'Sweet' mishap...

“We have to get out! Out! Right now!” cried my husband, turning his head to our children seated at the back of the car, amid the smoke puffing out of the car engines.

“My neck hurts,” said our daughter, scrambling out of the seat.

“What’s this? What's happening?” cried our young son, waking up from his sleep.

I was too numbed to say anything.

Just then, I heard a friendly voice, “911 paramedics. Are you all right?” Hands were everywhere, soothing, calming. Asking where it hurts.

“Everything seems to be okay! We would suggest you to get to the nearest hospital, just in case,” said one of the paramedics, gathering up all his things.

“I think we will be all right,” said my husband, still dazed.

The paramedic lifted his hat, as a sign of respect and was gone.

“Someone must have called them in the nick of time,” said someone in the little crowd that had began to gather around us.

“Are you hurt?” said a young girl, her face veiled with the look of concern, “Here bro! Call mum and dad!”

“Yeah! I just did! They’re on their way,” said a young boy, apparently the girl’s brother. They must have been traveling together with the elder sister behind the wheel of the van.

“Let me take a look at your driving license. Yeah! You and you!” said a police officer, looking at my husband’s face and then to the young girl. Both handed in their licenses.

“Good thing you had the insurance with that rented car. Cannot imagine the mess you will be in without it! Here is your report. Get to the nearest agent and you will get another car as replacement,” the police officer quipped and was then on his way. But not without making sure that all is well and everything was cleared. All these were settled in a jiffy.

(I was attached to the University of Calgary doing research at the Engineering Department for 3 months, sponsored by Asian Development Bank , back then in 1993. My family joined me during the last 2 weeks of my stay. We had traveled up north from Calgary to Edmonton, enjoying the tranquiities of landscapes, through the rolling wheat fields of the Canadian Prairies across the Saskatchewan River , then to Jasper, putting up the night in a log cabin at Pocahontas ; then passed by the spectacular Columbia Icefields stopping to take a ride on the Snowmobile, taken pictures of scenic turquoise waters of Lake Moraine (the most photographed lake in the world), spending nights at Lake Louise and Banff. We continued south west to Kelowna, further on to Vancouver, brought the rented car we were in onto the British Columbia (BC) Ferries across to Vancouver Island. From there, we ventured to Penticton enjoying the enchanted fruit farms of Lake Okanagan along the way. (The settings of this journey of which I shared in my novel “Beautiful Daffodils”) To save up on accommodation, most of the nights throughout the journey, were spent at International Youth Hostels of which we became members for a year.)

On that unfortunate day of the accident, at a small city called Vernon, we were on our way from Penticton back to Calgary i.e. our last leg of our journey which was a 7 hours drive. All the traveling must have taken its toll. My husband, after driving for more than 3,109 km, overall 38 hours day by day, spanning the 8 days of journey across the Canadian Rockies through the two states of Canada (Alberta and British Columbia) within a few days must have been overwhelmed with fatigue. My housemates said that we were crazy because they had been in Canada for two years and the furthest to the west they drove to at that time was as far as Waterton Lake Park . While my husband had just arrived a few days before. But we were adamant with the trip, to go through the adventure awaiting us...

Back to the story, the young girl was mothering my two children, constantly asking how they were, offering drinks and snacks.

I was looking at our rented car. Its hood, a total wreck! The van which we hit right in front of us was hardly dented.

“There they are!” said the girls brother, pointing to another car that was veering to the side of the road.

“Hi! I am so sorry that this happened!” said the father, getting out of the car, his hands held out to my husband's.

“No. It was entirely my fault. I must have been distracted for a second," said my husband, his hands grasping the fingers of the pleasant and nice man.

“You must be on holiday. I know how bad you must feel!” said the mum, as she too held out her hand to mine.

“Here! Let us send you to the nearest agent so you may be on your way!” said the dad.

And the next instant, we were at the counter of the nearest car rental agent, holding the keys to another rented car to replace the battered one.

“We have been to Malaysia before. Beautiful country. Hope you will enjoy the rest of your holidays here in Canada!” said the kind, old gentlemen, after asking us where we were from. The rest of his family were smiling their hearts out.

“Tell you what! Let us have our photos taken!” said he.

And so, I took one using our camera, while they had one taken too using theirs.

What a stark contrast to, about the same situation which my other half and I encountered barely three weeks ago, near our friend’s residence. That will be my next entry. After reading it and this present entry, please tell me what you think, okay?