Monday, May. 28, 2018 - 12:12 a.m.

I watched someone die today. A man. A stranger.

He and his girlfriend were traveling on a motorcycle on an overpass. My mom and I, having just left from visiting my great-aunt in the hospital, were on our way home. We heard a motorcycle revving and I told my mom not to worey about it. We turned to hop on the ramp to the expressway and what looked like a huge eagle seemed to fall out of a tree and landed in front of our car. I wasn't going too fast, so stopping quickly was not an issue. The car didn't even jerk to a stop, it just stopped.

I looked on the ground and realized it was a person that had landed - a woman, not an eagle. She was on her back and her eyes were open but she was mainly alert. She was looking confused but seemed able to understand me yelling at her to not move. I was on the phone with 911, trying to remain as calm as possible. As I got closer to her, it seemed like she had a third leg. But, no, she only had 2 legs. The third & fourth legs belonged to a man that I could see was severely injured. There was blood pooling under his helmet. The blood was so dark, it was almost as black as the helmet and clothing he wore, to me. I knew he wasn't going to make it. I felt it. He wasn't moving - I thought he was already dead.

I argued with the dispatcher about the location. She insisted the corner had to be SW or SE but the street sign only said S. It's a major intersection in an area I don't frequent. What the street signs said should have been enough. The call was transferred to someone who was a lot calmer, thankfully. An undercover officer arrived on the scene but the dispatcher kept giving me instructions, which was strange. I'd told them that the female was awake and alert but that the male was not moving.

While talking to the dispatcher, I tried to simultaneously pray for the male. He started gasping and I started praising God for him showing signs of life. But as the minutes passed, he stopped breathing altogether.

The dispatcher asked how the male was doing and I told her he no longer seemed to be breathing. She insisted CPR needed to be given so I told the officer. He and another bystander were going to try but when they lifted the helmet.... They would not have been able to perform anything. Another officer who arrived on the scene said not to remove the helmet. The other bystander asked something and the first officer said the male would probably be DOA.

My poor mother. I hate that she had to experience this....again. Years ago, she witnessed a motorcyclist get hit by a car. As far as that story went, the rider wasn't going to make it. I hated that she had to see another incident and actually have this man die on the scene.

I'm grateful the female made it. I'm grateful that God spared her life. It was the male's time for whatever reason. He had to go home.

I was fussing with God for a few seconds. While she is resilient as the strongest person, given what she's endured even now at 93 years old, my great-aunt didn't seem to be doing the best when we visited her today. I watched her breathing, worrying that she doesn't have long. It felt like a few elderly loved ones that I've watched struggle to breathe. So I'm like dealing with someone I'm worried is going to up and die and then come across a stranger who takes his last breaths in front of my eyes.

Then, I feel like my mom and I are always saddled with heavy shit. Like, so many people never have to do deal with any of the heaviness we have faced. But here we are, with a heaping pile of heavy shit added to what we've already been carrying. Like, WHY?! Why, God, did you have it for us to go through THAT!??! Two bodies flying out of the sky???!! Really!?!??!

I was only upset for a few seconds though. Like, less than 10. I understand God's will. I get it. And recounting the moments that led up to that situation, we were intended to be there in the capacity we were. We prayed for them as best we could. We stopped traffic that could have run them over after they fell. We had a role and had to play it. And so, unwittingly, we surely did.

Just can't believe he died. Can't believe we watched it happen. Can't believe two human beings literally fell out of the sky and landed in front of my car today. I can't believe it. And I'd rather not believe it.

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