We were all hungry as it was passed lunch time and so we searched for something quick to eat. I was not satisfied with anything around us and so I suggested we go back into the market to go back to a bakery we passed earlier. We all began to argue as we were running out of time and going back into the market would risk us missing the bus, but we went anyway. As we were getting close to the bakery a gust of wind appeared and a loud and sudden cracking noise sounded the area. Within seconds a massive tree branch fell, crashing down on the ground. All I remember was closing my eyes and covering my head to protect myself. When I opened my eye’s I saw my mother and father pinned underneath the tree branch. In complete shock I ran to my parents, shaking, crying, screaming for help. I could hear my parent’s screaming in pain, I was begging strangers to help get the tree branch off of them. When the tree branch was removed off of them I could see a pool of blood. The bleeding was coming from her head so I quickly held the wound to help stop the bleeding. My father was a few feet away from us, he was on his back, the tree branch pinned him to the ground. A few strangers were with him, holding his hand and keeping him calm. In this moment all I could think was, “My parent’s aren’t going to make it.”
Within minutes the police and ambulance came to the scene. I stood up quickly because I realized if I don’t mention this to our tour guide, the bus will just leave without us. I ran to the check point, confused because I lost my bearings but I knew I had to find my way to try and talk to the tour guide. I reached the check point and was trying to find the tour guide, but I had no luck. I then ran into another passenger and asked her to tell the tour guide that my parents were in a terrible accident and not to leave without us. I then ran back to my parents, they were being taken by ambulance. I approached the ambulance and asked them if I could go with them or else we would lose each other, but then a police officer escorted me away to ask me a few questions and in that moment I just collapsed to the ground. I just could not believe what was happening. We went on this vacation to have fun and enjoy ourselves and it was turning into a nightmare. A women approached me, she said she witnessed the whole thing. She asked me if I had money and our passports, I told her that the majority of our money was in the safe on the cruise, along with all of our passports. She then told me I needed to be strong and that I needed to go back on the bus, back to the cruise to collect all of our things. She said if I didn’t do this then all of our belongings would leave without us. I refused, I said, I have to go to the hospital with my parent’s, I cant leave without them, I’ve never been to France, I don’t know where I’m going. She said that if I didn’t go we wouldn’t be able to go home.
So my boyfriend and I, completely in shock, afraid and scared went back on the buss and headed back to the cruise. Everyone on the bus was looking at me, my clothes were covered in blood and I was crying with such pain. I began calling family members, my brother, my uncles, my aunts, to notify them. They all told me the same thing, you need to be strong, you need to take care of your parents, they need you. As much as I wanted to shut down, hide, run away from this horrific nightmare, I knew my parents needed me. It was the longest hour ride of my life. We got back to the cruise, the tour guide informed the crew on the ship about what had happened, we rushed to my parent’s room, grabbed everything that we could. We did the same to our room and raced to the lobby so we could leave. A crew member approached us and told us they found out which hospital my parents were at and that a cab was waiting outside to take us to them. He also told me it would be a good idea to book a hotel for the night as it seemed that we weren’t going to leave for a while and so he went ahead and booked a room for us at a hotel near the hospital. Another hour ride to the hospital, I was so exhausted I wanted to wake up from this nightmare. We finally arrived, I ran out of the cab and approached the emergency desk asking the women where my parents were, but no one spoke English. They all began talking to each other, I assumed they figured out who my parent’s were since I wasn’t speaking French to them and they could see I was in a panic.
Finally I was reunited with my parents. I ran into the room crying, letting them know that I got everything and that I was going to take care of them and not to worry about a thing. I began calling our insurance company to explain the accident and to ask for assistance in how to move forward. The accident took place at 3pm, it was now 10pm. 7 hours since the accident, I was at the hospital, waiting for results of my parents. I had nothing to eat since breakfast, my clothes were covered in blood, I was cold and I was in so much pain; physically, emotionally and mentally. I was able to speak to one of the doctors and was informed that my father could be discharged, I was so confused how my father, who was just struck by 300 pound tree branch 7 hours ago could be discharged with no injuries. But I started helping my father change into his clothes and he began to scream in pain. I sat him back down and he told me his knee was in pain. I called the doctor back in the room and tried to explain what my father was feeling, pointing at his knee because I didn't know how to say it in French, so they took him back to the x-ray room for more scans. My mother on the other hand was lying in bed, trying to rest, I was told that she didn’t have a concussion but they had to give her 14 stitches on her head. 11pm hit and my mother said to go back to the hotel and rest, it had been a long and painful day for me. I didn’t want to go, I wanted to stay next to them for as long as I could, but I knew I needed to be strong and in order to do that I needed to rest. So my boyfriend and I called a cab and checked into the hotel that we booked earlier to stay in. The manager greeted us at the front desk, he was already aware of what had happened to us and gave us our room key. Walking into our room it felt like time had been slowed down and we were like snails. At this point it was midnight, I took a shower and got into bed. I was shaking, every time I closed my eyes all I could see was flash backs of the accident. I sat in bed and tried to make sense of what had happened. All I could think about was, why did I make my family go back into the market? If we would have just stayed at the check point, none of this would have happened. I kept blaming myself.
At 3am the phone in my room rang, I jumped out of bed, I knew it had to be news about my parents. As I answered the phone the man said your parents are here. I was in complete shock, how could my parents be here? I ran downstairs, in my pyjama’s, to find my mom and my dad in the lobby. My dad was in crutches and my mother was slouching with a white bandage wrapped around her head. I was so confused, I said to them, “How are you here?” They told me that they were discharged from the hospital. At the time I was so happy, I thought, wow for them to be discharged they must be okay. We booked them a room for the night and I took them there to get settled in. My mother removed the bandage on her head and her hair was covered in blood. She said she wasn’t allowed to get her stitches wet but she wanted to remove as much blood from her hair as possible. As she leaned over the shower I grabbed the shower head and shook it and tried to avoid her stitches. In tears all I could see was the blood dripping from her hair onto the shower floor and watched it run down the drain. Once I did the best that I could she changed into her pyjama’s and got into bed. I went back to my room and tried to go to sleep. Although it seemed like my parent's were okay we still had such a long journey a head of us. My mother wasn't clear to fly, my father was in crutches, we were stuck in France, our cruise left without us and our flight home was in 8 days and we needed to pick it up from Rome.
Continuation soon..
Continuation soon..
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