It’s funny how fast life can change. Last Friday I couldn’t wait to get out of the house and get on date night. The kids were driving me crazy, I feel like all I’ve been doing lately is cleaning up one eternal mess that I can’t get ahead of, no matter how much food I buy it always seems to be gone, and everyone has been sort of grouchy last little bit. Needless to say, I needed this date night.
Travis and I had meant to leave a few hours before but could not get out any earlier. We debated several restaurants in at the last minute decided to change to a restaurant across town that we knew had mediocre food, yet for some reason we decided to go.
On our way home I was calling Maddix to let him know we would be home soon. Moments later I could hear Travis yelling and in a split second I saw the blur of a man’s car as he crashed into the side of our truck. We had the green arrow and the green light, but this man had his pedal to the floor and no thoughts of stopping.
Truly, it was like a movie. I remembered a few things clearly. The crunch noise. The airbags. My glasses flying off. And Travis’s sunglasses flying free, as I tried to catch them… all this registered in a split second. But the most vivid and important detail I remember was travis correcting the wheel to the right just before this man smashed into our truck.
Before I even knew if Travis was alright, words came out of his mouth that I’m already working on blocking out! And his rage nearly had him tearing his stuck door off the truck so he could give that man a word.. or two. Lucky for that man Travis couldn’t get out until I did. And I wasn’t budging until he showed me the left side of his body so I could see if he was bleeding/broken/ scratched/anything! Then we stumbled out the truck, dizzier than expected.
Also lucky got the other driver, he was unconscious when Travis got there and he instantly went from angry to Doctor mode. He and another responder attended to the driver while others pulled over and offered assistance. One driver even ran over with an extinguisher to help put out the smoking engine and Travis and the other guys had been debating whether or not to pull him out of his car. The driver has also spun from us into another car and she and her kids were now sitting in the bushes.
I went through many feelings as I stood there calling Susan to run to my home and be with the kids. And another friend to come get us in a bit. My adrenaline was making me shake so much that the paramedics kept asking me if I was okay.
Eventually ehe other driver came too and began marching up and down the road, staggering into the bushes, and cursing and screaming at everyone; I was glad the police were present he was in a scary state.
As we finished up, the police officers was putting my info in the computer and as he recorded my address, he looked at me and said, “now I know where I know you from, do you remember me showing up at your door at 2:00am a few months back because your garage door was open?” I laughed he has been an Angel to our family.
As the days set in the soreness settled in. My whole right side was pretty sore from hitting the car door (my airbag never deployed). Travis had burns on his face, from his shoulder to his forearm, a couple burn/bruises on his stomach, and a swollen knee but worse, this concussion that has progressively made him feel worse as the days have gone on.
I never cried, but I was having anxiety driving. Then we went to the tow yard to collect our things from the truck and release it over to insurance company and the water worked began! I couldn’t stop crying! Just thinking about the adventures we’ve had in the truck, and all it’s done for us (including saving our lives!) just got to me! Like losing a camber member of sorts. And seeing the other drivers car got to me too. How he walked away from the accident, is a miracle. And surely God didn’t save him so he could continue to do what he’s been doing. He was found to be high on meth when he hit us. He had meth in the car. He had a suspended license. No insurance. And several felonies. I’ve thought about him. And just wondered…
I’m so thankful to God for bringing us home to our babies. Because what started as a night where I had to get out of the house, ended with me just wanting to get home and hold them all in my arms! And I know… I know that God’s prompting and Travis’s quick skills to correct the truck and turn it right saved his life. That guys would have smacked right into Travis. But he didn’t.
And for that I am eternally grateful.
