Fleeting

For Gail, school had always been an exciting adventure. For all she could care the subjects could do themselves especially math. She wasn’t doing so well at math and to her it didn’t matter because she did try her best. She remembered getting a zero in an algebra test and crying all the way back home to her father. Her father had consoled her by saying, “Gail, I wasn’t so good at algebra myself. In fact I got so bad in school that I had to drop out to do what I was good at: helping others. I help distribute books to those that need it and in return I get paid for doing what I loved. You know when I was younger, I would sit in class looking out from the window and seeing loads and loads of trucks of books, foodstuff and what have you being distributed from companies to residents. I always wanted to do that. I was fascinated by it so much that my teacher had to take me out from the window se

The trouble with maple tree is that it brings forth sweetness and so to harvest the sweetness, it has to be sapped taking the sweet syrup and leaving it with less and less sweetness. Gail was a sweet girl, mindful of everyone and doing anything she could to help others. Gail was coming back from her friend’s house after tending to her. It was five o’clock in the evening. She was halfway home when she heard a whisper behind her. She remembered the warnings her parents had given her about not talking to strangers. “Not everyone really needs your help”, her mother had said, “Some come disguised as vulnerable so you can have pity on them and then they turn around do you harm. Don’t answer the calls of strangers. Walk faster and if need be run when the stranger becomes insistent”. Gail seemed to have forgotten all about this in a hurry. She heard the whisper again and turned o

“Hello am I speaking with Mrs. Mary Owens, Mr. Michael Owens’ wife?” the voice asked. “Yes…This is Mrs. Owens. Who am I speaking with?”. “I’m calling from the town’s police department. Mrs. Owens I’m sorry to inform you that your husband has been involved in an accident. You are needed at Maple Leaf hospital right away.  Gail’s mother was in a frenzy. Quickly she took her purse which contained some money and was about to leave when her daughter asked, “Mother won’t you tell me what happened? Why are you leaving in such a hurry? Has anything happened to father?” “Your father has been involved in an accident and is being hospitalized. I’ve been asked to go meet him. Stay back and…” “No! I’m going with you. I can’t let you go alone this night and