peak around the white truck, when SLAM, SCREECH! The sound of shattering glass and instant shock. Jim sat there while the force of the honking semi knocked into the truck sideways and forced the truck back into his car. A sharp metal pole impaled his chest, another ripped through the tendons of his left shoulder and another thin pole scrapping past his right eye and cut threw his ear.

Jim panicked. His breath became labored because a ripping pain followed as he inhaled. The puppy in the back was whimpering and barking in pain from being knocked in its carrier.

Jim tried to look at the damage done to himself but stopped. “AAAH!” he screamed in pain. The cold air and sleet from outside stung his uncovered face. His skin burned under the pain of the pole through his chest. Jim felt dizzy and then light-headed. He started to feel sick, then weak, and very tired. His vision faded in and out. He could still hear the puppy in the back seat.

Jim tried to keep his eyes open, knowing if he let in to his drowsiness he wouldn’t come back from his sleep. His eyes felt like led weights, his eyes rolled into the back of his head but he could not give in. Jim felt so cold where his blood drenched his shirt. Shivering was too painful.

He grew even weaker; it no longer seemed like reality. His mind like a fog. His pain numbing. His eyes, closed. In his mind he kept thinking, “Have to stay awake. Ambulance be here soon, gotta stay awake, I’ll live if the ambulance takes me, have to stay awake. My family needs me. Can’t die now… not before Christmas.” Jim could hear sirens in the back of his mind. A tear fell from his eye. “Almost here.” Soon he could hear nothing. His pain stopped aching. He could see the paramedics taking care of his needs. That’s why his pain stopped. He had made it. And then he could see his family. He picked up his girls and kissed them on the cheek. The puppy jumped up at him and barked in the excitement. His wife stood there and smiled with love in her eyes. And then he heard the words. “He’s not going to make it.” and then, “He’s gone.”

“What?! No! I’m here! I’m alive!” Jim could see himself standing in a familiar place. His mind still felt like a fog. But this couldn’t be.

A man tapped him on his shoulder from behind. “Come this way.” He said. And soon what he knew turned to white. Ahead of him was a golden gate and behind it were his parents that passed away when he was young. And his favorite grandma, even his most beloved dog, Benny. And then he knew for sure he wasn’t coming back. But in this place, he could not feel sadness or regret. Only a certain happiness, one that he wasn’t sure why he felt until he saw a friendly face. The glowing man embraced him. “You’re home.” He said.