I walked quickly back to my college apartment from my World History class, fighting tears. The rumors just couldn't be true. It would be too cruel. I held my books close to my chest, trying to calm my heartbeat. I was close, just around the corner. I would know for sure soon. I would see that it was just a horrible rumor. It just couldn't be true. I sped up my walk to a jog as my apartment building came into sight. The skies were beginning to darken, as if warning me of the news that would greet me when I walked through the door. As I approached the front door of my building the skies opened up and it began to pour. I shook out my raincoat and sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time until I arrived at my front door. My hands shaking, I tried to steady them long enough to unlock to the door. When I opened the front door my worst fears were confirmed. My two roommates, Jessica and Angela, were sitting on our couch surrounded by tissues, crying softly as they remained captivated by the television. I dropped my books and bag to the floor with a loud thud but they didn't turn to look at me. I hurried over to the couch, sinking into the seat as I saw the words scrolling across the screen; the words that confirmed the horrible rumors.
Princess Elizabeth involved in car crash in Paris this evening.
Princess Elizabeth rushed into emergency surgery.
Princess Elizabeth has died.
Silently, Jessica handed me a tissue as the tears rolled down my cheeks. Princess Elizabeth has…well, had been my idol for the better part of my life. I wanted to be just like her. She was always so kind, involved in so many charities, changed so many lives. Even though I have always lived in the states, I've never even been out of the country, I felt as though I knew her. She truly was the People's Princess.
"How did it happen?" I asked quietly, as the news went to a commercial break.
"They haven't released all the details yet," Angela answered, blotting the tears beneath her eyes, ensuring the mascara wasn't running down her face. I sighed deeply, sinking back into the couch. I felt as though time had stopped. I watched with horror over the next 3 hours as graphic images of the car she was riding in appeared on the screen. I gasped, clasping my hand over my mouth in horror. Where they really going to show these images? What about her family, her two sons? They were both about my age, in the Royal Air Force. I watched as their plane landed in Paris, where their mother had died. I watched them get out of the plane, heads hung in sorrow as they walked beside their father, to identify their mothers body. The expressions on their faces were heartbroken. I was thankful that their father had been with them. He seemed to be strong, if only for them. I looked at the clock. It was nearing 1 am. I had been watching TV coverage for over 7 hours. I sighed and got off the couch, wiping my tears. I needed to get a break from the horrible images that would haunt me forever, even if I never had met her. The world had lost a wonderful woman that I looked up to for the better part of my life. It just didn't make sense. There was so much bad in the world, I didn't understand why she had been taken from us so soon. As I got ready for bed that night, I said a prayer for Princes Edward and Emmett, as the mourned the loss of their mother and celebrated her life, hoping that somewhere, they were feeling love and comfort of the people that loved their mother.
Several days later, I found myself on the couch with my roommates, surrounded once again by boxes of tissues as we watched Princess Elizabeth's funeral procession. I watched as her boys, heartbroken and distraught, walked behind her casket with their father. I took a sip of water as I tried to make sense of the last few days. It was one of those moments in life that you will never forget as long as you live. Angela's boyfriend, Ben, walked into the apartment and sighed at the sight in front of him.
"You girls need to stop that." He scolded with a roll of his eyes. Angela threw an empty tissue box at him.
"Shut it". She scolded back, snuggling into the arm of the sofa.
"Girls, the biggest party of the YEAR is happening. Why are you sitting here watching coverage of a funeral halfway across the world? Live in the now!" he said, kissing the top of Angela's head.
"Go without me. I'm not up for a party tonight". Angela said with a shrug.
"You guys. We are seniors in college. We are graduating in 2 weeks. LET'S GO!" he argued anxiously.
"Please shut up", Jessica said with irritation as she turned up the volume.
"Ugh, have it your way then. See you later," he said, adjusting his Seattle Seahawks cap and leaving the apartment.
"So glad I don't have a boyfriend right now", Jessica laughed.
I don't know why, but I was so drawn to Prince Edward. I always had been. I guess I can just equate it to a celebrity crush. He just seemed so perfect. He was so handsome, but more than that, had inherited his mothers kind and gentle heart. As I watched the heartbreaking footage, my heart broke with his, as if I was losing my own mother. I wanted to reach through the TV screen to give him a hug.
Hours later, we were finally able to pull ourselves away from the TV. It seemed that we just couldn't get enough of the coverage. A part of me was waiting for someone to come on to report that there had been a terrible mistake, but that announcement that I was so hoping for never came.