It Wasn’t Our Time

We got rear-ended this morning.

I picked Ricci up at her house (a little late since Mary had called and asked me to find a bottle of pills for her that Norma C. needed) and she quizzed me on our study guide since we’d be having our final today. Mayra called us and said she’d seen us leaving Ricci’s street. She was going to stop by Whataburger because she was craving a biscuit, so she’d see us at school.

When we get to the 10th street exit, Ricci asked me, “What does Partitioning mean?”, when the world around us seemed to start whizzing by. I see a red F150 getting closer and closer so I started to brake. I braked so hard I smelled rubber burning. I was seriously about an inch away from the truck’s bumper. Another red truck came out of nowhere and went straight across nearly hitting the concrete barrier. Then I see the white truck and white car that had crashed. Ricci and I looked at eachother, eyes bulging out, breathed a sigh of relief and BAM! We got hit.

I groan and fear the worst. The impact was so hard I was certain my bumper was on the road or totally smashed in. I get around the car and the woman who hit me says, “I’m so sorry, Miss. I tried braking, I really did, but everyone stopped so fast…”

I assess the damage: 3 scratches, that’s it. We already had another 3 scratches about an inch away, so I thought we’d leave it at that. Why make a report for just three scratches? After all, a few days after we’d first gotten the Sentra a guy rear-ended us (Mary was driving) and nothing happened to the bumper so Mary didn’t file a report.

The lady asks if I’m sure we’re okay, and I feel fine so I say yes. We get into our cars. I whisper to Ricci, as if the lady can hear us, “Get her license plate number; just in case.”

I couldn’t stop shaking. Ricci was having a hard time breathing because she was that scared. My foot wouldn’t stop bobbing up and down on the gas pedal. It was the weirdest feeling. All of a sudden I felt this warm, achy sensation wash over my back and then the throbbing started. I ask Ricci how she feels and she says her back hurts. I reply, “Mine too.”

A few feet later we see another car accident. And then another; there was glass everywhere. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Mayra calls us and asks if we’re okay, if we’re stuck in traffic. I say yes, that we’d just been hit. We decide to hang up since traffic’s moving at a snail’s pace and our exit to school was nearing.

When we’re at school, we tell the teacher about why we’re late (20 minutes), and relay the details to Mayra when she gets there. She said, “Everything happens for a reason. I never go to Whataburger. Imagine if I hadn’t?”

If she hadn’t, she would have been in the midst of the accidents, maybe even gotten hit much worse that we did. As she says this, I think about how I was later than usual picking Ricci up since I had to look for the pills. I tell them about this and about how much worse the accident could have been and Mayra says, “It just wasn’t our time.”

How right she is.

It may be corny that I got all worked up and started thinking about how lucky I am to be alive, but it’s just a fact that we were indeed lucky. Had we left at the regular time it could have been us in the horrible accidents. Us with glass shattered all over the road.

I’ve felt terrible all day. A Tylenol and 2 Asprins later and NOTHING. I feel worse than I did this morning. I stopped with Mario to see him really quick and leave him some nachos I’d bought him after school and then went to drop the pills off with Mary. She checked the car and said it looked fine, but if I still felt bad tomorrow I should call the police and give them the lady’s license to get ahold of her. I feel bad about this, as the lady would have probably willingly filed a report if I’d asked to. I’m so dumb .

On a brighter note, I probably aced my final and I have 5 extra points so that’s pretty cool. We played a game yesterday in class and I was appointed captain of one of the teams, so I got to choose who was in my team. I picked Lucy first (who isn’t really talking to me again. I don’t know why .) and then Joey, the other captain, picked Ricci. The look on her face. She half-jokingly called me a traitor all day . My team ended up winning (like, duh ) so we got the 5 bonus points for our final. She kept saying things like, “I have to study extra hard because I don’t have 5 extra points!” She will never let me live it down.

I’m going to bed, I guess. My back is throbbing. It hurts where I got the epidural with Jaylen. I hope I can sleep well. Our bed is so soft it kind of caves in in the middle. I feel sore even when I’m not getting into car accidents–I can imagine how I’m going to feel now. One thing’s for sure though: I’m NOT missing Harry Potter!

on Sunday, November 20th, Jessica said:

So glad you’re okay! *hugs* How’s school? Ready for Thanksgiving?

on Sunday, November 20th, candyv@gmail.com“>Candy said:

wow.. how ironic this is.. I’m so glad you’re okay! 🙂 I’d be so mad if something was to happen to you! i say it’s ironic because I got into a car accident too. My car is absolutely in pieces. It sucks so bad. My body is killing me. but I’m still alive.. I guess it wasn’t my time tto go either. Somebody up there wanted me to live. I’m just looking forward to the future. You should too and everything will be okay 🙂 Email me sometime. I miss you!

on Sunday, November 20th, Johanna Rios said:

Awww:( That is what makes me terrified of driving on my own! I hope you feel better.

on Saturday, November 19th, Lauren said:

omg hunni i am so glad you are ok and there is minimal damage to your car!!!!!

on Saturday, November 19th, Diana said:

I’ve had a small accident like that and one not so small, but the crash is always so hard, it is amazing how sometimes it’s nothing when you see the car. Imagine what the big crashes must be like, for the people inside the cars! :gasp:

on Friday, November 18th, Rachel said:

I’m SO glad you’re ok.

on Friday, November 18th, Erin said:

I am so glad that you are alright, sweetie! I really hope your back feels better. That can happen. I remember once when I was really little, we got *tapped* and then afterwards my mom had neck pains. And LOL! Harry Potter!

on Friday, November 18th, kitty said:

:gasp: my goodness!! glad to know you guys are alright! I so dread the highways and freeways, coz you’ll never never know what’s going to happen next. my pelvis hurts, too sometimes because of the stinkin’ epidural I got. the side effects gah.. 🙁 HARRY POTTER!!! HARRY POTTER!!!! weeee