The Accident（ビルの交通事故）

Late night February 8 things got ugly. It was about 11:00 pm and I was riding my bicycle home from work just the same way I have been for the past 2 years. My spirits were high and things were bright as ever. The prior weekend I had hosted a very successful exhibition which I was quite proud of. It was really a dream come true.

February 8 was a Friday. Like I said, things couldn't have been better. I had just wrapped up another wonderful week at Aire, the English conversation school where I teach. My friend Greg and I were planning on kicking back with a couple of well-earned cold ones after our week's work. I was almost half way home when from out of a very narrow road hidden by a 6 foot concrete wall, a small car came out onto the main road I was riding on.

I was following the traffic, riding on the left side (Japan) of the road heading west. The little economy car (called "K" cars in Japan) was pulling out onto Kokawa Kadasen (the "main" road) about to make a right and head East. Anyway, I guess we were both in the wrong place at the wrong time. I never knew what hit me. When I came to, I was in a hospital bed surrounded by Atsuko, Greg and a couple of nurses.

They all assured me that I was fine and very lucky not to have been injured more seriously. I couldn't remember the accident or even any of the events that had happened that day. When Greg told me that my sister was going to have a baby while I was in the ambulance which took me to the hospital, I apparently acted so surprised as if I hadn't a clue. Scary.

The bruises, cuts and cracks have all mended now. I still have no recollection of the accident that cold Friday night. I just feel so grateful to the powers that be for letting me off the hook that time. The driver of the car suffered no injuries. Her windshield was shattered when my body flung into it and the hood of her car may have gotten a bit dented, but she thankfully was okay as well.

２月８日（金）の真夜中、ビルが仕事帰りにいつも通り自転車で粉河加太線を帰宅中、側道から出てきた車に撥ねられました！少し前を車で走っていたグレッグ先生が、虫の知らせでその時すれ違った救急車を追い、道をUターンしてくれ、救急車に担ぎこまれるビルを発見してくれました。場所はJR紀伊駅のそばの暗い場所で、現場の前の家の方が救急車を、ビルの後ろを走っていたバイクの男性が警察に電話をしてくれました。救急車に一緒に乗ってくれたグレッグ先生は私に電話をしてくれ、済生会病院に向っていることを教えてくれました。

済生会に着いたビルはショックとパニックで、同じ質問を続けて３００回くらいするは（「ここはどこ？」「今、何月何日何時？」｢何が起こった？」）、大事な記憶を失くすは（ビルの妹の妊娠）、見てるこちらがショックでした・・・。ただ何回も何回も同じ質問を繰り返すビルにだんだん私はイライラしてきて、最後には先生と看護士さんの前で「うるさい！」と怒鳴る始末・・・。

結局２日入院して、あごを４針縫い、シップと痛み止めをいっぱいもらってビルは退院しました。

ただ今でも事故の前後の記憶は飛んだまま。先生いわく、ごく自然なことらしいです。

＊後日談＊

入院先の済生会の整形の先生が、CTスキャンとレントゲンの映像を見て、頭にも骨にも異常ナシ！“１週間の打撲”と診断書を書いてくれました。ところが１ヶ月以上経っても痛みが無くならないので、嫌がるビル（←病院嫌い）を説得して、近くのクリニックにセカンド・オピニオンのため向わせました。すると！背骨の下から３番目の横にある筋肉を支えている突起骨に骨折が見られるとのコト！！本人は痛いと言うと日本自転車旅行を止められると思って長い間黙っていたんですけど、骨折していたとは・・・。今は骨もくっつき始めてるので、コルセット着用で済むらしいです。

セカンド・オピニオンって大事です。まさに今日警察に新診断書を再提出してきました。