Brown, straight hair and searching blue eyes, that's what I saw when I gazed at Jazmine. But they weren't Jazmine's eyes, they were Alydia's eyes. Eyes that would never see, again. Eyes that seemed to stare into the distance, seeing that which no mortal could see. Eyes that used to sparkle when their owner laughed. But, Alydia was no more.
I had bumped into her on my way to my seat at a conference. I knew Jazmine slightly and so knew that she had lost her sight at the age of two. I also knew that she had no right to Alydia's one vain glory, her beautiful eyes.
I stood staring at Jazmine's face. She had changed over time, and was no longer the carefree 12-year-old whom I used to know. She was now all of 17, and her face told a sad story, one of pain and sadness and a lost childhood.
I forced myself to look away, to walk on. I won't ever forget what I saw in her face, I wont ever forget Alydia's eyes.
After the conference, I again met with Jazmine and she told me all that had transpired since we had last met. She told of a terrible accident, of losing her eyes, of gaining another chance.
I asked her if she knew the name of her donor. I waited, half hoping, half dreading for the name to be Alydia's. She smiled a sad smile and spoke two words: Alydia Treyor.
I sit now in a dark room and the only light by which to write comes from beneath the door by which I am sitting. I sit here and think of all that has brought me, Lyrica Brown to this point.Only one name comes to mind: Alydia.
I first met Alydia after I had first moved from Springfield, Arkansas to Columbia Missouri. We had both recently moved and were going to the same church. She also lived four houses down the street from my home. I was 14 and Alydia was 13. Even though she was a year and a half younger than I, she seemed as though she had seen a lot in life. We became close friends.
Over the years, I moved 2 more times.Somehow she always did, too. We eventually ended up in Mobile, Alabama when she was 16 and I was almost 18.
When we both got our drivers license' I remember seeing the bottom of her license and shuddering when I read: organ donor. On the back of the card she had the choice of any and all organs or just certain specific ones. She chose eyes, heart, and lungs. It made e sick to my stomach.
And, then came the accident. I was driving. The memory haunts me still. It was a cold, dark, stormy night around the middle of November. I was hurrying to get home and we were talking. I took my eyes off the road for a split second. That was all it took. Just one split second. I'd come up on a semi's blind spot. It turned without me realizing and we crashed. It was my fault that we crashed. One split second Alydia wasn't here anymore, she'd gone on before me.
Her parents held a memorial service for her and I felt so bad. They forgave me, but somehow I just couldn't forgive myself. Our last conversation had been about life after death. It was why I wasn't watching the road. If only. If only I hadn't taken my eyes off the road, if only we had left the library earlier, if only... I keep thinking 'if only' but all my 'if onlys ' won't bring her back.
Alydia was special. She had a special joy in living, but she wasn't afraid of death, either. She knew where she was going and she rejoiced in the thought. Now I have that same hope. I now know that I will see her, again.
It still hurts to think about Alydia. The pain has lessened but it won't ever go away. But Alydia had a big impact on my life. I just hope I can have that same impact on someone else's life-maybe even Jazmine's life.
I'm now 21 and a lot of time has passed by, but Alydia, I still remember you. I will never forget you Alydia.
THE END
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