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Dan’s Anniversary Present
Dan awakened early one Saturday morning, realized it was his anniversary and pulled the pillow over his face.
“Some anniversary,” he thought. “Just like last year.”
Just as he had every morning for the past year and a half, Dan looked over at the empty space in the bed next to him.
The last eighteen months had been tough on Dan. The only emotions he felt were numb-ness and pain.
“Oh to hear Molly’s voice again,” he had thought oh so many times.
Over and over he replayed that night in his mind.
Dan had worked late that night. He had called Molly to tell her he had to finish a project before he came home. Of course, Dan was always thoughtful enough to let Molly know if he would be late.
Because Dan had been working so hard lately, Molly decided to fix him his favorite dish, lasagna, for dinner, only she realized that she was out of something she needed for it and headed off to the store to buy some. She never returned.
Just after Dan got home a policeman pulled up in front of Dan’s house. Dan knew some-thing had to be wrong.
“Are you Dan Larkins?” the policeman asked.
“Yes, is something wrong?”
“I’m afraid there is. There’s been an accident. The rain soaked streets caused your wife to slide into a semi.”
“Is ... is she ...._
“No, she isn’t dead. But she’s at Randolph Memorial in pretty bad shape. Shall I give you an escort?”
“That would be great.”
Shortly after Dan arrived at the hospital Doctor Reyes came out to talk to him.
“How’s my wife? Can I see her?”
“In a minute Mr. Larkins. Your wife has some bruises and a few broken bones, but as far as we can tell she does not have any internal injuries. However, she’s in a coma and there’s no telling if or when she’ll come out of it.”
A year and a half later Molly still had not come out of the coma.
At first, people tried to comfort Dan by telling him how lucky Molly was to be alive, but after a few weeks nobody bothered to say that anymore.
Every day after work Dan headed to Randolph Memorial to spend a few minutes with Molly and talk to her.
It was hard on Dan to talk to Molly when she could not answer him, but people had told Dan that people in comas can sometimes hear what you tell them and Dan hoped that his daily visit would help Molly come out of the coma.
At least Dan used to hope. In recent months, it had taken all the strength Dan could muster just to get him to the hospital each day.
As Dan laid on the bed trying to decide whether to get up and shower, the phone rang.
“Dan.”
“Yes, this is Dan. Who’s this?”
“Dan, this is Doctor Reyes.”
“It’s about Molly, isn’t it, doctor? She’s gone, isn’t she?”
“No, Dan! Quite the opposite! Are you sitting down? Someone wants to talk to you.”
“Dan, it’s me, Molly. Dr. Reyes said today’s our anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Dan.”
As Dan listened, tears poured down his cheeks, and then he thought. “Happy anniversary, indeed. God has given me the most wonderful anniversary present anyone could give. A present only He could give.”
Steve Demaree
1608 Summerhill Drive
Lexington, KY 40515
(606) 271-2416
[email protected]
Submitted by Richard
Dan awakened early one Saturday morning, realized it was his anniversary and pulled the pillow over his face.
“Some anniversary,” he thought. “Just like last year.”
Just as he had every morning for the past year and a half, Dan looked over at the empty space in the bed next to him.
The last eighteen months had been tough on Dan. The only emotions he felt were numb-ness and pain.
“Oh to hear Molly’s voice again,” he had thought oh so many times.
Over and over he replayed that night in his mind.
Dan had worked late that night. He had called Molly to tell her he had to finish a project before he came home. Of course, Dan was always thoughtful enough to let Molly know if he would be late.
Because Dan had been working so hard lately, Molly decided to fix him his favorite dish, lasagna, for dinner, only she realized that she was out of something she needed for it and headed off to the store to buy some. She never returned.
Just after Dan got home a policeman pulled up in front of Dan’s house. Dan knew some-thing had to be wrong.
“Are you Dan Larkins?” the policeman asked.
“Yes, is something wrong?”
“I’m afraid there is. There’s been an accident. The rain soaked streets caused your wife to slide into a semi.”
“Is ... is she ...._
“No, she isn’t dead. But she’s at Randolph Memorial in pretty bad shape. Shall I give you an escort?”
“That would be great.”
Shortly after Dan arrived at the hospital Doctor Reyes came out to talk to him.
“How’s my wife? Can I see her?”
“In a minute Mr. Larkins. Your wife has some bruises and a few broken bones, but as far as we can tell she does not have any internal injuries. However, she’s in a coma and there’s no telling if or when she’ll come out of it.”
A year and a half later Molly still had not come out of the coma.
At first, people tried to comfort Dan by telling him how lucky Molly was to be alive, but after a few weeks nobody bothered to say that anymore.
Every day after work Dan headed to Randolph Memorial to spend a few minutes with Molly and talk to her.
It was hard on Dan to talk to Molly when she could not answer him, but people had told Dan that people in comas can sometimes hear what you tell them and Dan hoped that his daily visit would help Molly come out of the coma.
At least Dan used to hope. In recent months, it had taken all the strength Dan could muster just to get him to the hospital each day.
As Dan laid on the bed trying to decide whether to get up and shower, the phone rang.
“Dan.”
“Yes, this is Dan. Who’s this?”
“Dan, this is Doctor Reyes.”
“It’s about Molly, isn’t it, doctor? She’s gone, isn’t she?”
“No, Dan! Quite the opposite! Are you sitting down? Someone wants to talk to you.”
“Dan, it’s me, Molly. Dr. Reyes said today’s our anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Dan.”
As Dan listened, tears poured down his cheeks, and then he thought. “Happy anniversary, indeed. God has given me the most wonderful anniversary present anyone could give. A present only He could give.”
Steve Demaree
1608 Summerhill Drive
Lexington, KY 40515
(606) 271-2416
[email protected]
Submitted by Richard
