I Wish I Could Keep That Promise I Made   by Kirsty Smallwood

    “Lucy it’s me, you’d better get over here quick! Pete has been in a accident!”
    The words had hardly come out of her mouth before I put the phone down and
dialled Dave to inform him on what had happened. “Dave, there has been an accident
and Pete was in it! Kara just called and said to get over to her house as quick as possible!
     “I will be there as fast as I can,” replied Dave in a shocked and worried voice.
     I grabbed my coat and ran outside forgetting to pick my keys up and to lock the front
door. All I could think about was if he was alright and if I hadn’t had a argument then he
wouldn’t have gone off very angrily after one maybe two cans of beer. I don’t know what
I would do without him; I would be like a sheep without its owner!
    Dave’s car pulled into the driveway in less then two minutes, but it felt like a lifetime had
passed. I jumped into the passenger seat before he sped out of my driveway towards my
best friend’s house. As we approached the house, I could see police cars, ambulances with
their lights flashing, and a fire engine. There was a sign saying: Road Closed So, Dave
stopped the car; I leapt out and started running to the crash. As I got closer, I could see the
accident-it looked awful! The crash was between a big lorry and Pete’s car. The big lorry only
had a big dent in it. Pete’s car had come out far worse, the car bonnet was crunched up,
headlights were smashed and the windscreen had shattered everywhere!
    Someone touched me on the arm and I jumped. It was Kara she had tears streaming down
her face. “You can’t go over there right now” she sobbed and then pulled me close into a hug.
    I saw Pete’s mum and dad (Jenny and Philip.) they were hugging on one side. It suddenly hit
me that Pete was still in the car. “Pete… he’s in there… I’ve... I have to… I have to help him…”
    I tried to talk but the words kept getting stuck in me throat and I could hardly breath. I
covered my face with my hands and shook my head. “No… please no!”
    “He is still alive right now and they are trying to get him out," Kara whispered into my ear.
    Jenny and Phillip saw me and came rushing over. “Oh my dear, thank heavens you are here.
He has been asking for you. We talked to the paramedics… they… they” Jenny couldn’t finish.
She was crying into Philips shoulder. Philip took a deep breath. “It is hopeless Lucy… the
damage is too severe. They can’t possibly get him out alive… you should go and talk to him.
He wants you!”
    How could I talk to him? What do I say? Why did he want to see me if he was… “He doesn’t
know that does he?”
    They hadn’t told him yet. Philip shook his head. “It would scare him even more. The paramedics
said it is best for him not to know.”
    One of the men came towards us. “Who’s she? We don’t need any spectators.”
    Philip shook his head “No, no she is Lucy Pete’s girl friend the one he has been asking for.”
    The man apologized and you could see in his deep blue eyes the sympathy gleaming  “He
wants to see you… come with me.” The man led me towards the mangled Ford Focus. “Now
remember… he doesn’t know… don’t tell him,” Philip managed to say before his sobs took
over.
    Before we got there, he remembered. “We found this letter in his pocket when we were
looking for some I D.”
    I open the letter up and it was the one I had written. Dear Pete, I am very sorry but I
couldn’t tell you face to face! On the night when you went home early from the pub, I stayed
on with your friend Harry as you know already, but the thing is one thing lead to another. We
had a bit too much to drink and we ended up in his apartment. Well I don’t think I need to tell
you what happened after that. It meant nothing to me! We had too much to drink and I didn’t
plan it at all. It has only happened that one time and I am so sorry! Please forgive. Love you
loads, Lucy x-x-x-x-x
    I looked at it for quite awhile then I ripped it up and started crying even more. This is why
he is like this. This letter is killing him. The man led me through scatters of debris. I saw the lorry
guy that had been involved in the accident being loaded on to the back of an ambulance. He led
me to the car. “Talk to him… you can lean trough this door and talk to him… tell him what you
need to…but remember," he said, quiet enough where Pete wouldn’t hear.
    “I know," I whispered and blinked back the tears. I went to the car and wasn’t ready for
what I saw. Pete’s car looked like it was swashed so it was half the size it is normal. Pet’s seat
had been push over a good foot or so, his legs pushed into the gear shaft and up onto the glove
box. They had put a blanket over his legs so he wouldn’t see how bad it was. The windows and
windshield were shattered, with glass covering everything. Pete had a large gash on one side of
his head and bleeding quite badly! If he hadn’t of had his eyes open and been aware what’s going
on I would have though he was dead. “Philip…” I barley whispered. He looked at me tried to smile.
He always tried to be strong for my sake! “Hey Luc” his smile was extremely weak and fake.
“What…what happened?  The guy in the lorry went through a red light and didn’t even brake
when he saw me… I’m okay… I can’t feel my legs…but I don’t hurt,” he tried to reassure me.
    I held back the tears. I couldn’t tell him…I wanted to believe him. “Oh Pete I am so sorry! If
I hadn’t cheated on you, you would never have gone out for a drive after drinking a pint of two of
beers…actually you would never have gone out at all… I am so sorry…I love you so much.”
    “I love you too… and something as stupid as that will never stop me from loving you.”
    I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths, and tried not to cry. He put his hand against my cheek
and I just held it there, not caring about the blood seeping onto my hand and skin. I never wanted
to let him go.
    “Don’t be scared, Lucy…I …don’t hurt”
    “I love you… I love you so much…” I managed to sob between gasps for air.
    Amazingly, he remained somewhat calm. Pete looked at me, leaned over the little bit it took to
reach me, and kissed my forehead. “I know I am going to die, I… I want you to know I love you.
I always have from the first time I set eyes on you and I will always no matter what… I wish I
weren’t… I wish I could keep that promise I made to you a few weeks ago… I wish I could marry
you this summer… All I want is to be with you… but I can’t do that.” He reached up around his neck
and unclasped his sliver chain with the cross pendant on it. He slipped it around mine.
    “What are you doing? You never take that off. It was your grandfather’s.” I stared in amazement.
    “I don’t need it any more… it will protect you… I will always be with you. Never take it off okay?”
    His breath was getting harder and my sobs became uncontrollable. I leaned over and kiss him softy.
    “I love you… please don’t do this… please… no.” I begged him. 
    He smiled weakly at me. “I love you, Lucy… I will miss you,” he said then kiss my forehead once
more, closed his eyes and slowly got shorter and shorter of breathe until he stopped completely.
    “No… don’t leave me… please don’t leave me," I whispered trying to hold in the tears, but it
wasn’t working. I stayed there for a few minutes holding his hand to my cheek. I didn’t want to let
it go but I had to some time so, I kissed his cheek and then his hand and then lay his hand on his lap,
and managed to back out of the car. My legs gave way on to the tarmac street and I fell on my knees,
my head in my hand. “This is all my fault. It should be me there, not him, I did the wrong why did he
have to die?” I sobbed to my self. I looked up slowly to find Kara, Dave, Jenny and Philip all looking
at me teary eyed. I tried to speak but nothing came out. Kara helped me up and hugged me. I tried
speaking again and it only came out as a whisper, they heard. “He’s dead…Pe… Pete’s dead…”
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