Tragedy

TRAGEDY

A sea of black inside the village church; spilling out on to pathways and pavements. Four ashen-faced sets of parents gazing in disbelief as the wooden caskets are placed at the altar. The same spot where eighteen months earlier two of the victims exchanged rings, vowing to love one another until death parted them. Death claimed them both in the same moment.

         A warm July evening; birdsong, the heavy scent of summer, a short northbound journey to the newlywed’s home. Laughter, music, smiles, contentment. Louise and Sean.

         Handsome young men, footloose and fancy free, contemplating the possibilities of a night on the town. A short southbound journey, jokes spilling, high spirits, feeling invincible. Adrian and Kevin.

         One reckless moment, one foolish decision, four young lives wiped out in an instant. Head on collision, mangled vehicles, a river of blood on the road. The devastation a life sentence for loved ones left behind.

          A sea of flowers, left by those who loved you withering by the roadside.