In 2007 I lost both my parents in a
tragic car accident.
I
was around the age of 10 then and even though it happened such a long time ago,
I can remember every single detail like it were yesterday. I guess witnessing
your own parents’ death can do that to a person.
It
was on a Sunday night and we were on our way home from one of my mother’s
cousins Zulu wedding. Zulu weddings are my favorite. I am still hoping I marry a Zulu
guy. It had been an awesome weekend filled with laughter,
seeing old family members, dancing and singing traditional songs. It was
getting late and we had to hurry home because my parents had work the following
day and we had school. We did not have a car of our own then so we were going
to get a ride from my uncle’s car. My mother’s
brother. My uncle’s car was one of those old, small Nissan bakkies (Nissan
B140). There were quite a lot of us, my uncle that I mentioned as the
driver, his wife (my aunt in-law), my mother’s younger sister (my aunt) and her
two children (1 and 7 years old), both my parents, my sister (14), me (10) and my
little brother, Junior (1). 10 people in total.
We
all got into the car as we said our goodbyes and how we would call as soon as
we got home. Little did we know that some of us were not going to make it home.
My uncle and his wife sat in front with the two 1 year olds. I don't remember
the ride being very long. It literally felt like we had only left the house where the
wedding was a minute ago.
I
did not really see how the accident happened or what caused it. I was at the back
of the bakkie facing the opposite direction. I do however remember being
the only one that was uninjured, the only injury I seemed to
have sustained was a bite on my lip.
"Umtwanami"
meaning, my child. I vividly remember my aunt’s
distinctive voice shouting out “umtwanami” after the collision.
Accidents
happen so fast. One minute we are all laughing and chatting and the next, one of us
is lying in a pool of blood. Our eyes open but
not moving. I knew there and then that my father was gone. See, I
watch a lot of movies and it always fascinated
me when someone dies with their eyes open and
someone comes and closes them. I always said that I would totally do that but this was not a movie. This was
real life and I simply could not do it. Not to my own
father.
People say that couples that really love each other will die
together. I guess my parents really loved each other. So much that
neither one of them could imagine living life without the other.
My
mother, who I last saw sitting on the tailgate of the van
next to my father, was now lying across the road in the on-coming traffic lane. I remember
everything that had happened before. From the clothes she was
wearing to the last words I said to her. I had just said something really silly. I wish I
had said something more meaningful like I love you.
My
sister was surrounded by a bunch of strangers who were trying to
wake her up. She eventually woke up. Screaming, crying and confused. We all were. My little brother, who when
we left was on the front seat with my aunt in-law, somehow
managed to fly out of the window and get his left leg trapped
under. I remember trying to pull him out. I also
remember how calm he was. How he wasn't even crying as if the whole weight of the car was not
on his leg. I also remember that night being the longest night of my life. If I had
to relive that day I would change so many things about it. Let us learn to cherish every single moment we get with our loved ones because you do not know how long you have with them.
Here:theGirlDoinGreatThingz 👑
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