The Accident

As the sun was coming up that morning it illuminated the Sky, you could hear in the distance the bird singing their joyful song, the smell in the air was that of a new day, a new beginning. The trees were blooming with their leaves and fruits. Spring was here and she sure was beautiful. The tree outside my window showed the joy of the day as the wind rocked it back and forth. What would this day hold for me?

I was lying in my bed thinking of how my life would change as I would graduate from high school and go to college. What would the future hold For me? I stared at all my sports posters and thought, will I be one of the stars on the poster someday. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom for my morning shower, my day was about to start.

The last day of school was always a hard one for me, but this year it would be different since it was my last. I walked past the yellow hall and saw my life past by me, four years of my life have rushed by and were about to end. I traveled through the hallway until I reached my homeroom class. There at his desk in his big brown suit sat Mr. Freely, he was one of the biggest person that I knew, he had to weigh about 400 lbs. and had to be about 6 7". Everyone in the class room was afraid of his enormous body. Mr. Freely was also a very gentle human being, he was known in town for his rescue of two children during a house fire. When none of the firefighters moved in to save the children, he did. The children's parents died in that fire, but Mr. Freely was there for those children especially when he found out that they had no family. Mr. Freely, a single 35 year old man with so much love in his heart, he Decided to adopt the two children ages 5 and 6. Mr. Freely also has one of the biggest heart that I know, I was proud to call him my teacher and coach.

As I walked into the classroom, I notice Frank was sitting in the back of the room. Frank was 19 and he was still in high school, he was hoping to graduate this year and if he didn't this would be his last day anyway. Frank looked like a boxer, with all kinds of scars on his face. He was known as the trouble maker in the school and most people did not even talk to him. His face showed all lines of a bad life. Frank had been kicked out of his house when he was 16 after he was accused of setting the fire that made Mr. Freely a hero. He swore he did not do it but most people did not believe him and are still accusing him and waiting for him to fall. Finally when the police finished their investigation, they had no choice but to clear him, but still his parents did not want him in the house. His face showed fear more than anger. He was hurt and nobody wanted to understand him. For a while he dropped out of school but by my persuasion he came back.



He waved me over and I walked toward him and sat next to him. We had been friends since we were kids. Everyone knew him as the tough guy, but I knew him as my best friend. He started to tell me that he was not going to graduate, but I assured him that he would.

The bell rang for lunch, and as I entered the cafeteria the smell of macaroni and cheese filled the air. I knew this was the day that I should eat out. Frank came over and I shared my idea with him and he was set, anyway, it was the last day of school and I had never done this before. We headed to the parking lot and got into Frank's car and we drove out to the country corner store to gas up. Frank pulled up and went into the store as I pumped the gas. The fume of the gas penetrated my nostrils with a burning fire. The day was dry and hot therefore making it worse. I turned around and frank was getting in the car, I finished and got into the car when I noticed that frank had blood on his pants. I will never forget the look on his face; it was the look of death. His face was pale and his eyes were shot with pain, he even had tears coming into his eyes before I could even ask what had happened he took off making the car shoot dirt in all directions. I kept asking what was wrong and were did the blood come from, I noticed that he also had blood on his hand and this made me more nervous, But he was silent. I started to think back and remembered the same look the night that he was arrested for the arson of the home, as he faced the judge he had the same look. I knew something was wrong but I could not get it out of him.

We had been driving for 25 minutes without a place to go when the sound of the car rolling down the road was interrupted by the sound of sirens. I looked behind me and three police cars were behind us, I noticed that frank started to speed up. I tried to calm him down. I kept telling him that there was nothing wrong. He turned and faced me and spoke the last words that I heard from him. He made a hard left turn and the car flipped over several times, I was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car several feet. I hit the ground with such impact I heard my leg snap and it broke like a twig. I was able to remain conscious and see the car explode into a ball of fire. Frank was still trying to get out! I could see his burnt body reaching for life as the fire consumed the car. I could smell his burning flesh and hear the roar of his screams as he was dying in the fire. I could not do anything! Just then about five police officers jumped on top of me and started to handcuff me. I could not understand what was happening and I am still not sure of what happened that day. The police tried to extinguish the fire but it was too late for frank, he was dead. The police picked me up with no concern for my broken leg. I tried to tell them but they were not interested in what I had to say. One of the officers who was a friend of my father made his way toward me and read me my rights. I asked what was going on and he told me that I was being arrested for murder. At that moment my life flashed before my eyes. The police officer continued to say that the store clerk at the country store was murdered. He said that Frank and I were the last two individuals who had been in the store and evidence at the scene indicated to us. Just at that moment it hit me, the blood on his pants and the look on his face, could it be that he killed someone and had now brought me in into this mess. He was dead and so was the truth. I could not believe it, frank was dead and I was being arrested for murder.

The next couple of months went by real slow as I sat in the county jail awaiting trial. Then the day arrived and it came to pass, I was guilty by association. I was Frank's friend; therefore, I was guilty.

As I sit here on death row thinking about my future there is always the thought of where would I be if it were not for the "accident."