( This extract is born out of my imagination , when I chanced to read an email which talked about the incident where a young girl was severely burnt when a drunken driver smashed into her car . Her body was damaged beyond repair and her story along with her pictures where forwarded around the globe as a precaution to drill into the citizens the consequences of mixing drink and drive.)
An exuberant , bubbly, happy go lucky girl , that’s how I want to remember Lucy Grey. A God given gift she was born to Nathen and me on 26 June 1990. Lucy never failed to make us proud . She was indeed a surprise for us ,never giving up however hard the task ahead was .
The day she learned to walk she wanted to be independent . It was sad to know the squirmy , giggly baby grew up but I beamed at the thought of being her mother. Lucy was different , an all rounder with not a grain of pride . She always had a helping mind and headed a charity trust in our suburbs. When her terrific teenage was approaching I was a little concerned . I am still amazed at how tactfully she thwarted those days.
I still remember the first time I saw her , held her warm, soft fragile body close to my bosom. A late bloomed- flower , she was precious to each member of our family . Walking down the memory lane she had left us a trail of memories beautiful yet sad.
That night when the door bell rang , our lives changed beyond recognition. Nathen opened the door to see two policemen . They informed us that en-route home from a party , her car was smashed into by a drunken driver . The car that hit her was loaded with alcohol which set it on flame. I was numb all the while I listened. Wasting no time we rushed to the hospital , not knowing if she was alive. We begged the doctor to let us in to see her. He assured us that we will have our chance before wheeling her in for operation. Dr Lee informed us that 90% of her body was burnt , she will be what they call in medical terms a “vegetable”, surgery cannot bring her back to life.
Next morning , we were allowed to see her , a burnt mass that’s what she was. Why God ! Why our child, I wondered aloud , tears spilling out of my eyes . I was angry, mad at the drunken driver , he was persecuted , will that bring my baby back?
We always stayed by her side , the accident was a shock to all . She wanted to be a doctor now it’s just a far-fetched dream. I realized the pain other victim’s families went through on the wake of the death of their loved ones . This set to light a flame in my mind , to create awareness among teens about the result of mixing drinking and driving.
With the help of Dr Lee , we held sessions for teenagers and Lucy was brought on a wheel chair . It pained me to see the shocked expressions on their faces , I sometimes felt bad for exhibiting her like that. Lucy was supportive , she wanted to make a change.
My first session came to an end with a round of applause , they gave a standing ovation for Lucy for her courage .She never smiled but I know deep down in her heart she must be feeling proud.
Months passed, she bid us good bye. I never wanted to lose her soon but felt it will be better off for her in the other world. Lucy has inspired a lot of people , I still hold sessions . She may not be here with us but she ‘s still alive in our hearts.
© SV
Assortmentbox 
Leave a comment