In other blogs I have related, I believe, how my Mother was left a widow when she was in her early 50's. She had never learned to drive. As I believe I have mentioned in many of the other blogs that we did a lot of walking, driving at the time was not a key issue. In fact Dad didn't drive all that much either. The car was usually at home during the day, as he rode the bus to work. So . . . when Mom was left alone, she did need to learn to drive.
It wasn't until she had married 'Slim' that she took advantage of a car. He had the car all tuned up for her, and I was willing, or should I say, I took on the project of helping her to learn to drive. We had gone out any number of times. She was doing so well, and was just about to take her test when, on one day we were doing her last driving lesson. Little did either of us know just how that day would end up.
I decided to take her out on some narrow streets so learn how to execute left hand turns. She was not the least bit nervous, but anxious to get this under her belt. She had to finish practicing her parking as well, and this was a perfect time to do that as well. We were in South Gate, as I recall.
I said: "make a left at the next side street". As she did, the car jerked forward at an excellerated speed and before she could get the wheels straight we jumped the curb, missed a tree, shot across the lawn of a house and slammed into the steps of a house which sent us airborne. The car fortunately was high enough in the air that it landed on top a picket fence. The motor was still churning at a high speed. Fortunately the car could not go any further with the front wheel suspended in air the back wheels I believe were stopped by the steps we had hit.
Mother had been slammed into the arm rest of the door. I had been thrown across the car and hit the steering wheel with quite a hard stop. (This was years before 'seat belts' mind you!) I was finally able to reach and turn off the ignition. I don't remember now just how we got out of the elevated car. I am not, at this writting, sure who came and got us, or how we were taken care of. I know that Mom was x-rayed and her injuries evaluated. I got her home and into bed then I went to pick up Jay at work. He had let me have the car to go to Moms' that day. My car had been left in the driveway on Belgrave Avenue.
I had been on the move for some time, so was not really aware that I was hurt, except that my upper left arm hurt. It was bruised badly, but I knew it was not broken. When I walked into the shop where Jay was working, he took one look at me, realized there was something wrong, and got to me just as I began to sink to the ground. I guess the relief at seeing him, I just let go. He took me directly to the Dr. and we were told that I had sustained some pretty serious internal injuries and should go to the Hospital. I was serious about not doing such a thing, knowing if Mom thought she had hurt me worse than she was, she would never finish her driving. It was a big chance I was taking, according to my Dr., but I would not allow them to take me to the Hospital.
Mom had 9 of her 13 ribes broken and some other injuries that kept her down for some time. My left lung had been bruised and my spleen was damaged. They said it was the blood filter that was most necessary prior to birth, but of little use, to medical knowledge, after birth. It was serious because if it ruputred, due to damage, one could bleed to death before proper surgical help could stop the flow of blood. There is much more to this story, but it would not add to the story by going into it, suffice it to say, that though the spleen became very enlarged, it opened and drained some time later, and all ended quite well. (I need to insert here, that the Elders had administered to me - which I am certain had a great deal to do with the outcome.)
Jay took me back and forth to visit Mom, she never guess that I was not feeling well. We just let her believe I was stiff and sore from the bump I had taken. She took quite a long time to get over her injuries, but did finish her driving, got her licence and drove until she was 83 years old. Even making a number of trips from her home in Huntington Park to Santa Cruz to visit with Aunt Ila. Each trip, she came and went by herself, and took Ila many places while she was there. She was quite a gal. (Both Mom and Aunt Ila - who incidentally lived to be 100 years old.)
About the car - we learned when they had given the car a going over before Mom started her driving lessons - it was a red Mercury - there had been a problem with the carburator - something had become stuck in it, that was what made it excellerate as Mom made that left hand turn. She did not do anything wrong. It was a malfunction. We were greatful for two things. One - the people who had been sitting on the porch just a few minutes before we came charging at it - had left to go inside. Two - the picket fence was there - without it, we have no idea what might have happened with the car moving at the speed it was. Greatful were we, that we didn't hit a tree, the house, or something else solid that could have made this story a great deal different. Maybe there wouldn't have been anyone to tell it even? (It is the 'small things' which give us pause to stop and give thanks.)
Written this 6th day of January 2012
by: Eileen Rosenberg
No comments:
Post a Comment