Nothing But Love :: golf blogger

Braking His Heart

[Note to Readers: Do NOT try this at home. This should not be construed to be instructional in any way, but a simple recital of a true story based on the sworn testimony of three people.]

So, on this particular Thursday afternoon, after his wife had been bugging him for about two weeks that her brakes were pulsating and she was afraid that there was something wrong, Ray picked up new rotors and brake pads for the front wheels to replace the brakes on the front. He'd had a rough day at work and didn't want to hear any more complaints about the brakes. He parked his Econoline van in the usual place at the end of the driveway over on the right edge of the drive as far as he could go. He backed his daughter's car straight out of the garage on the right side of the driveway just ahead of his truck.

He got into his wife's car and backed it up down the left side of the drive and pulled forward and to the right into the garage so that it was parked at an angle so there was room to change the brake on the left front without a problem. He replaced the brakes and needed to test drive the car. His wife came out to tell him that she was starting dinner, and he replied that he wanted to finish what he started and was going to test drive the car. His wife said that she would do it because he was filthy and would get her car all greasy and dirty. He acceeded to her demand. He had already picked up all his tools and put them in a plastic bucket. Ray walked down the drive toward his van.

His wife got in the car and turned the ignition key to start the car. She buckled her seatbelt. She depressed the brake pedal, which went all the way to the floor. She put the transmission in "reverse," and the car started to move backwards. She pushed harder on the brake pedal, which was already against the floorboard. She steered the car so it would stay on the driveway. She noticed a car coming down the street to her right. She was very afraid she was going to run into the street and hit the car, but felt there was nothing she could do but push harder on the brake pedal, which she did. She continued to roll down the driveway. She didn't see anything in the rear view mirror. She was afraid that she was going to go across the street and up the driveway of the house across the street and smash into the house; so, she turned a little, veering to her right as she was backing up, bumped down over the curb, rolled across the street, and up onto the neighbor's lawn, finally being stopped by a fencepost.

She looked across the street and saw Ray laying on the apron of the driveway, partly in the street, motionless and wondered what had happened to him.

Ray had a somewhat different perspective. He was walking close to his truck, reaching the rear end of the truck when he felt something slam into the back of his legs, turned to look, saw it was the car, tried to put his arm on the trunk and jump on, but the car sucked him under.

The right rear wheel rolled over his chest. He was under the car and being squeezed as he twisted and rolled underneath the car. The front wheel rolled over his chest nearer to his neck. Then he was looking at the sky, laying there, unable to take a breath. He tried to move his left arm, which was pinned under him, but could not move it. He tried to move his right arm, but couldn't. He figured both arms were broke or his back was broken. He tried to move his right leg, and it moved. He figured his spine was okay, but he still couldn't breathe. He looked up and saw his daughter's face. She was yelling something to him. He tried to focus. "Breathe, Dad! Breathe, goddammit, breathe!" He tried and could only take very shallow breaths. She continued urging him to breathe. He figured he was going to die in the street there, having been run over by his wife.

Posted by Bill at November 18, 2004 10:17 PM