And so much for my bike-capades.
Imagine me sitting under the arbor at Shingwauk Education Centre, chatting with a Medicine Man about days gone by, ceremonies to come and the merits of traditional teachings. The good-natured fellow makes light of it when my cell phone starts to ring. "The smoke from that fire," he says, pointing to the sacred fire. "That smoke is like a telephone to the Creator. It carries our prayers on the wind to the Creator's ear."
After we are done talking I pull out the phone to see who called. It's Ami's cell. I am wondering why she called from her cell when she is supposed to be at home and feeling a little apprehensive.
A little while later I am chatting with the Executive Director of National Residential School Survivors Association. He is sharing some very personal and painful memories with me and I am feeling honoured to hear what he has to say.
My phone rings again. It rings a very long time. Long enough for him to laugh and say I better answer it and for me to find it in my purse.
It's Ami on her cell again.
"I've been hit by a car," she says.
No preamble. No reassurances to cushion the blow. Not even hello. Just, "I've been hit by a car."
"Agaaa????" I say in my usual eloquent style.
"I think I'm pretty much okay but your bike isn't," she quickly adds. I can almost see her cringing through the telephone.
"Are you really okay? You're not bleeding? You haven't broken anything besides the bike have you?"
"I'm just really shaken up... *gasp* *sob*"
"What the HELL were you doing on a BIKE!!!!"
I didn't really care about the bike, especially not then, I just cared about the fact that Ami's health is highly questionable to begin with and anyone who knows anything about it would agree that a bike is not a good place for Ami to be, most especially when the bike is under a car. So surely I am going to need a new bike and I was pretty sad about that until Ami's mom delivered an envelope that had gone to her place by accident.
Apparently Ami has been accepted to graduate school at McMaster University with a full scholarship. Yeah, I thought that was pretty cool all right. It sort of took the edge off the whole Ami getting run over thing.
But really, who has a life like ours?
Last week I was trying to wind down from some very huge and heavy stories I covered then Ami got run over by a car and accepted to McMaster in the same weekend.
At least it isn't boring.
*jumps up and down and cheers* Yay Ami!!! So proud of you, sweetie!