Voices of the Valley: Meet Emine Akin Tunali
From: Turkey, Current City: Eau Claire
BOOM! Claps of thunder sounded.
It started pouring suddenly while I was driving next to the construction area. I could see almost nothing. It seemed hazardous, especially since the gravel roadway still had not been paved. The pile of sand that had accumulated on the side of the road narrowed the road in a flash, and as soon as I passed it, I realized that I faced a big truck.
I dreaded a huge BAM! on my front side. Even though I reduced my speed, I couldn’t avoid head-on collision with the truck. The next thing I saw was probably the scariest slow-motion scene I had ever watched: Upon collision, my car kept moving forward beneath the truck, the hood began to fold, and reached the windshield. The windshield was broken, the seat belt was locked. The myriad of airbags inflated to my side, my head was stuck in the seat, I couldn’t breathe for a moment, and then quickly deflated. The car stopped going forward, turned 90 degrees and went backwards, and there was a second crash. I felt a terrible pain in my neck with the impact. I could see the back of the car in the mirror. The car was out of the way and got stuck between two trees. I’m off the road, there won’t be another accident. Am I going to survive? There is almost no hope. I surrendered to my destiny and did not try to get out of the car as I did not believe in getting rid of it. The roadway was a bit desolate. Fortunately, it was time for people to get home from work.
Someone got me out when I least expected it, abruptly. I saw a stranger looking at me with full compassion. “Are you OK?” his voice trembled. He seems so scared. I am not alone on the road, I feel a little relieved. “Yes, I guess,” I murmured. I felt the raindrops falling on my face, and I looked at the sky. It seemed gloomy, the scent of soil was felt, and wet people appeared around me. It was buzzing in my ears. Things started to get a little hazy there. 22
While getting into the ambulance, people caught my eye, someone taking photos of the accident, and the others stared at me wondering how I survived that car accident. While I was answering the ambulance doctor’s questions, I was in physical pain. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My heart was beating like it was going to explode. I couldn’t keep up with the questions. I’d get distracted. I stared out the window and watched the rain hit the window. I imagined that the ambulance stretcher was a raft and that I was completely lost at sea. Because that was what it felt like.
On the heels of arrival to hospital, tests were done, x-rays were taken, serum was inserted. The sound of IV drip is similar to the sound of a clock ticking. It calms me down and makes me feel peaceful. However, it is also like I am counting down to the end of my life. I was in the intensive care unit. Over the next few hours, the room seemed to get larger by the minute, and I was completely alone that excruciating night. I lost track of time. No matter how strong painkillers they gave me, it didn’t lessen my pain all night long. I felt a range of emotions including shock, disbelief, fear, and anxiety.
My mother had just gone to another city for a month to visit my grandmother. My mom had high blood pressure. If she had got such news on the phone, it would have been highly likely that her blood pressure would skyrocket. I was afraid it might cause a brain hemorrhage or stroke. For that reason I preferred not to tell her. If she hadn’t known, then I would have told it like a trivial thing. But she got the news, she came up a week later, and she was so angry that I had never seen her so angry before. I still couldn’t breathe easily. My mom cried while scolding me. I see that she is disappointed and so upset . I felt like I’d messed up.
“I want you to promise not to hide anything like this again and to drive much better carefully,’’ she wept. I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. If I had said anything, I couldn’t have helped myself and I would have sobbed. So I nodded without saying anything.
I will never forget that car crash. Even though I wasn’t a reckless driver, I came face to face with death at a moment I never expected. No one was injured but me. Even the possibility of someone else getting hurt because of me is terrifying. I lost my enthusiasm for driving in that August just before my birthday. I knew I had to put that accident behind me in order to move forward. Nevertheless I have the humbling knowledge that, had I not experienced that accident, I most certainly wouldn’t be an altogether safe driver.
Long time later, I understand I have been feeling free since that accident. I’m aware of the importance of every single minute of my life. Is there any guarantee that we won’t have a crippling disability or won’t die by an unexpected accident? With every passing second, we are getting close to the end. I want all the remaining time from now on to have meaning. When my last breath comes, I don’t want to be regretful for the things I did or didn’t do.
English Language Learning at CVTC
Now is the perfect time to learn the English language. Our services and friendly staff are available virtually to support your personalized educational goals. Get started today.
