Fading Peace of Mind

The awful cracking sound of a breaking wrist rung through my ears still. I had no idea he was capable of that much strength. But the man who took on the action didn't seem surprised at all (not nearly as much as me). How many times had he done something like that before? My eyes were drawn to the nub left of his pinky finger. Did a finger make a similar cracking sound when it was cut or was that horrible sharp sound that played over and over again in his ear only caused by the sudden force when slammed over a knee?

He came across the most peaceful, quiet, and solemn man I had ever known. Despite his drastic intimidating looks and his capability for strength when he lifted me with ease-- I never would have guessed him capable of such a feat that he had done this night.

And what was that he had said before falling silent on the long drive home-- that he "did it for me." I was never one to believe that violence against violence resulted in peace, but from what I witnessed today, I could start to see why some people might have leaned that way in their ideologies.

The tapping of the man's rings along the steering wheel only reminded me further of the cracking sound, and I was still in the presence of the man who was capable of such a thing. Those strong, thick fingers around the wheel made me cough and choke. It felt like he was throttling me around my neck, but when my eyes traced their way back up his arm and back to his face, that expression was still as serene as it was when he was fast asleep and warming in the early morning sun that was pouring through the windows. Although I did not feel it now, he truly did bring me peace once.