AN ACCIDENTAL MIRACLE MEANT TO BE
by jetsmedina@yahoo.com



It was a beautiful sunny day. I was driving. Red light. I stopped. One car ahead of me. Out of nowhere, a red pick-up truck crashed behind my van! I was thrown back and forth my seat. The backrest collapsed upon my body's impact! I was laid barely conscious, trying to figure out what had happened...

Thursday afternoon, April 25, 2002. It was Paolo's birthday, my 11 year-old nephew back home in the Philippines. I miss him so much. I thought I'd celebrate with my two nephews here in Miami; Marc, a 7 year-old 1st grader A-student, and Andrew, a 4-year-old husky house wrecker. But Marc had to go to school that day. So it was just Andrew and myself in the morning until Marc can join us later when I pick him up from school at 3 in the afternoon.

Andrew and I went to Haulover Beach Park in Miami Beach by the Atlantic Ocean. We had a great time chasing pigeons, playing with the waves, drawing on the white sands, watching colorful kites flew, while people and pelicans were fishing altogether. We lost track of time. I had to rush him home for a late lunch.

At 2:35 p.m. I had to buy a carrot cake at the Cake Factory and some bags of garden soil at K-Mart. My sister, Elinor, the boys' mom, thought maybe I should wait to pick up Marc first so I could bring him along with me to the stores. But I thought otherwise since it was still a little early; I could buy the stuff first and come back a little later for Marc and Andrew again. And so I went...

I thought I'd go for the cake first but saw the traffic too slow passing school zone hours (at 15 mph, I didn't want to follow a 'Procession'!). So I decided to turn around a couple of blocks for a longer but much faster route. But, hey, K-Mart was already on the way. So I stopped by to get 7 bags of garden soil first instead. I stacked them behind the van.
I drove out along US-1 Boulevard by the Biscayne Bay. Turned on the radio. Sang along an unfamiliar tune so I had to do it in French, German, even Tazmanian (remember Looney Tune's little devil?)! As soon as I got to the next intersection, at around 3 pm. BANG!! Bang!
Silence...

In a split of a second, I found myself lying flat on my back staring at the van's ceiling. Nothing on mind. My body was trembling. For a moment I could not connect what had been going on from the time I stopped singing along. I knew the radio was still on but the numbing silence continued in my mind...

And then I heard someone knocking on my window, "Hey, hey, are you OK?". My arm was shaking; my hand reached out to unlock the door. The guy immediately opened the door. "Are you OK? Are you hurt?". I heard what he said but I could hardly understand what he was talking about. I uttered a word, "Yeah?". But I didn't know neither what that meant.
I could hear the bustling of people beginning to gather outside. Another guy came to see me, and another; asking how I was. I tried to get up but I couldn't. "OK," someone said, "don't move, just lie down and relax, 911 is on it's way."

That moment I began to come to my senses that I was in an accident. What happened? I tried to figure out myself. I tried to remember but there was nothing in front of me then that would tell me something wrong was about to happen. Everything seemed to be perfect; a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Behind me. Oh yes, something hit me from the back! Oh no, the van. Who else was hurt? Am I OK? Oh God why does this have to happen? Why me? Why now? Why?

I was dizzy. My mind so confused. I could not understand. I got tired thinking and went quiet for a moment... I hardly could move my body; I turned my head barely towards the passenger seat in front. I could imagine Andrew was just seating there before I left him back home. And Marc, he could have been seating here now had I picked him up from school earlier.

I gasped for air. I thought a tear fell from my eye. That moment I had my answer...and more.

The paramedics brought me to Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Brace around my neck. My whole body steadily strapped on a long wooden board. X-rays. Tests. Some prescription for muscle relaxant and pain were given to me. I didn't have to stay longer after I was examined. I came out of the hospital without a scratch!

That accident could not have happened in a much better time I reckon... Around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the hour of great mercy... And without my two beautiful nephews... And with 7 bags of garden soil behind me (instead of a carrot cake!) cushioning what could have been a more serious or even fatal impact! Everything seemed to have been planned.

Perhaps 'Some Guys' from above flew down and embraced my two little todds with their wings. And perhaps, too, 'Somebody' was seating beside me all along holding me, whispering in my soul...

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon indeed, afterall; an ACCIDENTal MIRACLE...meant to be.