by Janeal Mulaney

Created on: May 29, 2010

The Longest Night

It all started when my sixteen-year-old came home to ask me for my keys to my ninety-four Ford Mustang. As a parent I was nervous to say the least, but I also remembered back when I was sixteen and had my first boyfriend. I wanted to be there for him, for his football games, baseball game, and his school plays. Well I wasn’t allowed to go, and I had always promised myself, if my children wanted to go to their girlfriend or boyfriends functions I would let them go, if I could afford to.

At first, when he asked, I thought about going with him, after all I had some friends in a town close by, so I could go see them while my son went to his girlfriend’s swim meet. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to switch my days at work. I knew that letting a sixteen-year-old boy drive that far by himself would be risky, but then again he could be driving to school and have a bad accident. After all life is a risk. So I prayed for God to bring my son home to me safe, and handed over the car keys. He called when he made it to my best friend’s house, and then he called when he was with his girlfriend at her swim meet. He called letting me know that he was headed home and he would be driving behind his girlfriends parents on the way home. I sent up a prayer of thanks and another prayer for my son each time.

Then I got his last call about two-thirty am.

Mom, I’m okay, but I’m so sorry mom I rolled your car.

Are you sure you’re all right?

Yes mom, I’m okay. I’m a little shaking but I’m all right. We’re waiting for the tow truck and then we’ll be on home. They said they would have to tow the car to La Junta and I’ll ride with Kim’s parents on home.

Okay, babe I’ll see you when you get home, I said and hung up the phone. Once again I thanked God and said another prayer for his safe return.

At about four am my son came walking through the door, he had two scratches on his left shoulder and that was all. He was home and he was all right. The next day I drove up to La Junta to pick up my totaled car. As I saw the roof being held up by the head rest of the driver’s seat I started to cry, my son was over six foot tall and set well above the back of the seat. He could have so easily had his neck broken, but he was thrown toward the passenger side of the car as he swerve and went of the side of the road.

Even now just writing the story I tear up, that accident could have ended so terribly.

My son thought I’d kill him when he called to tell me the mustang that I loved was totaled. It’s like I told him after everything was said and done. I can always replace my car, but I could never replace him.    

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