"I Like the Wargo"

Three weeks ago, after picking Nyah up from her first music lesson, there was an incident.  We'd briefly stopped at the health food store to get a few items and we were travelling our usual route home.  We were listening to the usual tunes in the car (primarily EFY) and all was well.  The children were munching away on their healthy snack.  We were about 800 metres from our home, right outside our doctor's surgery and Café Del Mar.  We were stationary.  I had my indicator on to signal a right hand turn into a side street once the oncoming traffic had passed.  We were not there long when a deafening smash and a jolt from behind awoke us to a spot of panic.  I was actually calm.  I turned around to see if the children were all accounted for.  They were.  Levi was quiet, but he had not long woken up from a small nap.  Tori seemed fine and there was a little whimper coming from Amon.  Nyah was her usual loud, dramatic self so I knew she was ok.  In a flash, people from the café and our doctors from the surgery came running to our aid.  Strangers were pulling my children from the car.  I sat there politely thanking them.  Over all this bustle the CD in the car continued and I heard the most beautiful words "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me".  It was no mistake that that song came on just when it did.  It reminded me once again that we are in His safe hands.

I had never been in a car smash before.  I wasn't quite sure what I was meant to do.  A lovely Yarra Trams staff member came to the driver's side of the vehicle and said through my open window "are you ok?  You're going to need to get out of the car as the other car has it's battery and wires all exposed with a liquid running out of it".  I asked if I could just sit for a moment and call my husband.  I did that and exited the car.

Nyah was in the care of a lady who was out the front of the café having her Friday afternoon cap.  She was shaking with shock and still crying.  Levi was sitting with some other lady and so too was Tori.  A waitress from the café had Amon in her arms.  After changing Tori's pants (because in the smash she had actually wet herself) and making sure my children were all comfortable,  I was concerned for the driver of the other vehicle.  She was clearly in shock and quite concerned about the welfare of her young grandson who was her passenger.  The accident was as bewildering to the other driver as it was to us because she had turned over her left shoulder to check behind for the street sign and just didn't see that I was stopped.  We heard no brakes, screeches from her car or anything.  Just a thunderous noise on impact.

Levi was not a happy camper.  Tori was beside
herself.  Did get a picture of her screaming with
the vein in her neck bulging. 

It was to be an exciting moment for any little boy.  First came the fire truck with real life firemen.  Then came the paramedics followed shortly after by the police.  One on a motorbike and another two in a car.  This all happened at the end of the tramline too so the amount of different transportation in the one place, all with their flashing lights and sirens were thrilling for Levi - at first.

Poor Nyah has a major fear of doctors.  She had a negative experience when she was two years old and she will not forget it.  Of course, her fears sometimes rub off onto her younger siblings exacerbating all apprehension they ever had of going inside the ambulance to get checked out.  So the ride home from the scene (the whole 800m), was not nearly exciting as it could have been.

Children and mother were all accounted for.  No one received any serious injuries.  The really exciting thing for the children was that we got to test out a Toyota Tarago (people mover) while we looked for a new car to buy (given that the Territory was a total write off).  Tori jumped in the 'Wargo' like she owned it, exclaiming "I like the Wargo mummy".  We all like the 'Wargo'.  So after much deliberation and inwardly fighting off the dreaded label of becoming a 'van mum', we are "investing" in a Toyota Tarago.  I am in love with the van.  I take back anything I ever said about vans and the 'type' of people who drive them.  I am now the proud driver of a people mover and no I'm not planning on filling all the seats with my own children as my husband suggested.  We are done, dusted, finished.  Doors are closed.  Happy that the new 'Wargo' has self opening/closing doors with the push of a button.  Heaven.

This is Nyah with the gorgeous paramedic.  This was about as close to the ambulance that she would get. 
She refused to ride home in it, instead going with daddy in the rental car he had for the day.