The Forgotten Room

I was only 12 when the terrible accident happened, you were put in the hospital for a few days. The doctors said that you were just in a comma with minor brain damage and that your memory would come back and everything would be normal again. You, Me, Mom and Dad. But we wouldn't be... the doctors lied...

You and dad went to a ball game that day for your birthday, you were sixteen. It was fun, and hot. The Colorado Rockies (your favorite team) was playing against the San Francisco Giants. This was yours and dads day.. nothing could take that from you.

It was the top of the 9th, and the stakes were high. Dad was so excited he waved over the beer guy in the stands and grabbed one more beer as he already had three and he didn't want to have to much to drink before the drive home. he did make sure that you both had some footlong hotdogs and some fries, 'Soak up the alcohol." dad used to say.

San Francisco was in the lead but the Rockies still had one more inning to make it worth it, You and dad screamed so loud that you hurt your throats. It was the last hit and Colorado was on their way to winning the game, then all of a sudden a player from the Giants caught the ball, ran right over and tapped the last batter out, he didn't even realize until it was to late.. The San Francisco Giants won the game.

Dad was so heartbroken and sunk down in his chair with a sad face and disappointment in his eyes. He looked at you and said "Well son, I'm sorry your team lost." You looked at dad smiled and said "Dad, all i care about is being here with you, I love you Dad."

"I love you to son."

On the road back as you and dad were driving on the single lane highway, it was so busy with people leaving from the game, the highway was slow and tight. finally you and dad came to the turn off tot he other highway, this one would be faster and safer they said. well on that particular drive home, you and dad were talking, listening to music, laughing and maybe a little distracted by the loss of the game.

On the other side of the highway, about two car lanes away was a semi, he was driving faster then usual, you mentioned it to dad and asked if everything was ok? If the driver was in a hurry? Before dad could answer you, the semi driver suddenly swerved going at a very high speed, lost control and drove right across from his side of the highway to the side that you and dad were on, he hit you guys almost head on. The crash was so bad that a few other vehicles were involed but not as bad as you and dad, they had to use the jaws of life to get you out. They had to fly you to the hospital to get you there fast. Dad was ok enough they took him in the ambulance, but not you you were hurt so bad they didn't know if you were gonna make it. Once they got you to the hospital, they did so many different tests on you and found out what was wrong with you.

They determined that you fractured parts of your face, but that your head and brain were ok. Other parts or your body had broken bones as well. it took you a very long time to heal around four months I believe, and during this time your memory never came back. Every time we would come to see you, you would always ask who we were and why we were there. The doctors swore it would be any day now that you would wake up and remember. That never happened....

It was the middle of the night, you woke up and must have wondered what you were doing at the hospital and deiced that you needed to go home. Atleast that's what I tell myself. You left to come home but couldn't remember the way and got lost. They just let you walk out, no questions, no sigining of discharge papers. They just let you go, watched you walk out the door into a world you couldn't remember. you never came home, no one knows where you went or what happened to you, you were just gone. Disappeared.

A few years had gone by and you were still gone. Dads drinking got worse cause he never forgave himself for what happened to you, always thought if he didn't drink so much at the game that maybe he could have reacted faster to the semi coming at you guys. He never let that go. It haunted him every day. You could see the sadness in his eyes every time someone brought your name up. Mom and dad fought all the time, so dad spent most of his time at the bar. He never healed. One night him and mom fought so bad, dad left the house in the car, he had so much to drink that night.. couldn't even walk straight, slurring his words, a complete mess. He never should have gotten in that car. That night dad was driving down by the creek, from the mixture of alcohol and the darkness dad could hardly see. There was a pedestrian walking along the bank, he shouldn't have been there. They both shouldn't have been there. Dad hit that person. He didn't make it. They both didn't. Dad swerved after hitting the man and drove right over the cliff down into the creek. He was so drunk and driving so fast that when the car went over the cliff it rolled to many times and dad didn't make it.

After dad passed away the town started to talk about mom and I. She couldn't take it anymore. All the gossip and the whispering, the staring, the uncompassionate, "I'm sorry for your loss." mom was destroyed, even the ones who used to be her friends were talking behind here back, she still had Angie but she needed more support. We had to move, we couldn't stay in the house anymore to many memories for her to take, that was the summer I turned 16. She cried all the time, I know she missed you a lot, I'd always here her wishing for you to come back home. She even left your room the same, she just shut and locked the door, never went in and never anyone else in. It was just forgotten.

She must have been so exhausted with everything that had happened, she forgot that no one was allowed in the basement. Not no one for any reason, ever. You didn't even mention the basement. But today she told me to go clean up the basement, and to make sure it was all packed up nicely and labeled.

That was your space, your room, your life. It was who you were. She never let me go down there, and I mean never. It was hard to remember you. The door was always locked. But this time the door was unlocked, I started to slowly turn the handle toy our life... I pushed the door open and began to walk down the stairs, to your world, a world I never remembered. As I got closer to the bottom I started to smell things like the shampoo you used to use and the smell of your favorite cologne. Everything made me miss you so much more. Then I started to see your posters on the wall and all the flags you had. Your dressers and the smell of your clothes. The TV you had hanging from the ceiling, your bed with your cozy blankets all piled up and waiting for your return. I saw the drawings you had in a book bedside your bed, I forgot you could draw, these were so beautiful. I kept looking around, taking it all in, everything that you were, everything that I didn't remember. You were the forgotten room. The room that got locked away.

All of a sudden I heard mom calling my name, "McKenzie, where are you? McKenzie??" I yelled, "I'm down here mom, in Scotts room. She must have turned around and saw the door open, as I heard heer gasp from all the way up the stairs. "Oh no" she said. i heard her grip the railing and slowly start to walk down the stairs. This was a life she hadn't seen in years either. Everything must have started rushing back to her and she started to cry as she got closer to the bottom, "Oh my son." I could hear her. "I miss you so much my son." Momma I said are you ok?" She cried so deep and so hard I could feel her pain, and all I could do was hold her and let her fall apart...all over again.

After a few hours of letting mom cry and gather herself, she was ready to let go. She picked up your favorite hoodie and the doorbell rang. I told momma I would run up and get it, so she could have a few moments to herself. When I opened the door there was a police officer standing there asking if you were home. I said "Sure, one minute." i ran to the top of the stairs and said "momma its the police." once she got upstairs, she asked the officer if she could help him. He asked her if her name was Karlee Jones and of course mom said "Yes, that's me, what can I help you with?" The officer then asked you if you had a son named Scott Jones.. Mom grabbed her chest and and sank to the ground, "Yes, he disappeared four years ago." "Mama." the officer said, "I believe we have your son inside the car, but he has no identification with him, would you be able to identify him?" "Yes, of course I can" mom said. She slowly stumbled off the stairs over to the police car, where she could see you inside. As she got closer to the car I could hear you yelling. "Mom, mom, its me, Scotty." that was the day you came home. that was the day everything changed once again. The town was talking again but this time in a happy way, they were all glad to see you home, safe and genuinely sorry about dad. It was like when I opened the door to your bedroom, I opened the door to your mind and made you remember where home was. mom was happy again, still missing dad of course but you filled that hole in her heart she was missing for a long time. Its a good thing we never packed up your room, Once you saw everything again, it was like the puzzle was finished. You were finally home.