9/11

Martha

Drew and I have had a very unconventional relationship, one where most would say that we would never work out. Our friends thought we were crazy for dating each other while we drove each other crazy. Now, here I am, getting my hair done by my best friend and having my mother holding my hand crying, just an hour before I will be married to Drew. 

Our crazy love story had anything but a normal start. I met Drew in what would be one of the most painful moments in his life and one of the most traumatic in mine. Flinching as my best friend tugged on my hair to get it into perfectly equal blond curls I thought back to that day. 

It was a beautiful fall day, the leaves dancing down from the trees and the breeze blowing ever so softly through my hair. I was running along the trails, training for the half marathon I was planning to run in the spring when I met Drew. Just as I finished running down a hill and turning a corner towards the next section of the trails I heard him. Drew was riding his skateboard extremely fast down the hill, screaming loudly in excitement due to the adrenaline rush. I had slowed my pace once I heard his screams, since I didn't want to be hit by this skateboarder boy. Moments later the screams went from excitement to cries of pain. Once I heard those cries and screams I knew something was wrong so I ran back in the direction of the hill. It turns out that Drew couldn't turn fast enough and he rode his board straight through the wooden fences outlining the trails. 

Blood was gushing from his head since he failed to wear a helmet and it looked as though he might have broken his arm and sprained his ankle. I wasn't a doctor but I had basic CPR training so I got to work on neutralizing his injuries before finding help. I laughed to myself as I remembered not even introducing myself before I took off my shirt to wrap around Drew's head. I was later told that without that basic gauze and pressure Drew would have had serious brain damage or bled to death. During that moment Drew was the bad boy, dare devil on the verge of dropping out of his local community college to continue travelling the world. So he was not one who was not going to miss an opportunity to comment on my boobs and sweaty sports bra. 

After setting his arm, which was broken, with a piece of wood that had broken off the fence I tied it together with my headband. Drew wanted to just walk back but I would not let him, especially with a head injury and potential sprained ankle.  Back in the day there were no cells phones or any way to contact people for help so I decided sit it out and wait for the another person crossing these trails, which wasn't long since the trails  were usually busy. 

The next guy rode a bicycle and was more than willing to give us a hand. He cycled to the nearest house and called the ambulance for Drew while I continued to watch him. We didn't really talk to each other in the meantime but I knew he was staring at me. I was just concerned about his wellbeing. Everyone I tell this story to thinks I'm crazy for caring about a stranger that much but in the end we are all humans who need each other to survive. 

What was surprising to me was when the ambulance came down the trails and picked him up in the stretcher, he was asking the paramedics to let me go to the hospital with them. I agreed, partially because I was worried about this guy, who's name was still a mystery to me, and partially because he didn't have anyone there to support him and I believe that no one should have to go through pain alone. 

I was pulled out of my trip down memory lane with screams from my best friends and mother. "Agh! Martha you look gorgeous!" Elise, the hair dresser best friend, screeched. Everyone else in the room agreed and complemented her work and my hair, while I thanked her and nodded in agreement. My hair looked really good for someone who doesn't do more than brush it each morning. 

"Makeup time!" My other best friend, Nelly, screamed excitedly. It was funny to me how my girls were more excited about my marriage than I was. I guess it is just hard to process that the guy who's life I ended up saving, according to three doctors and a nurse, had asked me to marry him.