My brush with death

The day was 6 December 2012. I had planned to travel from Bulawayo to Harare and back on the same day, a distance of roughly 880 kilometres. In my mind, it was like any other journey I had embarked on before. Little did I know that it would be the closest dance I would have with death thus far. I will not spend much time describing the accident (because I actually don't have a first hand account of what really transpired and I will explain why). Rather, i will devote more time to sharing some thoughts that were shaped by that experience.

The journey

I was not driving at the time and public transport would have delayed me so I opted to "hike". The leg of the journey to Harare was according to plan and I arrived on time and managed to do the business of the day. Judging by the time I left Harare on my way back, I had estimated that I would have arrived in Bulawayo between 2100hrs and 2200hrs. I remember calling my wife when I was now in Gweru to let her know that I would be home in about one and a half hours. Little did I know that I would not make it home that night.

The accident

When I was leaving Gweru, I remember being frustrated at how slow the driver was driving. The journey had worn me out and before long, I was fast asleep. The next thing I remember was waking up in excruciating pain with people gathered around trying to pull the four people who were in the car out of the wreckage. I neither heard nor felt the impact when the accident happened. All I saw was that the car was now crossing the road and it appeared to have hit the trailer of a mini bus. Other than hearing witnesses at the accident scene saying that it could have been a head on collision, I never got to know what really transpired. We were in too much pain to discuss the accident with my fellow occupants of the car when we were ferried to a hospital in Gweru and I never saw them again when I was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Bulawayo the following day. So yeah, I survived with some bruises on my face and a fractured left hip. In my heart, I knew if it had been a head on collision, that would have been the end.

The aftermath

1. I look back to this day and think, I could have died, just like that! It could have been game over. The lesson I learnt is that although we sometimes want to assure ourselves that we are still around for the long haul, death can stop us right in our tracks. There are no conditions conducive for one to die. I have heard of so many painful stories of unexpected deaths (and I have also watched the TV series 1000 Ways to Die). The bottom line is that it can be anyone, anytime. What one chooses to do with this sobering reality that we are one breath away from death is up to each of us.

2. At the time of the accident, I had been married for only seven months and had been qualified as a chartered accountant for nine months. One could rightfully say that the best of my days were just beginning and here I was, dying! There are times when we think we are living our best days or our best days are yet to come and we cannot imagine ourselves being candidates for death. I have heard of people dying on the way to their wedding or honeymoon, or soon after a breakthrough in business or other areas of life. I have also seen academic qualifications being awarded posthumously. So yeah, death can strike in the most painful of ways and there is no convenient time to die, whether one has big plans or no plan at all.

3. What if the accident had left me with a spinal injury and I was wheel chair bound for life? Would my wife have stuck with me? Not that she would not (anyway, I have never asked her) but it is in such circumstances that one realises that till death do us part is not an easy commitment. My wife aside, I have heard about people who suffered spinal injuries due to accidents and became permanently disabled. Another reality of life is that it is capable of changing. One moment you are able bodied and the next you are not able to do the things that you used to do. I dread to imagine it but the fact that it happens to others, it can happen to anyone.

4. Since the day of the accident, each time I am on the road or be it flying, the thought that "what if an accident happens" always creeps into my mind and it freaks me out. Statistics say 1.35 million people die of road accidents worldwide annually which translates to 3,700 everyday. I always argue with friends who love speeding that regardless of how good a driver they may think they are, there are many variables on the road that are beyond one's control. If you are speeding and the tyre bursts, the most likely outcome is not pretty. Speeding also makes it difficult to react to reckless behaviour of other drivers on the road. As much as not all accidents are caused by over speeding, a great deal could be averted if people would deal with what is within their control, the main factor being speed. Oh, and I also now hate travelling at night.

5. Had I died that day, what would have been my legacy? What would I have been remembered for? If people would have chosen to be truthful, what kind of speeches would they have given at my graveside? Whether we are deliberate about it or not, our daily actions and interactions affect others either positively or negatively. One might rightfully argue that they do not live their lives to please other people, but is it not fulfilling to know that when our story is told long after we are gone, it may be said that we made an impact that mattered in someone's life?