Crash!

Friday, December 13, 2019
The morning starts with a crash. Well, that's a few hours in. First, I'm on a 5am call with a women's caucus. I'm glad I came - someone reminds me that I proposed a book chapter which is due in 2 days.  "But you can have an extension, don't worry." Good - because I forgot about it completely; I don't even remember that it was accepted.

Two hours later, W and I are walking past some lovely plants and stately homes. The 3' long stem of red palm tree fruit has snagged on a tree trunk. I pause to take a picture. I'm tempted to go back and get it. It should be in a vase, it's that beautiful.

The sweep of bougainvillea on a neighbor's gate is stunning.

As we near home, we hear and see a "CRASH!," the sound of fiberglass shattering as a young man launches into the air from his motorcycle. His bike tears into two pieces and lands on the edge of the street. He groans, pulls himself away from the wreck, and tries to stand up. Another motorbike is lying on its side beside him, wheels spinning. Its rider stands up. The front of his machine is also crumpled. He starts the conversation about what happened as we reach them.

People start to run toward the accident. It's a normal (busy) morning on the way to work for most, so there are parents with children, women waiting for Go-Jek motorcycle rides, a few security guards from neighboring businesses, and people out for exercise like we are.

One rider has T-boned the other, neither of them paying attention at the 4-way intersection. There are no stop signs: the rule is if you catch someone's eye, you are responsible to give way - in a car or a motorcycle.

We cannot stop but begin to pray for the families, against injuries, and for the loans the ruined bikes may represent (uninsured is the norm). As foreigners, we've been told we have to keep going. We can be blamed for walking dogs (distracted the riders?), for being a distraction ourselves, and perhaps be held financially responsible (somehow). We walk on the other side of the street: thankfully, many good Samaritans are already on the scene.

We pick up our office supplies at home. The sun's a-shining on the porch. It looks so empty, cleaned up from the 20-30 people sprawled everywhere on movie night!

Today we have our-date breakfast at a nearby cafe, #PinoTerrace. Since Wednesday was movie night, we skipped our regular date. I order a "no-oil" plain omelet and W shares a half-pancake from his order. Then it's off to work. The office is a half-block further.

By lunch, W has finished the poster wall we started a month ago: the original magnets to hold the front and back strips of wood disappeared in the office. After he's gone, I put away the glue gun he left cooling on the side of the room.

Alice, Sanny, and I finish preparations for Art Sunday, grouping the art supplies by table. We make samples for everything with paint, colored glue, and cotton balls (sheep's wool).

I take an elongated seed pod = a perfect manger for a paper cutout of a child. I make a few trees from crumpled tissue paper (saved from candies someone brought to a study months ago).

I find the most interesting stuff on the street here. W and I collected the 4-sided seed pods months ago. They've brought a smile to my face every time I see them on my office shelf. I knew they'd come in handy for something.

To the basic table bags, we add printed instructions for the volunteers, table signs, and art supplies from my home office - tissue paper, sketch paper, acrylics and watercolors, brushes, and canvases. When did we get those? (along the way) W brings the 3-D ornaments he's made for people to paint and take home.

Lunch is at Kalpa Tree. My appetite is still not back: I get about halfway through the noodles and am sated. I pour the hot chocolate over ice cubes and sip it. Can't finish that either. W helps with both.

W's brought a few 3-D prints that failed. Some are prettier than the successes - I love a star with a web of lace around it. "Don't toss it - I'll hang them up," I say.

W has errands to run. I have to make a powerpoint. About 2:00, Gypsy lets us know a storm is coming. There's nothing but his whining and trying to open all the doors, but I put the dogs in the crate in the house.

Within a few minutes, the lightning and rain starts. The thunder is loud and persists for a few hours. The tukang (handyman) keeps working on the 2nd roof. I hear him hammering under cover of the highest roof. I wouldn't stay up there in this storm, that's for sure.

I eat one of my precious Canadian chocolate bars to celebrate being dry - and warm inside.

Read more:
*The Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage. Psalm 94:14

Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20

Moravian Prayer: God of all, we thank you that our identity is in you. We rejoice that we are part of your family, and we marvel that your wide embrace encompasses us all. Amen.