Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Thanksgiving

We have left- hand driving here. I’m on my way to work. I’m at the roundabout. 3 lane roundabout and I’m in the inner-most lane. I need to go right. The car on my right wanted to go left. I was almost there, almost reached the right lane. The car hit me from the right. Hit me near the back door. My car tilts from the right, and is on two wheels, at what seems to me (since I’m on the inside) like an impossible angle. I’m thinking it’s going to flip, but miraculously, it falls back and just kinda shudders and ends up hitting the pavement.

Horns blaring, people shouting, it’s all very confusing. I get out. I look to the right and note (in my mind) the number and make of the car passing by thinking that that was the car that hit me ( I don’t remember it anymore other than the fact that it was a silver car). Then I look at the far end of the roundabout and see the car that actually hit me. An old Indian lady is standing outside. Her daughter was the one driving the car.

I’m thinking several things at once. I need to call the office and tell them I’ll be late. I need to call the cops. DO I need to call my dad? Dad’s gonna kill me!

I’m standing outside now, and my car is blocking the road. I look at my car and see it shaking. Weird! Then I realise that it’s still in gear! I run to the car turn it off. Then I realise I was supposed to take it to the side so that the traffic won’t be blocked. So I turn it on again and park it to the side. I’m just sitting there cos I can’t do anything else. I’m just shaking all over. Don’t know why I was shaking cos I wasn’t feeling scared or anything. I fact, I was feeling nothing.

I try to call the office, but I don’t remember the number and I can’t dial anyway cos I’m shaking so bad. I remember that I have my manager’s number stored in the cell, so I call her up and tell her I’ll be late cos of the accident. She’s shocked, “take your time, take care blah blah…”

I walk over to the lady and she asks me if I’ve called the cops. She had already called them but she couldn’t give the directions properly.
I call the cops and they come by in a few minutes.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Dubai cops are VERY nice. They ask me if I tried calling them just then or did I call before. I tell them I called them just a few minutes ago cos I was talking to my dad (a lie, but they’ll think I’m nuts for calling my office first and not my dad) so they oh ok!
They ask me and the other female what happened.
When we get to the part about my car tilting and almost falling, they say “Oh ok, so that’s why you’re shaking like this! They smile, ask me if I’m ok. Everyone’s thanking God cos nothing more serious happened. The lady and her daughter keeps saying how lucky I am and how God is with me cos the car hadn’t flipped to the side. Both our cars are insured. So that’s not an issue. And by some miracle, nothing is wrong with either my car or her car other than a few scratches. The cops laugh and tell me I should think of becoming a stuntman for the movies! I’m laughing too. Everything’s fine. They give me a red ticket (it was my fault even though they hit me, cos I was on the wrong lane) gave them a green ticket. No fine, no black mark. They tell me to take it easy. They hand me my license and watch me drive off.

I am lucky.

I have friends who care about me enough to call me ISD and listen to me cry and console me. I have blog-friends who care enough to write to me and tell me everything will be ok. I have a blogfriend who calls me up ISD ( thanx again Jithu) to make sure I’m ok.
I have God who keeps reminding me there are bigger things out there than just me and my little problems but He thinks the world of me all the same.

So from the bottom of my heart - Thank you!

22 comments:

Geo said...

Girl, u sure got a dangerous driving style I guess....
Pls be careful

Rhyncus said...

I would never have appreciated all this right-lane-wrong-turn funda if I had been in Nigeria. But now I know. I guess that's progress.
Nothing like a close call to reaffirm priorities and faith, no? :) Live on!

Anonymous said...

Because Dubai Cops are too nice,drivers like you don't ever take lessons.Stop speeding, stop road racing,blah blah blah.It's dangerous!!! In addition, try to be mentally stable when drive please

Lost in trance... said...

Yo lady! u alive?
maan u r having a tuff week! hang on there, maybe the bad luck is exhausting itself :)

Thanu said...

Drive carefuly dear. Nothing is worth the extra few mins one gets by driving recklessly.

-thanu

Anonymous said...

Awww...I am glad you are fine Mate.Dont Ape the Local's style of driving.Take care & I hope Joe is gonna be fine & as good as new soon.God Bless!Cheers!!

Arya said...

Hi Sonia,

Perhaps this incident was G-d's way of making you appreciate the good things in life!

What car do you drive btw, just out of curiosity.

Sonia said...

lash: uh huh? but when there's company, there's a lot less misery!

geo: i don't "live dangerously". it just happened once na? and i wasn't even driving fast. i was on the roundabout for chrissakes!

rhycus: **Nothing like a close call to reaffirm priorities and faith, no? :) RIGHT YOU ARE!

** live on
DEFINITELY! looking forward to it! :o)

anonymous: the cops are nice, but they're not stupid. if you actually did something or reckless and get into trouble, they will not smile and let u off. i agree i was in the wrong lane, but loads of people do the same thing. i'm not saying that makes it right. but what i did really wudn't have had such after effects if the other person had applied the brakes (like everybody else does).
and the fine is lesson enough for most people. thankfully, i wasn't fined, cos he knew that this wrong lane thing happens all the time.

lost in trance: i'm absolutely fine! i consider this an eye-opener. HE is telling me to worry about more important things i feel. :o)

thanu: i will i will! i wasn't driving 'recklessly'. i was hardly going at 25 i think.

jaguu: i'm not apeing them. i can't! and Joe IS fine! it's a miracle, but he's absolutely fine. i drove him to work right after the accident. he's got a few scratches. that's it. but i gotta take him to have a checkup though. he's a bit shaken. but he's tough. he'll be fine.

arya: that's what i think too! and i drive a Rav4. His name is Joe Black. :o)

Anonymous said...

now watch this,just for the fun of it :-)

http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=64d88d36-9433-48b0-95a6-a64fbed1cd21&f=email

That's driving :-)

Zombie said...

Hi Sweets....we are all glad to know you are fine.

Even though you were shivering that time I am sure u'll remember it as one of THE experiences of your life..

Get your car repaired asap...

love,

n.g. said...

it happened to me too.

it happens often, actually.

today, i brushed the bumper of an autorickshaw. he stepped out, nothing was damaged. he stared at me, i told him nothing had happened, and i was sorry anyway.

he asked me why i brushed his auto.

again, i told him i didnt do it intentionally, but i was sorry nevertheless.

he asked me again why i had brushed his auto.

and he touched my car.

i stepped out and told him 'teri gaand mein jo dam ha woh kar le, police bula bhai log ko bula apni gaand mara madarchod agar vaapis meri gaadi ko haath lagaya toh sach mein teri gaadi ko thok doonga chalane layak nahi rahegi maa chod ke tere haath mein de doonga bhenchod.'

he got into his auto and drove off.

Domesticated Bachelor said...

*HUGS* am happy to know that you are alright!!!! *HUGS*

esvee said...

hi,

thank god you are fine....Try to be a little more alert when you are driving.....take care...

Anonymous said...

Take care when driving in Dubai & Sharjah.
(Ain't the Dxb police right when they say ladies are worse drivers????)

Mannu

Rahul said...

sonia,
i've been kinda running around. really sorry to miss some huge posts. iam not good at consoling, but i do a good job of hoping that things will work out. trust me, my friend, they will...
But, the only thing you gotta make sure of is your physical well being. what is this, like the third post in a month abot rash driving??? hellooo...you need to sit back and collect yourself!

AB said...

Hi just read your post today. And I must say that you are lucky. But it's ok. It's over. Hugs.

Abhi said...

I hope you are not suffering from any post accident blues now.Sometimes I feel lucky my dad refuses to give me a car.Take care.

Anonymous said...

take care, gal!

Jay said...

Now you see, if you were Chinese, you'd have gone straight from the scene of the accident to the betting shop and picked out some lottery numbers.

We take everything as a sign that God wants us to be rich.

Sonia said...

zombie: joe is fine! we're both ok. :o)

nish: LOL! but u know, that kinda stuff happens ONLY in India. can't even imagine saying stuff like that! :o) bet u had fun! i MISS that place SO damn much!

joker: thanx yar! *hugs*

rahul: i have. i sat back, thought, collected, and decided. i'll be more careful. i don't want anything to happen to Joe.

ab: i hope so! thank you.

esvee: i will i will.

mannu: at least us women are still alive and well. the guys i know who got into accidents are still in the ICU.

jughead: nope, i've had more pressing matters to worry about. so no "post-accident" blues. just thankful for everything turning out ok.

harry: i'm trying.

Jay: ah Jay! wish i was chinese! i'd have known then, and i'd probably be rich now!

phatichar said...

Important thing is that you're not hurt. :) Take care, girl.

ps: ...the asterix??

death said...

oh hi there