I saw a dead body today.
Yes, I really did. We were driving home from school and we came upon this little accident between two cars (seriously, that's nothing out of the ordinary around here; we didn't even slow down). Then as we crested the next hill, we saw a throng of people trying to cross the highway and all these cars stopped on the sides--and even in the middle--of the road. There was tons of dust in the air, and as we neared what we all assumed was a collision, the driver started clicking with his mouth (a cultural habit that would translate to nonverbal "uh-oh" or "oh my gosh").
And then I looked just to my left and saw a piece of burlap covering a woman's body, but her head tie and her feet still showed from either end. Before I could even reach out to shield my young friend (the Alvin and the Chipmunks one) from seeing, she gasped, turned her face into my shoulder and burst into tears. I put my arm around her and felt my face twist into shock - I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing.
You guys, it was surreal. The woman must have been hit while crossing the road, because we didn't see any cars for her to have been pulled from. And I know that nothing about this tragic accident has anything to do with me, but these were my immediate thoughts, and they're ugly at best:
1. I've seen worse on CSI.
2. I was expecting more blood.
3. Too bad I didn't see it happen.
It wasn't until after I thought all these perverse and disgusting things that I silently prayed, "God, have mercy on her soul" and got around to wondering if the woman had any children. You can't tell me desensitization doesn't exist.
This all happened about 20 minutes ago, so while I'm still processing it, this is the temporary conclusion I've reached: I think God has been protecting me from seeing things like this until He knew I could handle it. Which is why I was able to comfort my friend (although we instantly assumed our teacher-and-student roles in that moment) while staying glued to the side of the road.
Kýrie, eléison; Christé, eléison
9 years ago
Tough stuff, indeed. You're seeing (and experiencing) things that most people rarely do. I have a feeling that your one year in Nigeria will be equivalent to about 5 years of life experiences here. Which will make you 27 when you return!
ReplyDeleteWow, Maggie. You're certainly going to come back to the United States as a much wiser and more mature woman. When I read your blog, it plays out like a movie in my mind. May God be with you on every step of your journey.
ReplyDeleteYou're Daddy loves you!
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