Grateful for miracles

Life has a tendency to remind you of things once in a while. This time around, it was an in-your-face reminder of how everything can be turned upside down in just a matter of seconds... I almost lost the lynch -pin of my life.

My wife is a very lucky woman. Not only did she survive a very bad frontal crash that resulted in my 1400kg SUV going airborne over the road divider, she survived landing on the bonnet of another car heading the opposite direction and got hit by one or perhaps even more cars on the side as they tried to avoid the wrecks. Aside from some cuts, bruises and a bad bump on the head, she's basically fine and was able to walk on the first day of her hospitalisation! Thank god it was a NCAP star-rated vehicle. Pity its now a total wreck. Thank you for keeping my wife safe.

It was another miracle that was that no one else was hurt. The wife had just dropped off my 2 1/2 year old daughter and maid at home. The damage to the passenger side where her child seat was was "catastrophic" (in the words of one of my colleagues). I don't think I can ever live through the loss of my only child. The driver of the car which my SUV landed on had a bruised chest caused by his airbag. The others suffered from nothing more than a scare-of-the-lives. If there were angels on duty that Tuesday, they were all looking out for us.

We owe many people. The good samaritan who somehow got my number and called me. The off-duty ambulance that just happened to be passing by and stopped for the wife (they refused to collect any fees as they were off-duty). The Police and DBKL folks that assisted in the rescue and clean-up operations. The hospital staff and crew, especially those at the ER. The consultants and specialists that looked at my wife. My colleagues, family and friends that quickly swung in to lend support and cover my work. My parents who rushed up from Singapore. And I'm sure there will be more to come.

The headaches are not over. The Police have charged my wife for careless driving. A comparatively light charge which I am grateful for. But there's still the insurance company, which hasn't been all that easy to deal with so far. They want to know why my wife lost control. The problem is that she doesn't remember a thing. The Neurologist already warned me that she may never will. If they insist, I don't know how long it will be before I can get my claim. And its clear I will not get the full value back so it will be a big hole in my wallet. One that is made more unpleasant in a year of pay cuts and low/no bonuses. My car was just six months old and the depreciation for new cars is hefty. Moreover, it took five-months for me to get the keys of the tax-exempt vehicle from the date I placed my order. A replacement will take just as long. I may be car-less in Malaysia for at least 6-months. Not a pleasant prospect. At least I have my wife to suffer this with me by my side. Thank god for that. :)

I know she still has nightmares about what happened last week. I hear them when she sleeps. The emotional scars will take time to heal. But nothing calms me more than feeling her warmth beside me and seeing her sleeping by my side even if it can be somewhat restless sleep. And I know it calms her to know that I'm by her side too. She complains of sudden vertigo and sharp pains. We were told that these are "normal", given her injuries. These will take time to heal.

Thank you to everyone for everything.