Mother's Day, 2012.
Cruising down the road at 50 miles an hour, asleep in the passenger seat - without warning the piercing screech of skidding tires rips through my slumber. Before I can even make sense of what's happening my body heaves back into oblivion with one of the loudest, chest-punching smashes I've ever felt.
Cruising down the road at 50 miles an hour, asleep in the passenger seat - without warning the piercing screech of skidding tires rips through my slumber. Before I can even make sense of what's happening my body heaves back into oblivion with one of the loudest, chest-punching smashes I've ever felt.
We made impact. With a car in the oncoming lane.
I remember before passing back out my eyes refusing to move from the dashboard fan while I yelled repeatedly, with what seemed to be someone else's vocal chords.
*Trauma does weird things when you're not looking.*
The next thing I know my armpits are burning from being dragged out of my smoldering car by a fuzzy form, a pleasant scent and a gentle voice - a voice assuring me that I wasn't dreaming despite my garbled arguments to the contrary.
"Your kids are okay, they're over here."
On the ground, my knee wide open, I do what I can to turn my body enough to shield my two daughters from what I figure as an expert on car fires from one too many TV shows, that the car is destined to blow up. I can hear the strained voice of an older gentleman declaring, "Dad's in the worst shape, bleeding from the neck."
It was at this time I began asking over and over if I was going to die, and scared as hell, if my husband already had.
It was at this time I began asking over and over if I was going to die, and scared as hell, if my husband already had.
"Is he alive?"
"Yes."
Oh, wow.
ReplyDeleteI was in a traumatic car accident many years ago (back in 1991), but this brings it right back.
Sorry to bring back such a scary memory! Very glad you made it through :)
DeleteOh wow, scary! Glad you all made it!
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteI feel for you going though something like that is horrorfing but I am glad you all survived, thank you for sharing this experience it must be hard for you
ReplyDeleteThanks, it's actually been really therapeutic. Every time I sit down I get a little anxious as if I might have trouble but so far it's just sort of pouring out. It feels good in a weird sort of way to remember back and make better sense of it all.
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