Picture the scene. It’s a lovely sunny day. We’re both off work, have sorted out a few messages in town and are now just kind of sitting about. Both in our own wee worlds, both falling down the social media rabbit hole.
For some unknown reason I decided I’d clean out our car. My heart wasn’t really in it, but I persuaded myself not to be lazy and got stuck in.
The car was parked in our driveway and I had the vacuum cleaner out as I tried, somewhat in vain, to suck up the muck, small stones and copious amounts of sand from the floor and seats.
I had all the doors open, Billy Joel blasting, vacuum on, and was working on the drivers side, when I heard a shout closely followed by a slight bump on the car. I thought hubby was trying to get my attention and had banged the roof or shut one of the doors.
Startled, I jumped up from my bent over position and was faced with the front of a 4x4 touching the open back door of our car, right behind me. A tall man had clearly just jumped out of the vehicle and was holding his chest in what looked like a mix of terror and relief. A neighbour ran across the cul de sac, looking distressed and asking if everyone was ok.
I stood there trying to comprehend what was going on and as I took it all in, it became increasingly apparent that I had narrowly missed being quashed by a 4x4!
The owner had been dropping something off to one of our neighbours when the vehicle began to roll from the neighbour’s drive down the slight slope and into ours. The neighbour saw it happening and ran out, shouting. At this point the man saw what was happening too and raced after the 4x4, managing to jump into it and get it stopped just as it reached our car.
It turned out that while I was cleaning our car and singing along to Billy Joel, I was about to be squished. As my husband eloquently put it; “F*ck me, if he hadn’t got that stopped, you’d have been tatey bread!” He’s not wrong. I was bent half in, half out of the front of our car, which was parked within 30cm of our house at front and left.
Is it possible that Billy Joel saved my life for a second time?? Had I not had the music blasting, I might have heard the commotion quicker and reacted in a way that would’ve brought about my downfall. I can’t help but wonder if I’d instinctively have put my arms out to futilely try to stop a 4x4……. Who knows? Thankfully not us!
If it had been filmed I’d be on the news tonight and likely be a TikTok legend! I’m very grateful to the man’s quick reaction and feel a bit sorry for him because he was clearly as shaken up as me.
On the bright side, because there always is one, my Final Destination moment resulted in no injury or vehicle damage. The only evidence it even happened are the thumping hearts of everyone present, the headache I suspect I’ll be nursing all day, and the tyre mark on our lawn.
It seems my title of Luckiest Unlucky Girl in the World remains unchallenged!
Still cheating death.
Never mind living with cancer…….living in this crazy world seems to be quite challenging enough!
And relax xx
