A Retrieval … and Maybe a Miracle

I’ve been posting most of my post-car-wreck accidents on Facebook.  I have made them “public,” so that everyone can see them, even folks who are not on FB. Let me know if you need a link. 

Today, I got the info from the insurance adjuster.  He pronounced the car a "total loss."  Since he was finished with my car, I planned to go out to the Broadway Wrecker lot after work to see if I could get the rest of my stuff out of the wrecked trunk of my Taurus.  I did, and it was successful. 

At first, I drove into their property and drove around the lot, looking for the Taurus.  I didn't see it there.  But, OMG! what horrific crashed vehicles I did see.  It breaks the heart.  I couldn't help but wonder, looking at some of them, if anyone had gotten out alive.  Talk about a reality check and a recalibration of my perspective!

An employee flagged me down, and directed me to their huge indoor garage/storage space.  The Taurus was in there.  In fact, the guy who immediately took me in hand was Fred. I didn't recognize him at first, but he remembered me, because he was one of the two wrecker drivers Sunday night.  He knew the Taurus and I went together.  

But that's not the miracle.  

He said the other folks – the ones who killed my car – had their vehicle towed out earlier today.  It's not quite totaled, but darn near it, according to Fred.  Turns out, the car didn't belong to the driver-dude, but to his girlfriend.  Fred thinks it's likely that she does have insurance.  That would be a good thing. 

But that's not the miracle. 

My back seats fold down, so I knew (or hoped) I could access the trunk that way.  As I crawled into the backseat to retrieve the trunk contents, I saw Fred get a screwdriver and start to remove the license plates.  [He gave them to me, BTW.  I didn't realize I "owned" the license plates.]  Then I noticed he was at the back of the car, trying to get the trunk to open from the rear to give me easier access. And that's all I thought he was doing. 

And here comes my personal little miracle. 

When Fred couldn't open the trunk, I was vaguely aware, he started prying at some of the trunk edges.  So when I crawled out of the back seat after emptying the trunk, with my knees and arms abraded by safety glass, there he stood, looking down at the thing he had placed on the floor.  Shaking his head, he said, "I can't believe this thing survived! It looks almost untouched." 

Have you guessed it yet?  

It was the bicycle carrier!  You may have seen the accident photos, and how it looked like the carrier was bent beyond recognition. But sitting there on the garage floor, it looked completely intact and seemed to be square. One just does not weep in the presence of a friendly curmudgeon or plant a big ol' hug on him, but I did my best to express my gratitude to Fred. As I told Fred, I had not even planned to look at it -- much less to touch it.  [I ddn't tell him how deeply I grieved its loss.]  What I saw Sunday night told me it was a goner.  I guess Fred thought otherwise.  I don't know why he decided to see whether it was salvageable, but I sure am glad he did.  

This is how the bicycle carrier looked Sunday night. I assumed it was a goner -- wrecked beyond all hope.

Some of you may be aware that this bicycle carrier (and the bicycle which was safely in the house) were gifts from my dear friend, Marc Smith, who is now a priest in St. Louis. If so, you may know how much the bicycle carrier and bicycle matter to me, because of their connections with my friend Marc.  Of course, I'll need to take the carrier to my cycle guy to help me assess it, but I'm quite hopeful at the moment.  It's weird that the potential recovery of the rack moves me with joy even more than the loss of the car moves me with loss. I've blathered on a long time here, but I hope maybe you will understand. 

This is a potent reminder to me that, in the midst of this shock and disruption of my wrecked car, I continue to experience many blessings. 

When this is all settled and I have a weekend day to cook, I'm going to make a bit ol' batch of cookies for Fred and the guys at Broadway Wrecker.  They were marvelous here Sunday at the scene of the accident.  Since I can't give Fred a big ol' hug, I guess cookies will be the next best thing I can appropriately do.  Don't ya think?