Friday, April 4, 2003

By Rick Ryckeley
Fayette County Fire & Emergency Services

I met a young lady in the grocery store the other day. She asked, "Aren't you the person who writes the articles in the newspaper? I recognize you from your picture."

I told her that all depends on whether she's from Minnesota and if she likes sweet tea or not. She said she wasn't and she did. I said I was and so did I. She said, "My husband and I read your articles every week and enjoy them."

"Good." I replied. "That means my readership has just doubled."

We bumped into each other again at the checkout line, and I asked her what they liked about the stories. She said that they were very timely and funny. WARNING: Though this story is very timely, it's far from being funny. Funny will return next week; serious is here this week.

The following is a story I have written based on a poem by an unknown author titled, "Moonlight Ride." Every weekend in April and the first in May, high schools hold their proms. Young folks reading this article, please make the right choices on those nights.

Jenny was so happy about the new house her family had found. For once in her life, she was gonna live on the "right side" of town, and have a golf cart to ride around. She picked out her room and moved her things in thinking, "It's great finally having a room to myself and not having to share. In a couple of weeks, school will start, and I can have sleepovers and maybe even go to parties now that I'm in high school."

On the first day of school, everything went fine. Jenny even got a date, and for the first time in her life she was gonna be popular. For you see, Jenny was going out with the star of the team. The only problem was her parents had said she was too young to start dating. She had to think of something. "I know," she thought. "I just won't tell them the entire truth. I'll tell them that I'm staying with friends. They'll believe that."

Jenny talked to her parents, and reluctantly they agreed that she could sleep over at her new friend's house Friday night. Excitedly, she got ready for her date, feeling a little guilty she had lied. She thought, "What's the harm in a little pizza, a party and maybe even a moonlight ride?"

Friday night Jenny went out on her date. The pizza was good, the party was fine, but the moonlight ride ­ well, it would just have to wait. Her date, Tim, was drinking and wasn't ready to leave. He kissed her and said he was all right to drive, but he was half drunk on three beers and a glass of wine. When Tim was ready to leave, he didn't realize that he was too drunk to drive. They took their moonlight ride to the point; that's where Tim tried to make a pass. Jenny rejected his advance and asked him to take her home.

Tim got mad and floored the gas. In a few seconds, they were going much too fast. Jenny pleaded for him to stop and let her out, as they neared the town. But Tim just drove faster, never slowing down. Jenny thought, "I'll tell my parents that I lied. I'll tell them I really went to a party and out for a moonlight ride." Just then there was a bright flash, but Jenny didn't remember what happened next because of the force of the impact.

She felt someone remove her from the twisted wreckage and heard someone yell, "Call for another ambulance! There's another car involved with two occupants." Jenny awoke in the hospital to the voice of the ER doctor, "Jenny, you've been in a wreck, and it's bad." She thought she heard someone say that Tim was dead. "Jenny, we've done all that we can, but it looks like we'll lose you too."

Weakly, she asked, "But what about the people in the other car? Are they okay?" She thought she heard someone say that the two occupants in the other car had also died. Jenny said, "Doctor, please tell their families that I'm sorry. I just wanted a little fun. If I could return their loved ones to them, I would. Tell my Mom and Dad I'm sorry that I lied. It's all my fault that so many have died."

The doctor just held Jenny's hand as she slipped away, not saying a word. The nurses couldn't believe how uncompassionate he was. One of them asked, "Doctor Jim, why didn't you grant that girl her last request. Why didn't you tell her mom and dad that she was sorry that she had lied?"

The doctor turned away, with eyes so sad, and replied, "Nurse, they would not have heard; her mom and dad were the people who died in the other car."

On prom night I hope that some of you will think twice. Have fun, make the right choices and, please, be safe. We have lost too many young folks already.

[Rick Ryckeley is employed by the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. He can be reached at firemanr@bellsouth.net.]

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