Don't Meddle With Anything

By: Lidya Christina Y (@Lid_Yang)

My car came to a sudden halt and I was awakened by the jolt. My eyes blinked several times as they tried to get accustomed to the light shining through the window.
“Hey, are you there?” said a voice in my earphone.
“Yeah, I think so,” I replied as I stepped outside.
It felt weird as I walked along the street. It was so different from where I came from. I sat on a bench near a cross road.
Then I noticed a man rushing along the empty sidewalk. I looked at how he dressed. Not much different from home. He did not stop as his right hand reached for his phone inside his pocket.
“Grandpa! I saw a man using his phone. So that’s how phones look like here. But hasn’t anyone told him to answer calls using the left ear?” I mumbled.
Grandpa laughed over the phone. “If you are getting excited over this, I wonder how you are going to handle the rest.”
Then I saw a child running across the empty street. The traffic light was still red.
“Hey! That child crossed the road when the traffic light’s still red!”
“Okay, okay. There’s no need to get so agitated over this.”
Next, I saw an old lady walking unsteadily with her hand clutching tightly to her walking stick. I had a sudden urge to help her. But, I think I should ask Grandpa. He made me promise not to meddle with anything before agreeing to my first time travel experience.
“Grandpa… An old woman is walking with much trouble. I think I should…”
“No.” Grandpa said before I could finish my sentence. I knew it.
Then I heard a car horn. A child was standing in the middle of the road. A car was driving in his direction and it was driving fast!
My limbs moved on their own. The next thing I knew, I was holding on to the child at the other side of the street. He was crying.
“James! James! What’s happened?!” Grandpa’s voice sounded worried.
“Grandpa, I… A child was almost knocked down by a car. I had to do something. I…”
“How many times do I have to remind you not to meddle with the past! Do not meddle with history! Now look at what you’ve done! I…” Grandpa’s voice trailed off.
My vision became blurry. But I could still see the child’s mother rushing to him.
“Jimmy… Are you okay?” She asked the child as she pulled him close.
“Jimmy?” I mumbled under my breath. “Grandpa Jimmy?”
My grandpa’s image then popped into my mind. I could see him moving freely with his artificial leg.
“Don’t tell me….”
I lost my consciousness.