The day before yesterday ...

[A link to the previous entry: a simple example however unrelated to the one alluded to, yet unveiled, in that entry.]

The day before yesterday I boarded a bus which was to take me on a pleasure trip to a picturesque beach in the coast of the Ionian Sea. Some fifty kilometers west of Ioannina the bus had an accident. It was an accident for which I still don't have an explanation. It was just past 4pm, the bus was riding along a straight two-laned motorway, the visibility was perfect, and yet the bus crashed violently with the rear of a big truck which, apparently, was either stopped on the right lane of the motorway or was driving at exceedingly low speed. I was half asleep when it happened. The screech of brakes woke me up fast and in no time I saw from my second row seat the rear of the truck approaching fast against the bus front window, as a wall. Instinctively, I huddled my body placing my hands on the seat before me and waited for the impact. The brief instant was long enough to clearly think this was the end of me.

It was a miracle nobody was seriously injured. A colleague in the front row was thrown out of his seat through the windshield. Many hit painfully their heads and bodies against the seats, or twisted their legs and feet awkwardly. I got up fast in one piece and looked down at the bus driver fearing the worst. He was trapped by the frontal structure of the bus which had collapsed and was under intense pain. He seemed to be alive.

Outside in the motorway lay-by the scene was a mess. People started making phone calls and attending the injured. I was shocked yet calm. My mind instructed me to move away from the group of people and I headed away from the bus. I didn't dare to see what the state of the driver was, I was still impressed from my passing vision as I moved to exit the bus. The minutes went by slowly. A guy from Taiwan I hadn't yet noticed at the meeting approached and sat at my side. We remained silent for a while until we introduced ourselves unable to make small talk. I may have looked worried as some people came to ask how I felt. The truth is that I was very worried for the driver, mad at the situation, thinking how much worse it could have been had the bus slid sideways across the road after a collision at such high speed.

After what seemed a very long time two policemen finally arrived, followed by the firemen and a few ambulances. Some relatives of the driver also showed up, soon after which he was released from his trap. One of his legs was broken and he seemed to have some internal injuries. However, I was told that his life seemed not to be at risk.

Boarding another bus we headed back for the hotel, retracing our steps.