The Smell of Death, Serena Axel [parable of the sower read online TXT] 📗

The Smell of Death

It was summer vacation and I was thoroughly enjoying the fact that I was outdoors and today my time was my own .We could go to the pool or just hang out . I still had chores, of course, since I was the third girl and there were six younger than me. With five brothers nothing ever seemed to stay nice or clean. A perfect day would be spent without having to watch any of the younger kids. With my work done early I could talk on the phone or go to my friend’s house. My little sister loved following me if a boy came to the house to visit. She followed us and would do anything she could to embarrass me, she was not shy!
The next day I woke up at about seven am a day just like the one before I thought. This was to be a day however, that I would never forget.
I got dressed, went upstairs for breakfast and soon the smell of food called to everyone. The younger ones came still in their pajamas and sleepy eyed. Every meal was an ordeal but by now I was use to fixing scrambled eggs a carton at a time and going through a loaf of fluffy white bread. My mom was always trying to stretch a dollar, so she bought powdered milk and mixed it with the milk purchased at the grocery store. I could always tell and unless it went on cereal I simply wouldn’t have it . Everyone ate, and then the boys would just get up from the table and the girls would have to do the dishes. I thought this terribly unfair, but there was no use complaining ; the dishes had to get cleaned. We repeated this gathering at the table for lunch which usually was a sandwich,juice( lemonade) and veggies.
I was just hanging around the house that day, trying to figure out what I could do when there was this horribly loud explosion in the east about two miles from the house. Billowing clouds of black smoke filled the sky. I was scared and couldn’t imagine what had happened. I immediately went into the living room and turned on the television looking for answers. It was on all of the stations. Breaking news: there had been a horrible crash at the airport and there were no survivors. I could see the airplane that had once been all shiny and new, now twisted, torn apart, and burning. The announcer said the middle school (my school) would be used as a temporary morgue. I felt sick thinking of all those dead bodies in the gymnasium.
The fire was almost out, but the air was filled with the smell burning flesh. A putrified scent hard to describe, but one I would never forget. Breathing it in, I knew I was going to be sick to my stomach. I tried to shut the windows, but this was a warm afternoon, and we didn’t have air conditioning. I felt bad for complaining, after all I was still alive and I had no family or friends on that flight.
At that moment I didn’t think I could go back to school but with time memories fade. That was the end of July. We went back September seventh. We all were curious, and filed by the gym but it looked like it always did …spotless. I wonder what it is that makes us want to see something so horrific? I felt bad for the families who would never be the same after that hot summer afternoon.

Text: (c) Serena Axel 2011
Publication Date: 01-17-2011

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