February 12, 2006

Middle of the Night February Blogging

It was twenty-five years ago. My sister was engaged to be married, the first of my siblings to take that plunge. The wedding was planned for April with the hopes that perhaps spring would come early. Valentine's Day weekend, she and her fiance, ManWithPast, came home to finish the wedding plans, write out the invitations.

I cannot tell the part that happened next. It's too many details, and it's not my story to tell. But I will tell you the ending. ManWithPast drove his car off a cliff, straight into an icy lake. Deliberately.

He did not survive the impact.

I was a sophomore in college, the same age as Daughter is now. I remember the phone call, my mother telling me the news. My boyfriend was visiting, and he drove me home. Even though I got home in the middle of the night, my sister was awake, just lying in the dark in the bedroom we’d shared when we were little.

It was twenty-five years ago. No one talks about it any more. I don't think of it much any more. Except sometimes in the middle of the night. When it is February, and I can't sleep.

16 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh, jo(e). What a terrible thing.

zelda1 said...

jo(e) how sad for your sister and how sad for you. I'm sure all these years later, your sister still has those in-the middle-of-the-night moments. I hope she is happy now.

Anonymous said...

How awful

Phantom Scribbler said...

(o)

Anonymous said...

How terrible. Hope you and your sister are ok xx

timna said...

another reason for your Feb sadness. I'm sorry.

listie said...

Oh, how awful and how sad.

Rev Dr Mom said...

(o)

Leslee said...

What a terrible saddness to be reminded of in such a lovely month.

(o)

jo(e) said...

For those who asked about my sister ... well, she is married with two kids, doing many things that she loves, and she is happy in some ways. But she has had more than her share of traumatic experiences (this was only one of them), and she is one of those women who has sadness in her eyes ....

Yes, I know she thinks about some of this stuff in the middle of the night just like I do.

Psycho Kitty said...

Sweetie.

Piece of Work said...

wow.I can't imagine.

Mieke said...

This actually reminded me a bit of the story Amy (POW) wrote last week about the fiance that was killed a day before his wedding. The bride is left stunned at the life lost in both situations.

It must have been the full moon. I had a rough night last night too.

Yankee, Transferred said...

aw, jo(e), what a story

halloweenlover said...

Such a sad story, Jo(e). Poor poor man and his family, and your sister too. What a tragedy.

HeyJules said...

Wow. Isn't that just so unbelievable? What a horrible thing to go through.