Paper Crane

1

What constitutes a day in history?

Does the date need to be published in a textbook with a brief discussion as to what happened and how those events impacted millions of people? Or does a fifteen second mention on the evening news count? How about a simple online article from politically slanted and ad-riddled clickbait?

How many people affected does this need to be significant? Billions over the changed course of history, involving an impacted economy and change in political policy? What about the millions of a single nation? Or a few dozen who merely attended a memorial service months after the fact? Does this count as historical?

One day, one very particular day, was a mere blip in the logs of human documentation. Compared to towers falling or market bubbles collapsing, this day seemed insignificant. Over the past fifteen or so years, many days just like it have occurred. Like the others, this special day was commemorated with some minor news coverage, a couple ceremonies, and a memo passing over a desk in the Oval Office. Just like the others, this day inspired thoughts and prayers, then promptly forgotten by most.

But there were a few people in three different corners of the earth whose lives would be forever changed. A family left at home wouldn't notice this day until a couple weeks later. Three men on the other side of the world would remember suffering the burning consequences from playing with volatile forces they thought they could control. On a dusty road nestled in the cradle of civilization, one man had a white sheet draped over his head, and he wouldn't remember anything anymore.

This is a story not of what happened on the day of history barely remembered, but of how this singular day changed the fates of the few.

***

They were finally asleep.

The kitchen towel worked over my fingers, absorbing any lingering dishwater. I made an extra effort to dry the crevices around the thin platinum ring on my left hand as I leaned in the doorway to the smaller bedroom. Gazing upon the children nestled together in the bottom bunk, I twisted the ring around in fidgety circles. Nearly a year had gone by since that day, and I still didn't have the courage to slip it off.

My little girl and little boy appeared angelic as they indulged in their dreams. They were supposed to stay in their own beds each night, but it was a blessing to have siblings so close to each other. Given a few more years, and that would surely change. I had better enjoy the peace while it lasted.

Backing out of their room, I quietly padded back to the kitchen to replace the towel and let out a big sigh of relief. As much as I loved those two kids, they really knew how to suck the energy right out of me. That had to be normal for a single parent of a five and seven year old. The mental reminder helped keep me sane.

Nightly chores were mostly done. It was time to shirk off the remaining responsibilities and have some personal time. Me time. Unwind before I snap into a twitching and stuttering mess time.

After running through the mental things to do, I settled on the most mind numbing thing possible: television. To make it even better, the evening entertainment was going to be Netflix streaming through the video game console. Three brightly colored profile icons lit up the relatively small flat screen television, but only one of them was on the kid-friendly setting. I was too much of a coward to get rid of the unnecessary profile yet.

Putting the fly-away thoughts of the mental To-do list and whether it was worth the effort and the tax on my emotions to either delete the now-extra icon or simply change it to let the kids have their own Netflix profiles, I entered my own and started scrolling through my choices. You need distraction, my inner monologue whispered in the forefront of my consciousness. Something with hunky guys for you to drool over.