«FL»«NJ»«LM12»«RM73»«FC»«RT0»«TS18,22,27,32,37,42,47,52,57,61,66,71»«LS2»TThe Hard Lesson
«FL»«NJ»
It was a grey, foggy night that no one from our town would ever forget.
This was the night our town would learn about the deadly results of drunk driving.
It had all started about a week before the incident when talk began about a party
that would take place at Tom Goodrich's house. Tom's parents were going out of
town for business and he was going to have the house all to himself for the
weekend. Word spread quickly throughout our school about the upcoming
Saturday night party. There was to be alcohol, girls, and dancing--all anybody
needed to get into a lot of trouble. This party was to be like all of the other parties
in which we had all had great times at over the years. Little did we know that this
one would be the one that would change our lives forever.
After what had seemed like the slowest week in my life the day finally
arrived. I woke up to a beautiful, sunny, Saturday morning. The weekend had
started off good the night before with our football team winning its six straight
game. As was my routine on a Saturday morning I got up to eat breakfast and
read what the paper had to say about our Friday night game. After I was finished
reading the paper I took off for Saturday morning films with the team. When I
arrived I found everybody there to be talking about the party that was to happen
that night. As we watched films my mind began to wander in anticipation of the
night to come and the events that would unfold. I was really starting to like this
girl named Beth and felt that tonight I would be able to socialize with her a little
bit. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was a junior like me but I had not
met her until our junior year. After films had ended I chatted with my friends for a
little while longer and then I departed. On the way home I stopped off at the car
wash to wash my new convertible I had recently bought.
I wanted my car to look its best in for the party. I was hoping I would be taking
Beth home in it after the party and I wanted her to be impressed. After I was
finished washing it the emerald green paint and aluminum wheels sparkled in the
bright daylight.
After washing my car, the soarness from the game the night before had
set in and I decided to take it easy the rest of the day. As was my usual Saturday
habit I got some food and laid on the couch in front of the t.v. to watch college
football. The game was my favorite college football game of the year. It was the
Illinois versus Iowa game. I never missed this game because of the great rivalry
between the two teams. I watched for about an hour and was then quickly asleep
on the couch. About three hours later I was awakened by the phone ringing in my
ear. No one else was home so I answered it. It was my friend Tad Miller. Tad
wanted to know what time I was going to be leaving for the party. I told him about
six because I was planning on helping Tom get set up for the party. He told me
of this girl he was going to bring and then we hung up. It was about five so I
decided to start getting ready for the party.
A little while later I glanced at the clock and it read six o-clock. Seeing
the time I jumped in my car and headed for Tom's house. I had a nervous type
tension pulling in my stomach. All I could think about was seeing Beth. Friday at
school she had said she was looking forward to seeing me at the party. When I
arrived outside Tom's house the street was already starting to line up with cars of
those who had come to help set up. Once inside I said hello to all of my friends
and we began the work of setting up the stereo, setting out the food, and putting
away anything that looked as if it could get broken. The time quickly passed and soon enough it was time for the party.
People started arriving about eight o-clock. By nine the house was full with well over one-hundred people from our high school. We were charging three dollars at the door in order to get in and drink. I grabbed a cold, golden soda and sat down with Beth who had just arrived. We talked for about an hour. During this time we set up a date for the following weekend. After setting up our date I went to talk to more of my good friends who had just arrived. Joe Schnell and Phil Wirt two of my best friends came strolling in with two new girls I had never met. Phil and Joe I had known all of my life and had always been great friends of mine. After talking to them for a little while I decided that they had been drinking for quite some time before they had arrived at the party. I too was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol and just laughed at them. We then sat down and played a drinking game. During the game we reminisced about old times we had shared together and how they would be coming to an end in another year with our graduation.
At about one o-clock everyone had left or passed out except a few of us. We were all pretty drunk when we made the dumbest decision of our lives. Joe and Phil said they were going to drive their dates home while I drove Beth back to her house. We then all decided that we would all meet back at Tom's house and spend the night so we could help clean up in the morning. So with the night getting shorter we departed. I successfully delivered Beth to her home and gave her a good night kiss.
When I arrived at Tom's house I found Tom crying on the floor uncontrollably. When I finally got Tom to calm down I asked him what was wrong? What he said I will never forget. " Phil's mom just called and she was crying. Phil and Joe are both dead." I could not believe my ears. Two of my best friends were gone, it just didn't seem possible, I had just talked to them an hour before. Unfortunately the news was turned out to be true. Apparently they had delivered the girls to their houses and on the way home hit a guard rail at about sixty miles an hour killing them both instantly.
My last two years of high school felt empty without my lifelong friends there to share them with me. I felt like the accident was my fault because I should have never let them drive in their condition. Tom also took their deaths hard feeling it was his fault for having the stupid party in the first place.
If there was anything good that came out of losing two good friends that I will never get back it is that if you must drink, don't drive. I know that phrase is overused but hopefully by reading this story you will take it to heart before a tragedy like this must happen to you in order for the message to sink in.
