part IV

The river ran quickly and violently, but somehow she found the peace in its presence. Where did it go? Where would it end? She was tempted to find out. After all, choices needed to be made. Ducks and sticks seemed to fly by on the current. Water tumbled over the rocks that couldn't be seen. It would be so simple to disappear. She heard the church bells ring in the distance. She climbed the rocks and stood atop them. And then she chose to disappear.

The woman could not shake the girl from her memory. She wanted to go back and find her. Maybe, she thought, the moment just wasn't right. Besides, she had things to do. She continued to walk. Absent-mindedly she stepped off the sidewalk against the light. She never saw the truck coming. There was no time to react. She too was gone. She would only be a story on the evening news after this. And then everyone would forget her too.

The authorities phoned her next of kin, a husband who worked around the clock on the east side of town. He was unreachable for hours. Apparently business was pressing. Truth was he worked late entertaining his secretary more often than his clients. As he was far and away making love to another, the one he had chosen to love forever would never grace his arms again or feel his warmth again or be lied straight-faced to again. I wonder if he would really miss her even though he didn’t deserve to. He already had a replacement anyway.