Today, I Am In A Different Time Zone

Today, I am in a different time zone. Taking me back 13 years ago. Death winked at my family and me, but life had other plans.

A typical sunny day in a young girl’s world. Mom and grandmother told my sisters and me to get dressed. Our outing for the day included visiting nature to feed the ducks. Where our grandmother would loudly say “butt” “butt” in front of Americans. We clearly knew she was yelling “ducks” “ducks”. However, to teenagers, Arabic seemed embarrassing at the moment. Lol

A premonition was written on my heart, but the day was too beautiful to be gloomy about it.

Sitting at a red light in our mother’s white Malibu; we danced to Arabic music (making us feel close to home). Exchanging laughs until our trip was interrupted by a big bang. The Malibu managed to kiss the back of the car in front of us. Anyone that knows my mother knows that she keeps a car and a half distance between her car and the car in front of her.

 A taxi cab, license plate number H101924, ran into the back of the Malibu at 65 mph. This taxi cab carried 4 passengers. All except for the taxi cab driver and the woman passenger abandoned us. The woman did not speak English, but comprehended that we needed the ambulance as soon as possible. Yelling across the freeway, her family kept summoning for her to flee the scene. Worry in her eyes, she kept screaming, “mirame” while trying to keep my mother from fainting. The lady handed me her phone to call for help.

On September 21, 2004, the woman embedded an act of kindness into my heart. I probably won’t recognize her if I were to see her again, but a prayer was sealed for her angels to protect her for the rest of her life.