Alexis’s Death
Tonja Cash
EN101 English Composition
Kim Donovan-Karaff
January 6, 2014

I remember her waving her hand and blowing kisses to me. The sunlight danced across her beautiful face. Who have thought it would be the last image I would ever have of her. The morning started out horrible. The alarm clock never went off. My husband came home from working 3rd shift to find me still asleep. He called my name. “Tonja”? Are you going to work today? I jump up with a start. Oh, no, I am going to be late for work. I go to Alexis room and wake her up. Of course she is not ready to get up. This is our daily struggle. I lay her clothes out for school. I go into my room and begin pulling my clothes out for the day. I gave her time to get dressed before we start on her hair. I call out to her and she comes in my room. Instead of the cute Mary Jane shoes I laid out for her to wear with her dress, she has on tennis shoes. I ask her to go change her shoes. She immediately starts her pouting. This is typical 4 year old tantrum.
This takes up another 30 minutes of my time. I try to reason with her. This doesn’t help. I tell her that I will let her wear her favorite tennis shoes tomorrow. When did she become so stubborn? I have reached my last straw. I tell her this is her last chance to change her shoes. I finally have to pop her hands and put the shoes on. We finally leave the house, over an hour late. As my husband drives toward my job, I’m thinking about the work ahead. Alexis is chattering away like she always do on our morning ride. When we reach my job, I jump out. I’m running toward the building when I hear the car horn honk. My husband is motioning for me to come back to the car. I’m very frustrated. Don’t he understand that I have to get to work? Does he not realize that
I’m in a hurry? I can’t understand why this day is going so bad. I do walk back toward the car. I lean down as he rolls the passenger side window down. What is it Renard? He realizes that I’m frustrated. He doesn’t allow this to affect him. He uses his gentle voice. This is the voice he uses on the kids and I. He smiles, and says “Alexis was talking to you”. Is he forreal? Did he actually call me back to tell me she was talking to me? He continues as if he doesn’t see my expression.
You should never be in such a hurry you can’t listen to her. It may not be important to you but it’s important to her. This immediately hits my heart. I realize he is right as usual. I turn to her and ask what she wanted. She smiles at me and simply says, “I’m sorry”. “I love you mommy”.
The rest of my day goes a usual. My husband and I have a few errands to run after work. I will never forget the phone call from my sister. Our house had caught on fire and Alexis didn’t make it. I will forever hold that horrible memory in my mind. I also am glad that I listened to my husband. I listened to what she had to tell me. The lesson I learned that morning was very simple. Never rush through life and miss the simple things that really matter. Whenever, I feel the sun on my face or feel a warm autumn breeze. I realize she is still with me.