24/08/2019 - the phone calls that changed everything
A new heatwave was predicted at the end of the summer vacation.
I stressed in the morning about the traffic jams that always happen on such weekend days in the direction of the Belgian coast. We had planned to go and pick-up Kabouter who had stayed for the first time for a mini-vacation with his grandmother. Then we'd all go and visit my dad during his lunch time in the care center. After lunch we'd drive with my mother to my sister's place to celebrate my nephew's birthday. She had planned cake, a walk and had made reservations in a restaurant for the evening.
I had anticipated the traffic jams so we left 25 min early to account for that, but the traffic was incredible and didn't move at all. I had texted my mother that we'd be late for my dad's lunch. She had to wait for us with Kabouter since her car had broken down by coincidence.
First she called back with the news that my dad would suffer from belly pain and that the care center would call an ambulance to bring him to the hospital for checks. She doubted that she'd join us for my nephew's party in that case.
The next call came directly from the care center. The brief message made it quite clear that there was more than belly pains and that things were very serious. In sheer panic, I instructed Jan to phone my sister while I had to continue to drive. We could not reach her since the care center was phoning her.
At the exit of my home town, at 1 km from my waiting mother, I got the last phone call. I learned from my sister that everything had changed. It was over.
Apparently it was a hot beautiful weekend but we've not noticed anymore.
Comments
Het zijn ook dagen die je nooit vergeet, deze dagen. Het is al lang geleden dat mijn vader overleden is (38 jaar deze maand), maar ik herinner me toch ook nog wel cruciale momenten van die dag. Hoe accuraat die herinneringen zijn, dat weet ik niet, maar ik heb beelden en flarden in mijn hoofd.
Of het telefoontje dat ik kreeg van het rusthuis van mijn grootmoeder, toen ze overleden was. Ze konden mijn ouders niet bereiken, en belden dan naar mij. En dan moest ik het nieuws doorbellen. Brrrrr.
Van die momenten die je voor altijd bijblijven.
hadden we nog compleet geen gevoel van urgentie). Je wil ook niet stoppen, je wil er zo snel mogelijk zijn...Je rijdt al huilend en roepend tot je weet dat je het niet gehaald hebt en je al bevend het stuur uit handen moet geven.