Sbu Hadebe
The date is 25 March 2005 and it all began as any other day and this young arrogant, hot shot 24 year old expecting his first born any day from now went on to work with a plan to pick up a friend from Durban after work and go for a braai with colleagues as it was Good Friday. Everything was going as planned and the braai was just a perfect occasion that was needed to relax and lay back a bit but I was so arrogant that I believed that I can handle my alcohol no matter what.
As I drove off from Midrand to Sophiatown with my friend sleeping in the car and I pulled over for petrol and told myself I’m still good, not realising how drunk I was. I joined the N1 on New Road and turned up the volume so to stay awake but fatigue was to have a better of me as in two days I had only slept for about 5hours due the over time I had been doing to make sure my daughter was not in need of anything.
All was well on the road till I pass Marlboro and sleep took precedence over me and never made it pass Grayston. All that I saw was the car headed for concrete wall and managed to swerve the car away from the passenger side where it was to hit and did a full 180 and it hit on my side and had no clue what just happened. for a moment I was out and the friend that was in there managed to wake me up after he got out by the will of the Lord and when the emergency people got there asked who was driving and when they had it was me, they said impossible that a drive can survive that crash.
My life changed from that night on – had I just slept over where I was I would not have the scars I have today. My daughter was born on the 30th of the same month. I almost missed one of the most important days in my life and robbed my child and her mother a father figure. I regret that Friday but I vowed never to have another Friday like that and six years on I have not had anything like that. The scary part is that you never admit to anyone what really happen, well for me this is the first time, I had always blamed a car that was not there. What if my friend had died that night, would I have been able to live with myself? I will be missing out on my daughters life. I wouldn’t be witnessing her mother becoming a great woman and proving how natural of a parent she is. I would have put my mother through the pain of burying her only child. I live a life of no regret Fridays now.
