Kayelynn Guthman

Ms. Albrecht
Advanced Composition
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Somethings Wrong
Washing dishes is definitely not on my list of favorite things to do, but someone has to do
them. And being the oldest of six, thats usually me. If mom wasnt in California visiting Mimi,
she would make someone do them, but she is. Dad left for work an hour ago and no one listens to
me. Oh well. Over the movie playing in the living room, I heard Reagan come in the garage
door.
Something happened. She said simply, voice wobbly. I turned to face her quickly.
Maddi and two-year-old Arian walked in at that moment so I knew that no one had been
trampled by her horses. But Reagan was on the verge of tears.
What? I asked warily, drying my hands on the towel hanging in front of the sink.
There are lights ambulance lights down the road. And moms supposed to be coming
to pick me up but I called her and she didnt pick up. And I called Danny but he wont tell me
anything. He knows, I know he does. So she thought that whatever had happened had happened
to her mom. And from what she told me, it wasnt too far-fetched. But I didnt want to jump to
conclusions.
I led the way to the front lawn and looked around. Across the street, the corn fields
stretched as far as the eye could see. Birds chirped overhead and I could smell fresh cut grass
from our neighbor to the left. To the right, down the dirt part of 950 North and just over the first
rise, I could see flashing lights. I couldnt see the whole ambulance and the car was hidden too.
I cant hear the sirens. I remarked, still staring at the lights.
I know. We couldnt hear them from the barn either. We just saw the lights. Maddi
said, speaking for the first time. Reagan acted like we hadnt said anything.
I called Danny and he wouldnt tell me anything. So I know its someone I know. I
figured that too. If Danny her stepdad wasnt telling her anything, there was a reason. Its
not Maddi or Arian or anyone here, so thats good but She went on to list everyone it could
be: her mom, sisters, cousins and then she said the words that made my heart stop. It could be
your dad.
No. I blurted automatically. No, he left an hour ago. He wouldntve crashed there;
theres no way. I explained, mostly for my own sake. Reagan didnt look convinced. Well,
lets go inside until we get more information. Someone will tell us soon. They agreed, albeit
reluctantly, and we went inside.
Reagan and Maddi sat down to watch TV and I returned to washing dishes. I washed
plate after plate; cup after cup. I scrubbed bowls until my hands wrinkled and the smell of soap
didnt register as something unusual anymore. Thoughts kept running in a circle in my head.
What if it was Reagans mom? Id have to comfort her and I was terrible at that. But those
panicked thoughts didnt scare me as much as the others. What if it was dad? I felt every minute
tick by painfully until Molly Reagans mom pulled into our driveway.
Half of me breathed a sigh of relief but the possibility that it was dad was getting greater
and greater. Especially when I saw her face. It was expressionless. Blank. Her lips were a line,
her eyes purposely emotionless. The moment she walked in the garage doors, I met her, not
saying anything. I knew she could see what I was asking. But she didnt answer.
Is everybody home? She asked casually, as if she was asking if Id seen her shoes. I
nodded, suddenly not trusting my voice. I had to keep my cool for the sake of my siblings. Will
you gather everyone in the living room? I have to use the bathroom really fast. Thats when I
knew what she was going to tell us. I called my sister, Aletta, down from her room and we
gathered on the couches in the living room, all staring at Molly. Everythings okay. But your
dads been in a car accident. I let my breath out in a whoosh and closed my eyes, intent on
keeping the tears at bay.
How could she say that so nonchalantly? Everythings okay? Youre a walking
contradiction. Obviously dads not okay. I wanted to scream, yell, cry Anything. But I didnt.
What happened? I asked, clearing my throat.
He hit the bridge on the dirt road. Hes going to be fine and its nothing serious but
theyre airlifting him to OSF. Im going to go down there. I have all of his information and all of
that so you dont have to worry about anything. She answered calmly. She looked at Reagan
who was standing off to one side staring at the floor moodily. Do you want to stay here or go
home?
I want to go home. She mumbled and Molly nodded, obviously expecting it.
Okay, Ill drop you and Maddi I stopped listening after a while. Molly, Reagan,
Maddi, and Arian left. Aletta disappeared. My brothers kept watching their movie. I felt isolated.
Alone. Scared senseless. I hated not knowing anything; not having something to do.
So I went back to washing dishes. If only there were more, I wouldve washed dishes
forever. Unfortunately, life isnt that simple.

Skylar, stop that. I scolded, slapping Skylar, my oldest horse, on the shoulder. She
whinnied at me and I rolled my eyes, joining Maddi and Arian outside the fence. Theyre not
listening today. I gestured to Skylar who had returned to the water barrel and then to Zelda who
was rolling on her back in the sun dried dirt.
Theyre just hot. Im hot. Maddi observed. I agreed with a nod. Even though my pigs-
for-horses had slopped water all over the ground, it was dry and cracked and my retinas were
ringing from the sun reflecting off of the corn cribs roof a few yards away. Do you want to go
inside and cool down a bit?
Yeah. Lets do that. My moms coming soon anyway. Maddi ran to grab the training
toys from the paddock and came back looking like she had just seen a ghost.
Reagan there are ambulance lights down the road. My head snapped up from latching
the barn door.
What? I breathed. She pulled me so I could see the flashing lights just down the road
towards town. My heart pounded in my chest and I immediately pulled out my phone.
Who are you calling?
My mom. I answered just as moms automated voicemail started up. I called her four
times before calling Danny. He picked up and I explained the situation.
Well talk about it later, Reagan. That was it? I knew then it had to be someone I knew.
If it was a random neighbor, he wouldve told me. But he didnt. I tried to breathe normally and
all but ran inside to find Kayelynn. She needed to know this. I needed her to know this. The boys
were watching some action movie and I ignored it, finding Kayelynn in the kitchen washing
dishes. Something happened. I croaked. Her reaction was just how I imagined. She spun
around, eyes huge.
What? She asked. I explained it again hurriedly as Maddi walked in with Arian.
Kayelynn didnt say anything until we were outside and she was staring at the lights, mesmerized
by the repetitive colors. I couldnt blame her. I cant hear the sirens. She said calmly. Maddi
said something to agree but I dont know what it was.
I called Danny and he wouldnt tell me anything. So I know its someone I know. Its
not Maddi or Arian or anyone here, so thats good but it could be mom, Amanda, Victoria I
listed off cousins that I knew she didnt know but I needed something to say. I didnt mean to say
that it could be Travis her dad but it just kind of slipped out.
No. She said immediately. No, he left an hour ago. He wouldntve crashed there;
theres no way. I didnt say anything but followed her inside and blankly stared the TV. I
wasnt watching it. How could I? How could I when my mom was very well sitting in a flipped
car not a quarter of a mile down the road? I didnt hear her car pull in so when she walked
through the door, my heart leapt into my throat. But I stayed seated.
I was suddenly furious. Danny couldve said she was fine. She couldve picked up her
phone! What a novel idea. She didnt meet my eye but met Kayelynn at the kitchen door.
Kayelynn rung a kitchen towel nervously in her hands and she didnt say anything but there was
a question burning in her eyes, begging to be answered. Mom ignored it.
Is everybody home? She asked. Kayelynn nodded and disappeared to call Aletta while
mom went to the bathroom. Honestly, couldnt you hold it just to tell us what the heck was going
on? Once everyone was gathered together, she finally answered our unspoken question.
Everythings okay. But your dads been in a car accident. I swallowed and listened to her
explain what had happened. When she asked if I wanted to go home, I said yes.
I couldnt be here if dad wasnt, knowing he was somewhere in pain. I felt helpless.
Hopeless. Mom kept saying he was going to be fine. That everything was going to be fine. Even
when she dropped me off at home, her last words were Everythings going to be okay. Okay? I
nodded, even though I didnt agree with her. Life was never that simple.