The Time Has Come...

I knew it was highly likely that at some point while living here my vehicle would collide with a person(s)...not just the usual car, rickshaw or pole. And it indeed happened.

Saturday as I was driving to grocery store #2 (I usually cannot find everything on my list at one store) I had my blinker on signaling a right turn into the parking lot. 3 guys on a motorcycle passed me on the right side, ran into my car, kept going and tipped over, skidding onto the asphalt. My heart sank as I covered my mouth with my hands in shock. They all got up thankfully, and now began the crowd of onlookers gathering around to try to decide who was at fault. In Bangalore you don't call the police when there's an accident, (you just keep going if it's minor or let the crowd decide who's at fault if it's major) especially when you are riding illegally on a motorcycle (3 or more is illegal) or a white foreigner who doesn't know the laws of the land. So the self-appointed judge of the group (he spoke english) declared me not at fault but asked me to bring the guy who was scraped and bleeding to the hospital. I drove him to the nearest clinic as he began to cry and hold his arm. I started to get those same feelings that I had when Corban was lying on the ground crying with a broken arm. It hurts to see someone in pain. I put my hand on his shoulder as I drove to try to give some kind of comfort--we didn't speak the same language. I stayed at the clinic until he was treated and stitched. He had scraps on his forarm, ankle and little toe. I was then handed the bill.

I had already decided i was going to pay for him, which is why i stuck around, but i thought it was humorous that everyone else assumed i was paying for him too. Thankfully it was only $20. Meanwhile i had left the kids with the housekeeper to go shopping and had now been gone about 2 hours. I had bought them saturday morning breakfast (muffins) at the store so it was now noon and they still had not eaten breakfast!! Sounds like my last emergency experience. But my housekeeper was gracious and so was the Lord...no one died!! My biggest prayer while driving here..."Please Lord, help me not to kill any person or cow." Thank you Lord!!