Blood and brains under a stary sky
Trip Start
May 25, 2005
1
185
284
Trip End
Ongoing
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park,
South Africa
Saturday, February 10, 2007
As the blood flowed past my eyes, along my nose, and through my hands that were instinctively holding my skull in place, I got up and walked across the dark field back towards the kitchen.
Theresa had seen the whole thing. It had been my turn to cook for everyone and we had staying in the kitchen chatting and tidying up after the others had all gone to bed. As it was so dark I thought it was best to drive her home, rather than potentially walk into the local leopard. As we navigated to the parking area we passed the usually obstacles without incident. Two or three or four tree roots, depending on the pacing; the wooden stump designed to give you a nice thigh bruise; the muddy patch that seems to be muddy even in 40 degree heat. As we chatted I opened the passenger door and leant across to put on the light before loading up the back.
As I unlocked the front door, Theresa was buckling up. And as is always the way, I jumped up to get into the cab door. Being rather short, or rather not being 6 foot tall, this is a normal occurrence for me as I haul myself into the driving seat. Likewise is the tree, which is probably older than I, under which I have to park on a daily basis. Thus, I don't exactly know how I came to forget it was there.
Thud. And it was a thud.
My head impacted the trunk of the tree as it curled over the bakkie roof. My jaw crunched into my upper teeth, and I collapsed on the ground, already clutching my head. I think I screamed on impact, such was the shock and speed of the incident.
"Oh my GOD! What have you done!", yelled Theresa.
'Just give me a minute', I blurted through my hastening breath.
"Oh my GOD! You're bleeding."
'Yep, let's get inside. Find Christopher. He used to be a Doctor.'
It's funny how the same trek back towards the kitchen was so much quicker than before. No tree routes or wooden stumps were out to get me now. I was simply concentrating on getting to safety fast.
'Christopher! Christopher! Christopher!'
No reply.
'Tarik, Tarik, Tarik' I yelled, wondering if they had decided to watch a movie.
Even in the dark the blood looked bright as it spread over my clothes.
'Christopher!'
'They must be at Sue's and if not Vanessa should be there. Come on, follow me!' I said to Theresa, as I made my way through the darkness towards the house in the distance.
'Hello! Hello! Hello!'
As we approached the house I wondered what the next move would be if they were not at home. A head wound can be complicated, and concussion was a real possibility. Plus, from the place of the impact I wouldn't be able to see it in order to patch it up easily myself.
'Hello! Hello!' I said as I entered the house. The dogss began to bark, and then they all appeared; Tarik, Vanessa and Dr. Christopher himself.
'Hi there! Can you help me please - I've hit my head!'
It is pretty amazing how polite and composed one can remain, even when covered in blood. I must've looked rather frightening, standing in once light-coloured clothes that now looked more like a poor attempt at hippy tie-dye.
"Oh my God! What did you do? Come and sit down." Christopher turned to Vanessa; "Go and get a torch, towels and a suture kit."
And there I sat, feeling my head swelling, deferring to the doctor. People were peering into my head. I noticed that my hands were shaking as the first aid kit was opened and medical implements were spread across the table and floor.
" It looks alright. Here press this down but not too hard. You'll have to stay still for the next 30 minutes. If it starts to hemorrhage in the next 20 or so, we will have to act, but for now we'll just have to wait and see."
'Thanks Chris. Sorry to be such a bother!'
And so there I sat, drinking sugar water, feeling stupid and sorry for myself. The dogs drifted passed every now and then as my head began to throb.
Thirty minutes later and the prognosis was good.
'No exertion for the next few days, OK'
" Really? But it's the wedding tomorrow and I am meant to go on a hike after that."
'Well, see how you feel, but it is quite likely you will have a headache!'
And so that's how I missed the idyllic wedding in the Drakensburg that I had been looking forward to since the invite last year. Washing the blood off the next day, freeing my hair of the tangle of scab and crusted blood cells, I realised that the day was better spent in bed, together with the following one too.
And perhaps, just perhaps it is time to buy a torch for those nights when the moon just isn't bright enough in at the top of the hill in Hluhluwe.
