Hit By a Car

Denzel Washington said, “There’s a saying: ‘When the devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong. The devil goes, “‘Oh, no, leave him alone. He’s my favorite'”. Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it’s because you’re trying to do something right”.

I love what I do; and I do believe that I have the most important job in the world. The opportunity of speaking into the lives of young people is not something to be taken lightly. Our goal is to train them and set them up for success; so that they become everything that God has called them to be. 

I know for a fact that God called me into this line of work. I also believe beyond the shadow of doubt that this is exactly where I am supposed to be, at this point in my life. 

I know how important my job is, and this shows in my commitment. I also believe the dedication I have for my work is unrivaled. But guess who else considers my work a threat? Exactly! Satan. 

Ephesians 6:12 says it best: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”.

A few days back on Sunday, February 18, 2024; the devil made a bold attempt to end my life. I was on a boda boda (motorcycle) when I got hit by a car. Miraculously, I survived. However, where’s the best place to start a story, if not at the very beginning?

It all begun on Sunday. Other than the eagerness to wear my beautiful new skirt, my Sunday was just like any other: I went for Sunday service and spent the day with my mentees. In the afternoon after lunch, I went to town to pick up a cake for our dinner celebration. A little distance from the gate, I found a boda boda man. I told him where I was going, we negotiated the price; and off we went!

As we passed by a famous Jinja bridge, my heart was bursting with gratitude at the goodness of God. In February last year when I came to Jinja, I had asked God for a job in the area so that I could shift from Kampala; and God had made it happen. The tranquility in Jinja is so refreshing. 

Towards the Ambercourt roundabout, a taxi driver who was rushing somewhere sped past us and nearly ran us over. My rider was pissed. “Since he is in such a hurry, let him fly,” he said to me.  He said more words after that but I couldn’t hear. Shortly after that, my rider tried to make a 270° turn, and that’s when it happened. 

The cars were moving normally at the roundabout and there was no jam. Coming towards us from the left was a white car. Both my rider and the car driver slowed down to let the other go first. Unfortunately, both also decided to “step on it” at once, thinking that the other had let them go first. And that’s when the car hit us. 

After a few seconds on the ground, it finally occurred to me that a car had hit us, -and that I was still alive. I looked around and the cars had stopped. People were also staring from the road side. I heard the voice of my rider confronting the driver in the car. He had his back towards me because he was facing the man in the car. From where I was on the ground, I couldn’t tell if the boda man was badly injured or not. Besides, we were surrounded by people shortly after that. 

As I got up, I noticed that the motorcycle was no more. All the pieces had flown in different directions. All I could see was the black seat, and it was lying abandoned, some distance from the car that had hit us.

One thing I tried to do was to check if I had any memory loss, and I was happy to know that my head was still working well. While I brushed off the dust, I realized that my round skirt had flown up my back and had stayed there after the fall. Thankfully I had a petticoat inside and it had stayed down. I pulled my skirt back down and then limped my way to the grass opposite the road. Some men gathered around me upon my arrival.

To my knowledge, I was okay, so all I wanted to do was to cross to another side of the road and find another boda rider to take me to the bakery. 

“Lie down. You need to lie down,” a certain man insisted. I ignored him and kept looking at the stage where many motor bikes were parked. “You have to lie down,” the man insisted. Still looking around, I knelt down. 

“NO!” exclaimed the man in panic. “Don’t kneel, you have blood and wounds”. I didn’t want to lie down so I got up and pulled up my skirt to look at my knees. Indeed my knees had blood and severe wounds. The skin was off. I also noticed for the first time that I didn’t have my shoes, and so I asked one of the men around me to get me my shoes and he did. 

Later at the hospital when the adrenaline was low, I wondered how I had been able to kneel down on such wounds and not feel the pain. 

How did I get to the hospital? Well, a gentleman, whom I later got to know as Elijah, came over and insisted on me going to the hospital. 

“I don’t have my Insurance card with me,” I said to him. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Elijah said. “They can still work on you”. (I later found out that he actually works in a hospital).

Elijah helped me to cross the road.

The man who had knocked us was parked on the road side. He had moved from the accident scene so that other vehicles could move. Elijah led me to him, and asked him to take me to the hospital. The ladies in his car  apologized and sympathized with me. The man offered to pay for all my hospital expenses, but I declined and told him that I have medical insurance. Thank God for insurance. I could see that the driver was already being pressured by the crowd to compensate the boda man, and I didn’t want to be an extra burden. 

Elijah asked one of the boda men to take me to the nearest hospital. He too wanted to sit and go with me, but the two of us couldn’t fit basing on how I was sitting in my skirt. 

“Take his number,” someone said before I was ridden away. 

I am not so sure whether they were referring to Elijah, or the driver who had knocked me down. Nonetheless, the only contact I cared to have was Elijah’s, so I got it, and called so he could get mine. If it wasn’t for Elijah, my next destination would have been the bakery and not the hospital. So I’m glad he was at the accident scene. 

As the nurse worked on me some minutes later, she asked whether I knew Iodine. Sure I did, from my highschool chemistry. What I didn’t know however, is how painful it is. I wailed uncontrollably as she poured the liquid on both my knees. Just then, I wished I had someone there, to hold my hand and share my pain. A certain guy crossed my mind, but I guess heaven is the goal. 

However, I was not entirely hopeless. My supervisor at work called when she found out about the tragedy, and came to see me at the hospital. She also helped me to pick up the cake from the baker and later drove me home. I am truly grateful for her. Ironically, she is the first person I tried to call after the accident, but instead I had called my friend’s mom who shares the same name. (Turns out my head wasn’t working so clearly after all😅)

We went on to have the celebration at dinner time as earlier planned. And it was beautiful in everyway. I was very happy to be alive, and even more, I was grateful for my work partners, friends and mentees who had paused and prayed for me as soon as they found out that I had been hit by a car. I am forever thankful for whoever reached out to me. Not forgetting my wonderful supervisor who went over and above the call of duty to support me when I had the accident. 

The devil tried to end my life, but he failed, again. 

The End. 

Disclaimer: The names that feature in this story are fictitious. They were made up to protect the identity and privacy of those involved.

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