The Present

Jackie Chase is getting dressed up for the Christmas party at his sister’s house which starts in the next hour. “Boy I cannot wait to get my hand, or my fork and spoon into some of that banana pudding Rudy cooked” Jackie thought out loud. He then grabbed his phone, the charger to go with it and his car keys as he prepared to head out the door.

Jackie quickly threw on his green Grinchmas hoody and left out of his apartment into the cold Christmas night. “Santa Claaaauuuuuse is comin straight to the ghetto” Jackie sang to himself as he got in his car.

“Merry Christmas Jack?” One of Jackie’s neighbors called out from across the lot. “Merry Christmas, what up Lewis!” Jackie responded. “Where you headed, J?” Lewis asked. “Over to my sister’s house to get myself a bowl of banana pudding at her Christmas party” Jackie said with glee in his voice. “You gonna bring me some back?” Lewis asked sarcastically. “Uh how bout no?” Jackie responded jokingly.

Jackie then got in his car and cranked it up. He then turned on the heat as he pulled out of the parking lot. Jackie then turned on the radio and blasted his favorite Christmas music. When he prepared himself to get off at the exit that leads to his sister Rudy’s house he was abruptly forced to stop in the middle of the road by a car in front of him.

“What the heck is goin on here?” Jackie asked himself as he stopped behind the car. Just as Jackie’s mind started questioning why the car in front of him had stopped the car then started driving forward very slowly. As Jackie began driving slowly behind the car a powerful force smashed the back of his car and violently jolted him forward. The jolt was so powerful that it ripped Jackie from his seatbelt and sent him flying through the windshield.

Jackie smacked up against the pavement barely breaking his fall with his arms and his left knee. “Oh….man” Jackie exclaimed as he slowly stumbled to his feet in agony. From behind his car he saw several cars stop and all the drivers exited their vehicles. “Oh my God, sir are you ok?” The female driver asked as she quickly approached Jackie. “Yeah…yeah I’m fine” a long winded Jackie started. He then felt something wet on his shirt sleeves. Jackie lifted his arms up and saw that they were soaked in blood from colliding with the glass and concrete. He quickly fell to the ground while slowly losing consciousness as the stopped drivers all ran to his aid noticing that he had a gash wound on his head.

Jackie woke up three hours later in a hospital bed. His arms and head were wrapped in bandages and there was a beautiful nurse standing over him. “Looks like you’re finally coming out of it” the nurse said to Jackie. He tried to move his legs, but the left one was in a cast. “Uh, what happened?” Jackie asked in a hazy train of thought. “You were in an accident hun” the nurse replied softly. “You and your car were banged up pretty bad. You fell unconscious on the spot. Thankfully a group of drivers who saw the crash stopped and called an ambulance.”

“Wh- what happened to my car?” Jackie asked in a low tone. “Well it was banged up pretty bad” the nurse replied. “Apparently it was a hit and run. It’s a miracle that you made it out.” “Dang they totaled my car?” A disheartened Jackie asked. “Cars can be replaced, love, you can’t.” Jackie briefly thought about the nurses words as he remembered his sister’s party. “Maybe so, but I still missed my sister’s Christmas party and she had a bunch of banana pudding for me.” “Oh yeah, that reminds me” the nurse interrupted. “There’s a group of people outside who’ve been waiting to see you for an hour.” From the other side of the door Jackie’s sister Rudy walked in along with her husband Trevor, their three sons Charlie, Victor and Freddy, Jackie’s best friend Ariana and his neighbor Lewis.

“Dang bro” Rudy said while holding a big plastic bowl full of banana pudding. “You didn’t have to wreck your car just to get to the banana pudding” Rudy joked. “Yeah Jack” Trevor added. “We would’ve saved you some”. “Yeah…I’ll bet” Jackie struggled. “I’m just glad you’re alive” Ariana started. “Yeah, that car can be replaced, we can’t replace you.” Lewis added.

Their words finally started resonating with Jackie. He realized that though he lost his car and he was hurt pretty bad he was still alive and that was quite a gift. “We even brought your gifts” Rudy said with a smile. “You didn’t have to do that” Jackie started. “And why wouldn’t we? You know we love you Jackie” Ariana started. “Because I now realize the greatest present I could ever have is my life and all these amazing people I share it with” Jackie said gratefully.

As the night continued Jackie’s loved ones sat around him in laughter and love. Opening his presents and celebrating his life in that present moment. It was there and then that Jackie realized life itself was the best present he could have ever received for Christmas.

~~This short story was inspired by my car accident that I was in nearly two weeks ago. My car was totaled, but I was blessed to still be alive and surrounded by my loved ones.