Donna slowly woke up and yawned and for once she didn't feel down! She had always been a very private person from the time she was a teenager but last night after she and JoAnn had gotten home from their night out. They sat outside on the Veranda and watched the star filled Texas sky and shared dreams and Donna finally told JoAnn what she had never told anyone else before.
She told her about the worst day of her life life. It happened when she was 15 years old and it was the last week as a sophomore and actually for many years it had seemed like the last day of her life.
Donna had a normal family life. At least, she would always say that if the subject was discussed with her friends. Donna shared that her mother died when she was 15. What she failed to mention was how. They lived in Mobile, Alabama at the time where Donna was a happy sophomore just enjoying her age and living a normal teenage life or so she thought. Her Dad was a doctor, a well known General Surgeon at The Infirmary. Her mother owned a real estate business and was also well known as a savvy business woman. Donna had always thought theirs was a marriage made in Heaven.
All that changed when Jake, Donna's friend, was walking her home from school, and told her that it looked like an ambulance at her house. Donna broke and ran the rest of the way home as fast as she could; just in time to see her mother put in an ambulance and whisked away with sirens screaming! Then another ambulance loaded a man Donna didn't recognize, and also pulled out with their sirens screaming but not as loud as Donna screamed when she saw her dad in handcuffs being placed in the back of a police car by two police officers. "No, please don't!" She yelled running over to the car her dad was in. "Dad, what happened?" All her dad could do was cry repeating over and over I'm so sorry baby, I didn't mean for this to happen." "What happened daddy?"
About that time a police woman ran over to the car and was scolded by the plain clothed detective. "Get this girl out of here and I mean now!" I'm sorry sir, I was calling her aunt. Her dad said she would be okay to go home with her for now. Okay, officer just move her from here. Yes sir.
Donna's Aunt Debra drove up and was running straight for Donna when she was stopped by another officer. "Are you Dr. Smith's sister, Debra Wells?" "Yes I am and I'm here to get my niece Donna Smith." The officer in charge took Debra aside. "Mrs. Wells, It's been alleged that Dr. Smith, your brother Charles, was to have left for a Medical Convention this morning after taking his daughter to breakfast and then to school. Yes, that's right. We talked for just a moment before he and Donna left. Per Dr. Smith's testimony, He dropped Donna off at school, and noticed he had left one of his
Presentation notebooks back at the house. Since he was only a couple of blocks from home, he decided to just run in and get it from the upstairs study and head to the airport. When he pulled in to the house there was a strange car parked out front. Since June's car was gone, Dr. Smith thought maybe a burglar was inside. He grabbed his 357 Magnum pistol and was quietly tiptoeing through the house when he heard noises coming from their bedroom. He slowly edged around the corner just in time to see his wife and her new boss banging it out and before he knew it, he had shot your sister-in-law and then turned the gun on her naked lover and in less than 15 seconds had killed the man and your sister-in-law was just hanging on by a thread when they left here in the ambulance for the Emergency room at the Providence hospital. Dr. Smith said he was going to turn the gun on himself but apparently there were only two bullets left in the chamber which he used on his wife and her boss. He finally came to his senses realizing Donna would come home from school and see three bodies on the floor, so he lay the gun down on the bed, and called 911 to report a double homicide. Now there's a young woman who lost her mother possibly and her dad will either spend his life in prison or be given a lethal injection and die. The officers phone rang and he excused himself for a moment. When he came back he told Debra that Donna's mother never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead just a few minutes before. Debra's heart broke for her brother but it broke especially for Donna who basically lost both parents, her mom from murder and her dad from a double homicide. The police officer told Debra to get Donna some clothes and get her to her house and he and the detective would be stopping by to give Donna the news and to question both of them as well. Thank you officer. I'm calling my husband and asking him to come home early so we will both be there with her. Okay madam, we'll be there at 6 p.m.
"Oh Donna, what finally happened?" JoAnn replied. Well, my dad found a way to hang himself before trial but not before he wrote me and told me goodbye. He said he had made peace with God and not to judge my mother too harshly. He also said that wasn't the first time my mother had cheated and they were trying to work things out but when he saw her cheating once again, it was just too much." Donna, adults make dumb decisions when it comes to love. I wish now that I had just left instead and I'd be with you right now." Please forgive me for what I have done to you. My darling daughter, you are my very soul. Hopefully I will see you again on the other side, Love you to the moon and back! Dad.
"JoAnn, My Aunt Debra and Uncle Gary surrounded me with so much love that I was able to grow up somewhat normal after that. I went to counseling and after a bad summer, I had my own talk with God and I chose to go into Nursing and do my best to excel." "Donna, you have more than excelled." "Look at your life now." Thanks JoAnn! Well, John and Deanna were a real curve ball to me, especially after my mom and dad!
"Now can we get up tomorrow and get to that house on the Lake, okay?" "Okay Sweetie, you got it!
Happiness is on the way, I promise!
The Author
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