We're the Real Accident

Abstract

In my creative nonfiction piece, I explore my relationship with my sister, Sabrina. Almost three years ago, she was in a car accident. Afterwards, both of our lives changed. One month after the accident, she moved away to live with her boyfriend in Charleston, South Carolina, and she told me the day before she left. Her car accident and her move to Charleston jarred me, causing memories from the past to flood the present. Two poems, which I wrote within the months following her accident and moving away, showcase how I reacted to her sudden departure and transformation. Although she experienced the accident, and she moved away, her actions affected me as much as they affected her. I tried to deny that the events never occurred, but pictures and memories reminded me of the truth. I tried to prove that I could live without her in my daily life, but I lied to myself, suppressing the pain. In the deep recesses of my mind, I blamed myself for her moving away. After living together for twenty years, she finally gave up on trying to fix her broken sister. She witnessed me struggle with mental illness; therefore, when she finally saw a way out—a life in Charleston—she took it as fast as she could. In my writing, I attempt to accept that she moved away from me, from our sisterhood, but her actions still resonate and hurt me as if she left only yesterday.