Love and misfortune

Dave sat up groggily. He touched his temples with the tips of his fingers. Nothing. No headache this time. He almost smiled. He made to get up from the bed, then gasped in agony. Waves of pain radiated from his temples all over his head. He pressed his palms to his head, tightly. He rolled on the bed from side to side, groaning with pain. Spoke too soon, he thought.

He stretched out his hand towards the bedside table. Where was it? He felt around blindly until his fingers touched the plastic container. He grabbed it immediately, opened it and brought it to his mouth. He bent his head back, and swallowed the pills, not counting how many, but stopping when he felt he had taken enough. For the next few minutes, he lay on the bed, taking in deep breaths as the horrible pain subsided to a dull, nauseous throbbing. He sighed.

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Shakily, he got up to his feet. Since it happened, he couldn't remember the last time he had gone 5 minutes without some kind of pain in his head. Now he lived on a diet of beer, painkillers, and the occasional pizza. Even the painkillers didn't work so good anymore. It was still raining heavily. Raindrops pattered noisily on the roof like a thousand galloping warhorses, almost drowning out the booming thunder. He drew a slow breath, his lips pursed. He didn't like rainstorms, but right now, he hated them.

The thundering raindrops and the booming thunder did nothing to ameliorate his pain, rather intensifying it. He walked to the bathroom in slow, unsteady steps, breathing hoarsely as he went. He looked in the bathroom mirror, and almost turned away at what he saw.

His face was pale and gaunt, his eyeholes sunken and his cheeks hollow. His skin was dry and scaly-looking. His hair, once shiny and black, now looked quite the opposite. He splashed water on his face.

He hadn't always been like that. Six months ago, he had been a handsome, lively, twenty-eight-year old man, with the most beautiful fiancee. They had gone shopping for wedding clothes, and it had all turned worse from then on. Even remembering it now hurt him. But it was a different kind of pain. One that was peppered with longing, and the strange happiness it brought. He remembered the accident.

https://pixabay.com/photos/accident-road-bus-disaster-70699/

It had ruined his life. Taken away his beautiful Sophie. He wished he had died too, over and over again, but instead he got the worse end of the deal. But there was no use weeping. It would only bring more sadness.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/monochrome-photo-of-man-walking-in-cemetery-3648307/

Once he was done cleaning himself up, he went into the kitchen, driven forward by the growling in his stomach. He opened the fridge. Nothing, except two bottles of beer, an open can of coke, and two chocolate bars. Well, that would have to do for breakfast. He wolfed down the chocolate bars, and drained a bottle of beer. Next, he gulped in what was left of the Coke. He took the second beer in his hand, and walked back to his bedroom. He had barely reached his bed when he drained the bottle to its last drops.

He sat down, trying to gather his thoughts. He had to go to the cemetery today. Sophie's grave was the only place he could find any semblance of peace. He stood up, threw a hoodie over his body, grabbed an umbrella, and made for the door.

The bus sped along the bumpy road, Dave wishing it could go faster. Half an hour, and he would be by his Sophie's side, even if for only a few hours. Nothing gave him much excitement anymore, but this felt good too. The bus hit a speed bump, and jolted. All the passengers bounced uncomfortably. Dave murmured a ‘sorry' to no one in particular, and loud enough that only him could hear. Twenty minutes more.

Twenty minutes more and- . He was jarred back to reality by the screams. All around him, passengers were screaming in terror. The driver was trying fruitlessly to steer the vehicle in the right direction. Apparently, the bus had bald tires, and on the slippery road, the driver had lost control. They were on the wrong lane now, and were speeding helplessly towards an incoming vehicle. The driver tried to brake, to no effect. Realization dawned on Dave. His eyes grew wide, and he burst out laughing. A maniacal laughter of pure joy. His suffering would end in mere moments. His suffering would end permanently. He would be by his Sophie's side forever. Finally, it would be over. He smiled in contentment as the bus collided with another bus. He felt weightless. Free. Free at last.

https://pixabay.com/photos/breakwater-sea-fog-wooden-man-6017041/

I decided to write this piece as a tribute to all the sad love tales, and people who have lost the ones they love 💔. Surely, it can look like life has come crashing down, but there's always light at the end of the tunnel, only if you're willing to open your eyes 🕯️.
Alright my fellow creatives, let me know what you think in the comments 😊