Lightning Bug
A lightning bug flew into her eye as she squinted and yelped quietly. In the purest form of love, I turned to Ana and said, “It’s the light in your eyes, that attracted that darn lightning bug!” She giggled and moved her head away shyly. I looked down and smiled with satisfaction, knowing that I had touched her heart.
We were out on one of our daily horseback rides at our little ranch in South Texas where we lived as newlyweds.
Suddenly, Curro was startled by a congregation of lightning bugs. He went wild and bucked Ana off, causing her to slam face down on a very rocky path. It was the most painful scream I have ever heard, “Jesse, please help me!!”
I ran to her in shock, and somehow I couldn’t get to her fast enough. All I could see were massive amounts of blood. I called for help, but no one came. I managed to carry her to the car as our tears mingled with her blood.
The nearest emergency clinic was thirty minutes away. I wrapped a towel tight around her bleeding head, laid her down in the backseat, got in the car and drove like crazy. As she lay there writhing in agony, all I could do was pray.
The nurses were finally able to calm her down and treat her. Her eyes had become so swollen that you could no longer see the beauty of her crystal green eyes. A few hours had passed when the doctor came in to examine her again.
He turned to me and dropped his head, with much sadness in his voice. He said, “She will never be able to see with her left eye again.”
My heart dropped, and I was devastated. I couldn’t understand how something so beautiful had caused such a horrendous tragedy.
The tears streaming down her cheeks only caused her eyes to burn as I held her hand and assured her that everything was going to be okay. I reminded her that I would not leave her side and that she could count on me for anything she needed. With lots of love and recovery, we would get through this challenging time.
Six months have passed, and we are back on our horses and taking in the trail on a sunny afternoon. Ana has taught herself to ride Curro with the sight of only one eye. It’s incredible what she has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.
Even with this tragedy, the light in her eyes never diminished; it only grew stronger. She developed a resolve and fought to be where she is today.
I always tell her and still she shyly giggles, “Ana, the lightning bugs will always know where to go!”
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