Part 7
Previously; I had just had a Car Accident, second one since 2001, almost to the day. I had cut off some unwanted friends of the time, and re-met old friends who had relocated to a new city, Burlington, ON.
I was now driving a rental car, brand new Pontiac Grand Prix. As I went down to Burlington to meet up with some of these old friends, I became aware of the feeling that I was kind of going backwards in time, and this time it might not end as well or as easy as it did after after our previous encounter years earlier. But, we were friends once, why not see if it can work again...
I had stopped working for the courier company, as I was a little shook from my accident, and didn't want to use a rental for the job. My first accident in 2001, had happened in almost the same way, so when this one happened, it was a set back, and I really needed some therapy.
Previously, I had paid everything out of my own pocket, but I had long stopped being able to do so, due to physiotherapy being so damn expensive. This time, with the help of a referral from my doctor, I was covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance), however with a hefty wait time...
I had about 6-8 weeks to kill, no job again, no money.... I had began racking up some serious debt. Paying my rent and bills with a credit card, after paying for the flights months earlier, it had began to get out of control. I was looking for a way to make cash money, under the table, just to pay my rent. I had made the down payment for the car on my credit card.
One thing good about getting your checks with held is that they are ready for you after awhile. After the car accident, I had finally received my first weeks pay, with about 5 more to follow, not that it was much.... it was something for while.
After July 1st weekend, I caught up with some other of the family members I had been friends with, we hung out re-acquainted ourselves, and they introduced me to the new ones, kids and what not. After a couple weeks, something came up and they had to leave town in a hurry... and that's all I will say about that, but they had work lined up in Saskatchewan and needed to get there fast.... they invited me to work, and help drive, etc.
We soon headed out from Burlington, ON up North on the 400 late one night.... we took the Southern Route. We pretty much went non-stop to Thunder Bay, where we needed to stop and find another friend. Upon arriving in Thunder Bay, we stopped and had lunch only to noticed that the city was very very very quiet, it seems that everybody had gone to a biker rally outside the city, at that junction town where 11 & 17 connect in fact, Nipigon, ON.
We were walking through the streets of down town Thunder Bay, ON.... when we spotted two girls and a baby down the way, one of my friends yells out " HEY! My Friend Thinks You're HOT!"
As I look over to see them, my friends take off, back to the car and before I know it I was the only one there and talking to them. The one that accepted the comment, gave me her number, and I told them I needed to be on my way, but would either call or stop back in town in the next few weeks.
It wasn't long before we were out of Ontario, and through Manitoba, and into Saskatchewan...One of the friends I was with just happened to be from Regina, SK and had a wife and kid with a nice little house, where I was welcomed and allowed to stay while we were in town to work. Regina, was a place I never really anticipated, but it grew on me.... Being Native myself, and seeing so many of my people within the city kind of felt more of a place where I'd fit in, if I was there on my own.
I met a few new friends and explored the city on my own a few nights, while the guys were with their lady friends.... Boring for me, you know...
I learned the city, met some people, worked hard for about a month or so, then something came up one day, and one of my friends had to leave town in a hurry again. So we headed west, to Canmore, AB just outside Banff.
We were only there about three days, but awake the whole time. Working in the day, partying at night, and over and over. When things started to catch up with these guys, I had the car, and all their tools in my trunk, we decided to leave one night heading back toward Calgary, AB.
This is where, I had to get involved and be a good friend. They were running from something, we left late at night without having had slept for days. We were in a hurry, and trying to stay awake.... Let's say I fell asleep at the wheel(That's been my story, I will stick to it).....we went into the guardrail, on the driver side.... I tried to adjust, but we were going to fast... we spun out, hit a rock wall a couple times while spinning, then the back wheel got caught and we started to roll....
When the car came to a rest, my friend who had been sleeping in the back seat woke up and stated that we need to get out of here, DRIVE DRIVE!
Air bags popped, windows smashed, blood everywhere, the car was crunched around my legs, my seat belt was on and I was OK, just messed up.... the doors wouldn't open, I had to climb out the passenger side window.... The other two were grabbing their tools and hiding them in the rock walls, as they were trying to get away. They told me that I should wait with the car, just so somebody was there.
I started flagging people down to stop, asking them to take me to the Hospital, doing so, I think I scared the shit out of their kids when they saw me. When I got to see myself in a mirror I understood why they didn't want to help. An ambulance showed up and took me to the Canmore Hospital, where I was for a few hours. They let me clean up and gave me some stitches... 7 of them; 2 in my nose, 5 in my wrist.
After the hospital released me, I was supposed to go the RCMP detachment in Town and make a statement. I also needed to find out where everybody was, I had to walk through town looking for my friends, all banged up and wrapped in bandages. When I found them, we laughed and walked for a bit, they said the girls were on their way from Regina. I told them I needed to go make a statment, so we made our way to that side of town.... and we discussed what I should say which was basically try to not to say their names, or that they were there at all...It was funny, because in my state I was in no way able to concentrate. The Officer that I talked to knew who they were and knew who I was with, and knew they were in town, and was just trying to get me to tell him and get confirmation. I was able to hold out the necessary information, and then I had to get our stuff out of the car that was in the impound yard.
When I saw the car, all I could do was stare, so much that the lot officer told me to stop staring and hurry up. The girls arrived later that day, we were now staying at a campsite at a national park. I didn't work again, even when we got back to Regina. My arm didn't move properly. One of my friends told me that they were going to stay there in Regina and that I would have to find my own way bak to Toronto. So I started trying to figure that out.
One of my new friends, was able to get me a bus ticket up to Edmonton, where I had been able to book a flight into Hamilton for about a hundred dollars. I had to leave that same day within a couple hours, so I hurried back to the house, to get my stuff and say thank you and goodbye to my friend and his wife, unfortunately, my other friend... the guy I had grown up with wasn't around at the time, and I didn't get to say any of that to him. I think he was kind of pissed about it because he has never talked to me since.
Financially, the trip was not a success, I was able to accumulate even more debt, on behalf of the rental company as well as the ambulance service, the trip home, and not getting paid from all the work I did, but whatever.... it was another adventure.
Upon my arrival back in Ontario, I had a few stops to make. I was able to get picked up form the airport, in Hamilton, by a good friend of mine. She let me leave my stuff at her house for a couple days so I could go to the body shop, in Toronto, where I had to settle some fees and get my car back & apologize for wrecking the courtesy car.
Get my life started over again I visited my doctor again, to see when the Physio was going to start and to document the new injuries. I also, took a job at a body shop in Milton, ON doing prep work... I had to give up my apartment in Toronto, and moved into a large room on top of a store on Hamilton Mountain, it was very nice, and cheap too. I worked, attended physiotherapy, which was good for 8 weeks, so I tried to go as much as possible. I was able to pay off some of the debts, like the ambulance fee, $500 or so. The deductible on the rental was initially $500 as well.
The work was good for awhile, but the new friends that I had made wanted me to come back and visit. I had made some plans to go back out west, and I had another reason also, my first car accident litigation was coming up and my lawyer said I was going to be needed out there in the following months....
My eight weeks of Physio was completed near the end of October 2004, which was near the limit of when I could leave for travel especially driving. So in the following couple of weeks, I had asked my parents to store my belongings because I was going back out west, for what I thought was a few weeks. I left Toronto.... again, at the beginning of the week of Halloween 2004.....
TO BE CONTINUED..... The last days of 2004
Previously; I had just had a Car Accident, second one since 2001, almost to the day. I had cut off some unwanted friends of the time, and re-met old friends who had relocated to a new city, Burlington, ON.
I was now driving a rental car, brand new Pontiac Grand Prix. As I went down to Burlington to meet up with some of these old friends, I became aware of the feeling that I was kind of going backwards in time, and this time it might not end as well or as easy as it did after after our previous encounter years earlier. But, we were friends once, why not see if it can work again...
I had stopped working for the courier company, as I was a little shook from my accident, and didn't want to use a rental for the job. My first accident in 2001, had happened in almost the same way, so when this one happened, it was a set back, and I really needed some therapy.
Previously, I had paid everything out of my own pocket, but I had long stopped being able to do so, due to physiotherapy being so damn expensive. This time, with the help of a referral from my doctor, I was covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance), however with a hefty wait time...
I had about 6-8 weeks to kill, no job again, no money.... I had began racking up some serious debt. Paying my rent and bills with a credit card, after paying for the flights months earlier, it had began to get out of control. I was looking for a way to make cash money, under the table, just to pay my rent. I had made the down payment for the car on my credit card.
One thing good about getting your checks with held is that they are ready for you after awhile. After the car accident, I had finally received my first weeks pay, with about 5 more to follow, not that it was much.... it was something for while.
After July 1st weekend, I caught up with some other of the family members I had been friends with, we hung out re-acquainted ourselves, and they introduced me to the new ones, kids and what not. After a couple weeks, something came up and they had to leave town in a hurry... and that's all I will say about that, but they had work lined up in Saskatchewan and needed to get there fast.... they invited me to work, and help drive, etc.
We soon headed out from Burlington, ON up North on the 400 late one night.... we took the Southern Route. We pretty much went non-stop to Thunder Bay, where we needed to stop and find another friend. Upon arriving in Thunder Bay, we stopped and had lunch only to noticed that the city was very very very quiet, it seems that everybody had gone to a biker rally outside the city, at that junction town where 11 & 17 connect in fact, Nipigon, ON.
We were walking through the streets of down town Thunder Bay, ON.... when we spotted two girls and a baby down the way, one of my friends yells out " HEY! My Friend Thinks You're HOT!"
As I look over to see them, my friends take off, back to the car and before I know it I was the only one there and talking to them. The one that accepted the comment, gave me her number, and I told them I needed to be on my way, but would either call or stop back in town in the next few weeks.
It wasn't long before we were out of Ontario, and through Manitoba, and into Saskatchewan...One of the friends I was with just happened to be from Regina, SK and had a wife and kid with a nice little house, where I was welcomed and allowed to stay while we were in town to work. Regina, was a place I never really anticipated, but it grew on me.... Being Native myself, and seeing so many of my people within the city kind of felt more of a place where I'd fit in, if I was there on my own.
I met a few new friends and explored the city on my own a few nights, while the guys were with their lady friends.... Boring for me, you know...
I learned the city, met some people, worked hard for about a month or so, then something came up one day, and one of my friends had to leave town in a hurry again. So we headed west, to Canmore, AB just outside Banff.
We were only there about three days, but awake the whole time. Working in the day, partying at night, and over and over. When things started to catch up with these guys, I had the car, and all their tools in my trunk, we decided to leave one night heading back toward Calgary, AB.
This is where, I had to get involved and be a good friend. They were running from something, we left late at night without having had slept for days. We were in a hurry, and trying to stay awake.... Let's say I fell asleep at the wheel(That's been my story, I will stick to it).....we went into the guardrail, on the driver side.... I tried to adjust, but we were going to fast... we spun out, hit a rock wall a couple times while spinning, then the back wheel got caught and we started to roll....
When the car came to a rest, my friend who had been sleeping in the back seat woke up and stated that we need to get out of here, DRIVE DRIVE!
Air bags popped, windows smashed, blood everywhere, the car was crunched around my legs, my seat belt was on and I was OK, just messed up.... the doors wouldn't open, I had to climb out the passenger side window.... The other two were grabbing their tools and hiding them in the rock walls, as they were trying to get away. They told me that I should wait with the car, just so somebody was there.
I started flagging people down to stop, asking them to take me to the Hospital, doing so, I think I scared the shit out of their kids when they saw me. When I got to see myself in a mirror I understood why they didn't want to help. An ambulance showed up and took me to the Canmore Hospital, where I was for a few hours. They let me clean up and gave me some stitches... 7 of them; 2 in my nose, 5 in my wrist.
After the hospital released me, I was supposed to go the RCMP detachment in Town and make a statement. I also needed to find out where everybody was, I had to walk through town looking for my friends, all banged up and wrapped in bandages. When I found them, we laughed and walked for a bit, they said the girls were on their way from Regina. I told them I needed to go make a statment, so we made our way to that side of town.... and we discussed what I should say which was basically try to not to say their names, or that they were there at all...It was funny, because in my state I was in no way able to concentrate. The Officer that I talked to knew who they were and knew who I was with, and knew they were in town, and was just trying to get me to tell him and get confirmation. I was able to hold out the necessary information, and then I had to get our stuff out of the car that was in the impound yard.
When I saw the car, all I could do was stare, so much that the lot officer told me to stop staring and hurry up. The girls arrived later that day, we were now staying at a campsite at a national park. I didn't work again, even when we got back to Regina. My arm didn't move properly. One of my friends told me that they were going to stay there in Regina and that I would have to find my own way bak to Toronto. So I started trying to figure that out.
One of my new friends, was able to get me a bus ticket up to Edmonton, where I had been able to book a flight into Hamilton for about a hundred dollars. I had to leave that same day within a couple hours, so I hurried back to the house, to get my stuff and say thank you and goodbye to my friend and his wife, unfortunately, my other friend... the guy I had grown up with wasn't around at the time, and I didn't get to say any of that to him. I think he was kind of pissed about it because he has never talked to me since.
Financially, the trip was not a success, I was able to accumulate even more debt, on behalf of the rental company as well as the ambulance service, the trip home, and not getting paid from all the work I did, but whatever.... it was another adventure.
Upon my arrival back in Ontario, I had a few stops to make. I was able to get picked up form the airport, in Hamilton, by a good friend of mine. She let me leave my stuff at her house for a couple days so I could go to the body shop, in Toronto, where I had to settle some fees and get my car back & apologize for wrecking the courtesy car.
Get my life started over again I visited my doctor again, to see when the Physio was going to start and to document the new injuries. I also, took a job at a body shop in Milton, ON doing prep work... I had to give up my apartment in Toronto, and moved into a large room on top of a store on Hamilton Mountain, it was very nice, and cheap too. I worked, attended physiotherapy, which was good for 8 weeks, so I tried to go as much as possible. I was able to pay off some of the debts, like the ambulance fee, $500 or so. The deductible on the rental was initially $500 as well.
The work was good for awhile, but the new friends that I had made wanted me to come back and visit. I had made some plans to go back out west, and I had another reason also, my first car accident litigation was coming up and my lawyer said I was going to be needed out there in the following months....
My eight weeks of Physio was completed near the end of October 2004, which was near the limit of when I could leave for travel especially driving. So in the following couple of weeks, I had asked my parents to store my belongings because I was going back out west, for what I thought was a few weeks. I left Toronto.... again, at the beginning of the week of Halloween 2004.....
TO BE CONTINUED..... The last days of 2004
No comments:
Post a Comment