My alarm buzzes at 6:00 AM workday or day off. On the days off, it's lovely to lie in.
This day off was no different, but as I contempted the sun speckled wall I was startled by a sliding, 'shushing' sound followed by a resounding thump and that by the sound of a car engine revving beyond its limit. Silence; but I was already on my feet scrambling into my elderly mother's room. Had she fallen? No, she lay there just beginning to stir with Smudge my cat by her side and eyeing me with that sleepy-eyed distain of cat awakened from a good sleep.
I pulled open the front blinds to see a dark blue car - wrecked - steaming and venting dark black smoke, next to the shattered remains of a small boulevard tree.
My mind raced, one thought after another,
"I've got to get out there and help the driver." "Wait! You can't go out there looking like a guy!""Where is my wig?""I haven't shaved.""What should I wear?"
"What am I thinking! I have to help someone, vanity be damned!"
I threw off my nightie and wrestled on the first tee-shirt I could grab, my shorts and a ballcap as I raced out the door -- I couldn't go out without something on my head, my hair is so thin and to my embarassment emergency or no, I was too self-conscious not to.
Through the driver's door, two neighbours were bent over the unconscious driver -- an eighteen year old -- slumped partly over the airbag and partly into the center of the car. The
Onstar informed as I wrenched open the passenger door that,
"There has been an accident, please remain with the car!" Cool! Onstar actually works.
"Quick lets get him out of the car!""NO! He's injured. Lets wait for the ambulance.""What about fire?" Smoke from the engine compartment was increasing.
Jamie -- a very buff specimen of a young man -- cradled the driver and pulled him out. I provided some lift from the passenger side. The driver was laid on a driveway. As we settled him, flames appeared in the engine compartment. I ran for the garden hose. A neighbour ran for her fire extinquisher.
The garden hose was feebly effective to knock back the flames but the fire extinquisher with the authoritative blast of a geyser blew everything out of the engine compartment in a shower of white powder. The car was a smoldering wreck.
On questioning the driver it became quite obvious that he was serious drunk and equally seriously injured -- we would later find out that not only was his right arm and leg broken, he had suffered massive fractures of his pelvis.
The fire department came and shuffled around the scene in there oversized trousers held by robust suspenders. The police arrived in a posse and determined that this was a 'crime scene' and finally the ambulance arrived and began to tend to the boy. No longer needed we stood back to watch the proceedings and to discuss in hushed tones and knowing 'tsks' the consequences of drinking and driving.
I had forgotten the state I was in but suddenly realized that I must look a sight. I was tempted to flee back to the house but conversation held me. When I could I moved off by myself. I was rattled by the events of the morning and now equally uncomfortable at the thought of the neighbours having seen me 'unvarnished'.
As I stood, bare feet damp and cold from the morning dew, a neighbour approached. She complimented my contribution. She began to ask questions of me, the kind that neighbours ask to get to know you and to be armed with interesting gossip. She was unfazed by my appearance. At some silly, inappropriate moment I offered,
"I'm transsexual in the process of transition." She was unfazed
. We talked more and in that moment became friends. Later, she was say to me,
"You're very, very courageous to have been so open with me. I feel privileged to know you."
Epilogue
The driver was eighteen. He had a restricted license requiring a licensed driver in the car when driving. He was far over the limit in blood alcohol and his license had a zero-tolerance limit. The car was estimated to have hit the tree at over 100 km/hour. He had never tried to brake. He had taken the car without permission. The car was leased and to be covered by insurance the mother would have to declare that the car was stolen. The police estimated at least 8 major infractions and that he mind spend time in jail -- after, of course, the many painful months that he would spend in hospital as they attempted to repair his pelvis.
I made a new friend in the neighbourhood and gained greater acceptance of the neighbours in general. I felt that I had made a contribution as Ann and realized that I can be accepted exactly as I really am. I went out and bought a new wig.
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