The Vicious Vega

It wasn't snowing hard enough for a whiteout, but it was close. My old silver Vega and I were driving down Union Turnpike, a short cut to Rte.43. Trying to stay out of the deep parts of the unplowed snow.
The day before I missed the turn off and had to go the long way. I didn't want to do that again. It was going to take at least an hour to get to work with this snow and I wanted to make sure that I got there on time. I worked in a hospital and I knew the night shift was dying to go home and if I was late someone would have to stay and cover me. Not usually a good thing. Nurses get awful tired working night shift. I don't think as tired as day or evening and I know, I've worked all three.

That day I made sure I made the turn on to Union Turnpike. I drove slowly. I have respect for snow on the roads. Pass me if you want. I want to get to where I am going alive not via ambulance.

I was driving along, everything seemed to be OK until my passenger wheels got stuck in the snow on the side of the road. I turned the wheel to get out of it but no go. Instead of going straight the Vega started veering to the right. Not a good thing.
To the right was a ravine about 15-20 feet deep. Trees were down and the snow was deep.

My car took off. Like it had a life of it own. Lifted up into the air and just flew up and over the downed trees into the bottom of the ravine. 
My car was old and the seat belt didn't work, as a matter of fact I had to tie the drivers side door with rope to hold it closed. Remember what it was like to be, in my case, kind of young and poor. Young as in 28 years old and newly divorced.

I looked out the windshield and saw a huge downed tree. I knew that my front wheels were going to catch on to it and my car was just going to go tumbling on down.
I didn't think that I would make it or at least I was going to get really hurt

.
Lo and behold I looked up to the sky and started saying a prayer. Out of the clouds I saw a hand come out. A cloud hand, but hand nevertheless. It felt like it grabbed the car and settled the Vega into the bottom of the ravine.

I was fine. I hit my head but nothing bad and I banged up my knee a bit. But I was all in one piece. No body parts broken no blood.

I managed to get the rope untied and got out of the car. Wait, before that I had to shut the car off. I left the lights on hoping someone would see it. I didn't know if anyone would. it was down pretty far.

I got out of the car and just stood there looking at it. The snow was up to my thighs. I an 5'5" tall not that short so you can judge how deep the snow was.

I looked up to the sky and just saw snow and more snow, grey clouds all over. To me it was a miracle. I was alive. At least I thougt I was.

I made my way up to the road. Thinking that the first car by would stop to help. Silly me. The first car went wizzing by like I wasn't there. I turned to look at my car. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't still in it. Like shades of "Topper", (anyone remember that movie an/or TV show). But I didn't see me so I figured I was still alive.

The second car did stop and helped me. He was kind enough to bring me to his in-laws and I called my Dad and he came got me.


Dad called the tow truck and I watched as my car was lifted out of the revine, Door flopping open, lights still on. Its amazing to see a car come straight up back to end.

I mentioned to my Dad about the hand coming from the clouds and all he did was feel my head. "no bumps" he said.

The story goes that my sister saw the spot were I went down and started to cry, I think she might have gotten sick. It was a wonder that I lived through that.

I lived outside of Albany, NY, the next day I moved to Albany and stayed with friends until I found an apartment.

It took years before I told the whole story to people. People look at you a little different when you mention a hand coming out of the sky to hold on to your car.
I don't care how they look at me now or what they think. I know what I saw. My car went up and over the downed tree. It shouldn't have. I just know that things happen that can not be explained or understood.

I understand that whatever I am supposed to do or to finish wasn't done at that time. I was not to die or get hurt in 1984.

I do know that I gave the Vega a new name "The Vicious Vega" because it was not the first time that car tried to get me. I got two deer with that car and every month something would fall off it in the front yard of my Dad's house. I used to tell my Dad that the car was giving an offering to the FatherGod. but that is another story.

The Vega, which my father said he could fix stood on my parents lawn, to the side of the driveway for three years. No one wanted it. I refused to ever drive it again.

So here lay  the saga or at least part of it, of the Vicious Vega, killer car.

I don't know if I completed whatever plan the higher being, God. Goddess  whatever you want to call him/her I am still here and its been 23 years later.

I have another Chevy now. The first since the Vicious Vega, I don't know if I should have, in '06 I got cut off on the thruway and hit the guardrail head on. Again I was very lucky. No broken bones, no blood but one hell hell of a pain in my neck and hips. The good thing was no tickets either.

Is there a moral to this little bitty? I don't know about you but I find that I will, like Sherlock Holmes, believe 6 impossible things before breakfast.