Helka Ondok
A man was standing in the middle of the street, in pouring rain. He had his eyes closed as if he were waiting for something. Then just as he took a deep breath, the blinding lights of a car appeared.
Evan Smith was a lucky man. He had a loving family, he had his dream job, he had a lot of friends and he also had the love of his life.
But one fatal accident took away his wife, and with her, his love for life also disappeared. Every morning he put on a fake smile, went to work, ate, slept and repeated.
His family and friends tried to bring him out of this depression, and day by day, his mood became slightly better. He started to go out again, laugh again, enjoy life again. Until each night came, when he was alone with his thoughts and feelings. The man he was during the day was just a facade for the broken man who came out during the night.
On a rainy night like that, he was in a really bad place. He was afraid that if he stayed alone, he would do something that he might regret, so he put on his clothes and started out the door. His parents’ house came to mind, which was only a ten-minute walk away from his home.
As he was walking, memories of his late wife appeared, all the dancing in the rain, the cozy nights watching films, the laughter in the kitchen while making cookies. The rain, which was pouring down on him, slowly started to mix with his tears.
Just when he started to cross the street, he had to stop. He closed his eyes, as if that would help against the overwhelming feelings. He heard a roar of the motor of a car, and he took a breath.
He had a big decision to make: move or stay.
Sometimes the decision which is the best for you is the hardest. But sometimes we make the decision which is easier. Sometimes this decision can destroy others, but in moments like this, we don’t think about that.
So he stayed still.