Driver

 

Write a story which includes i ncludes the sentence: ‘When the driver heard the words, he clearly lost all his  his concentration.’ concentration.’   Word Limit: 350-500

My brother lived in Lahore to study a graduate program. He and I had a closely-knit relationship. We had developed a strong bond of camaraderie and both helped each other through thick and thin. With him, my boring days were spiced up. In his childhood, my brother successfully battled food poisoning twice. When he was leaving for Lahore the first time, I was somewhat between happy for him and regretful that my best and only sibling was leaving me. One ordinary night, me and my family, obviously except my brother were going to a relative’s house in another city. My dad was driving at a slow pace because he was a circumspect driver. driver. I was sleeping through the night when my dad’s phone rang. The tone vexed me and I said in an annoyed tone still half-asleep: ‘Please turn your stupid phone off’. Still, off’.  Still, my dad answered the call and spoke with momentary pauses. I was hearing unintelligible speech so I was unable to figure out what they were conversating about. When the driver heard the words, he clearly lost all his concentration. My dad stopped the car and took a long breath. He woke everyone up and explained to us that the caller was a paramedic and my brother had been part of an unfortunate accident. ‘I  ‘I still don’t know if she had survived or not. He not.  He was hanging by a thread in the city hospital’, my dad said. I massaged my temples for own comfort. My thoughts were spiralling out of control. I tried to keep a strong upfront by repressing my sobs that racked my slight frame. I wanted to utter a loud yelp but the grave situation was an ambiguity and my brother could be clinging onto life. Dad altered the itinerary and drove briskly to Lahore. I just closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep on my mother’s comforting lap. I was imagining various possible scenarios with my lamenting heart. We reached the hospital after a long two-hour ride that felt like an eternal moment. There he was on the bed looking as if he was sleeping peacefully but really, he was fighting on the battlefield for life. I solaced myself by thinking continuously, ‘He’s a survivor. I am sure that he’ll live’. No one can imagine the relief we felt when the th e surgeon delivered heart-warming news to us.