The Moment I Lost My Dad --Safa

 It was Wednesday October 12, 2016 - two days after my parents had just come back from a two week trip to Turkey. Without a doubt my parents are the two most important individuals in my life and so their return was incredibly comforting for me. Thrilled and filled with a feeling of content, I rushed out of school racing to my house as fast as my legs could take me, enthusiastic to greet my parents with hugs and kisses the second they walk into the front door. I was certainly delighted that I would no longer be left alone with my brother who wasn’t as helpful around the house when my parents were gone. That Wednesday I went to school just like all the other days, the everlasting routine of my stressful student life. I fell asleep halfway through my last period of the day and once the bell rang at 2:55, I left the classroom walking to the front of the school. I then, slowly realized that I had forgotten that I was obliged to tutor in the library that day. Fatigued and completely lethargic I called my mother to pick me up, having no intention or desire to tutor that day. Shortly after calling my mother, she picked me up and in the car. I asked her the daily repetitive questions of what she had done that day and what would be for dinner, and in return she responded with the same usual answers. Arriving home I hurriedly left the car and joyously opened the door connecting the garage to the laundry room, and ran up the stairs to my room realizing how quiet and peaceful the house was while both my dad and brother were in their rooms sleeping. Opening the door to my room, I glanced at my cozy, soft, and neat bed, excited for my daily after school nap. I quickly changed into my pajamas, washed up, and then prayed my daily prayers. After I had performed my prayers, I jumped into my bed, burying myself under my snuggly, flower scented blanket. Placing my head on my tempurpedic pillow was my dream come true that I’d been daydreaming all day about at school, and within a instant I fell into a deep sleep. After a while, I suddenly heard a loud BANG! BANG! BANG! in the distance, being abruptly woken up from my loving nap by the harsh noise. Someone was brutally and vigorously pounding on the front door, and being in a deep sleep I wasn’t responsive in action to the reality happening downstairs, so instead I speculated it to be only a part of my dreams. BANG! BANG! BANG! The harsh pounding continued and slowly I started to unravel the covers from above my head, enraged by the idiot who was stupidly disturbing the silence of the house. Moments later I heard footsteps in the house stomping and scurrying down the stairs as they finally opened the front door and the pounding came to an end. Within a matter of seconds my eyes shot open staring at the ceiling of my room and before I could take my next breath I heard the strongest most powerful crash/thud on the floor. While undergoing excessive tachycardia my brother started yelling…OH MY GOD! BABAAA! BABAAA! BABAAA! I lunged out of bed thinking it was either gunfire or someone had kidnapped my Dad. Yanking my room door open, a panic attack overtook me as I observed my brother running down the main staircase and my mother running down the other staircase. I understood something bad happened yet, not knowing what had exactly occurred, I ran to the edge of the stairs, bending down to observe the scene. Chills ran up my spine and the pulse in my head started throbbing. This was the moment I lost it a ll! Witnessing the worst scene of my life, was the sight of my beloved father laid faced downward on the tile with blood gushing from his head at the foot of the sharp edged granite counsel. Promptly my mind shut down, and a feeling of numbness took over my entire body, rendering me motionless at the very top of the stairs. Eyes blurry, throat clogged, breathing being difficult, time had stopped for me and I could barely process the weeping noises in the background. The only question that I kept asking myself while everything transpired quickly was “HOW AM I GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE FROM THIS DAY ON WITHOUT MY FATHER?” Everything suddenly fell into place and I snapped back to reality, as I shot down the stairs screaming from the top of my lungs, crying “DAD, DAD WHAT’S WRONG, DON’T LEAVE US!” While my mother and brother were around him on the floor, I sprinted to the front door that was left wide open, relentlessly weeping while insanely believing that someone had killed my father and ran away. “CALL THE AMBULANCE!” my brother yelled out multiple times. Then I noticed a large, heavy box on the floor. I was then able to process and understand what had occurred: that no one had hurt my dad, and that actually the man at the door had been a delivery guy. Yet I couldn’t stop screaming, and turning around I recognized my dad’s eyes rolling while slowly muttering “Why is Safa screaming, What happened, There’s nothing wrong with me, I’m OK?” Immediately, I felt a vast sensation of relief as I walked over and started to wipe the blood from his forehead, knowing that my father hadn’t left me, and that after all I haven’t lost it all. And upon hearing the loud sirens and ambulance provided me with even greater relief knowing that my Dad was going to be saved. Opening the door, four men ran in and began their operations on my Dad, as I observed in the background waiting to help them out with anything possible. Being told to go get my Dad’s medications, my eyes were filled with tears as I thought of the terrifying things that could happen next. As the men rolled my Dad to the ambulance, my brother followed behind. I ran to my mom as she was still frightened and told her to hurry up and get dressed to follow them to the hospital. She hugged me tightly and comforted me by saying, “your father is fine we need to stay here and wait for your brother to call.” After that incident, I was absolutely sure that nothing is far more valuable in my life than my parents, because I had found out that my life can change so rapidly and so unexpectedly within a blink of an eye. I thank God everyday and night for showering me with unexpected blessings and protecting my Dad from any real harm. Clearly, I never knew how much I honor and love him until the very day I witnessed the shocking scene that will always be engraved in my memory for the rest of my life. I love you Dad!!!