The shrill of the phone broke my concentration. With my eyes still on the draft I was preparing, I picked up the phone absentmindedly.
“Hello...?” I spoke into the phone half heartedly.
“David! David! Hurry! You’ve got to reach home quickly! Now! Your family!” shouted the familiar voice frantically. The caller snapped me out of my reverie. He had my full attention.
“Hello, who are you?” I asked with a voice full of purpose. There was a tinge of anxiety.
The phone went dead.
Wasting no time at all, I left my workplace. There was something about his tone that set an alarm off in my mind. It was like a drowning man, trying desperately to cling on to something to save him. It was like life or death.
As I neared my house, I felt my stomach going into knots. My lips had already been bitten into ribbons. Then I saw it. Unfurling itself, in all of its dark calamity. I smelt its pungent, acrid odour. The acrid smoke, rose up like a pernicious python; a strangulating serpent, stifling the life out of its victim. I dashed to my house. The smell grew in intensity. The smell of a destructive fire, lit with ill will, burning up someone’s happiness, burning up someone’s house. It was burning up my house.
My heart was in my mouth, palpitating wildly. Without a care for my own safety, I ran into my burning house, looking for my family. I saw Lisa and Sarah huddled at a corner, the flames distorting their image. Victoria was at the other side. Formidable flames blocked my way to them. John was nearby. It would be easy to save him, only him.
Just then a beam gave way. It landed on Victoria’s head. I saw her collapse and lie motionless in pool of her own blood. I saw my own daughter die. A groan of agony burst from me.
“David! Go! Take John and go!” Lisa shrieked.
What was she saying? Was she out of her mind? How could she even imagine that I would leave her?
“No Lisa, I can’t! I’m going to get you out of here! I’ll-” I began desperately.
“No you can’t! It’s impossible! You can’t save us! Save yourself! Save John! Go!” Lisa screamed at the top of her lungs. I look at the surroundings. I was crushed as I had to acknowledge Lisa’s bitter truth. But surely, there had to be a way? I contemplated jumping through the flames.
“No! David, you can’t save us! Go!” she shrieked, her voice breaking at the last word.
I grabbed John, who was at a reasonably safe area, sobbing uncontrollably, and tried to escape.
“Don’t go, Daddy!” Sarah pleaded again. Tears streamed down her face. It broke my heart to see her like that.
“Daddy has to go dear,” Lisa reasoned again, tearfully this time. She brushed the back of her hands under Sarah’s cheek to wipe away the smuts from the fire.
It broke my heart. Just that morning those words were uttered- those exact words. But the situation had been different. In the morning, Sarah wanted me to stay, to share in her joy. But now, Sarah wanted me to save her. She did not want to die. She was just four years old! How could she die? I looked into her eyes, seeing only fear. I could see it in her eyes; she was pleading me to save her life.
“Go David, go. I love you,” Lisa sobbed. The tears gather at my eyes. With whatever strength I can summon, I turn my back to them. I did not want to see my family razed to the ground. I flinched as I heard the agonizing screams of Lisa and Sarah. The flames were engulfing them and there was nothing I could do.
It was the most painful thing in the world- watching everything you hold dear to your heart burn into nothingness. The pain smashed my heart into uncountable smithereens. Later I found out that little Sarah had tried to light her cake on her own. But her inexperienced hands torched the house. My daughter was born and died on the same day.
