Somehow we got back to base. A Hyundai mini-van from Middlesborough to Brigg. Two hours on the A1 motorway.
I’d planned it all perfectly. London tick, up to Lincolnshire tick. Do the north Yorkshire moors: tick.
The idea was take my friends to my glorious homeland.
90 kilometers north of Brigg we drop off our girls in Pickering, where they board a steam train. Olaf smiles as we enjoy a tea. Then we head into the amazing North York moors. Rolling hills, bracken and purples. At some harry potter station we pick up the girls and head to Whitby. A fishing village which in winter might inspire Dracula.
So we parked up at the top of the cliffs. Our trusted 8 seater. It was a beautiful day, blue skies. But you have to pay parking. I stuck the ticket in the window. Ariana flew into the air and landed on her right leg. I saw it break, heard it break and witnessed the horror on her parents face.
As I write this I can now feel my stomach drop. Olaf lifted Ariana from the tarmac. Everything flew into slow motion. Her leg flapped. Bystanders came into the fray. A nurse with a yellow jacket. Kerry on a day out with her kids. It didn’t look great.
She flew into the air and landed on her right leg. I saw it break, heard it break and witnessed the horror on her parents face
Perhaps after 3 minutes the police arrived. They called an air ambulance. So they were gonna take a Spanish girl with her mum to Middlesborough in a helicopter. No cost.
There was a great policeman on the scene who helped us get to the hospital and later visited Ariana.
They stuck metal stuff in her leg. Experts operated on her for hours. The nurses and doctors were fucking great. Ana, the mother, stayed over and was made to feel welcome.
Meanwhile we drank wine and planned around it. Ariana’s sister Carla needed attention. So we went to Cleethorpes, played in the garden, just distracting. My parents were supposed to go to my sister’s house in Sheffield. They came back and made me feel proud to be their son.
So anyway, yesterday, Olaf said the leg was fine. The specialist said’ “forget about it”.
Olaf, the German father, Ana the mother, is Spanish like her kids. I’m English, and at that moment I almost felt proud to be English for the way people worked and reacted.
It’s not about that though is it? People are great. Anywhere you go in the world people are great.
Can anyone tell me why you would vote Brexit? Ariana’s leg was saved.
We drank some wine that week.