Lost in heartbreak and regret, could an accident of fate be Lisa’s road to redemption?
BY CARMEL HARRINGTON
Lisa stroked Daisy’s dark curls as her little girl napped in her arms. Her mind was full of her father, more than ever today on his birthday. So much had changed since he died. Lisa felt her eyes grow heavy and she, too, fell asleep, dreaming of a fateful night five years ago...
Lisa felt the violent jerking motion of her Jeep, coupled with a loud, searing bang as her front tire burst. She was driving too fast for the narrow country road and cried out as she fought to control the vehicle. Her father’s voice rang in her ears, telling her to slow down. How often had she thrown her eyes upwards as he issued that sage warning?
The steering wheel pulled against her, a battle between her father’s ancient Land Rover and the icy road she was on.
She swerved to the other side of the road, and the driver’s door brushed the grassy ditch on her right. Pushing hard on the brakes, she brought the car to a skidding halt.
Heart racing, Lisa rested her forehead on the steering wheel, breathing in and out quickly to calm down.
That had been a close call. Too close.
“You need to be more careful, girl,” she heard her dad’s voice admonish.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry, Dad…” Lisa whispered back to the empty car.
A tap on the window beside her made her bolt upright. A face peered in, cloaked in dark shadow.
“You OK in there?” A man’s voice said, deep and rich. His accent was difficult to place. Irish, but with a twang.
“Do you need help?” He called out again, a little louder this time. She spotted his car parked a couple of hundred feet away at the side of a slip road on the right. And with a flash of shame, she realised that if he’d turned onto this road a moment before, she might have ploughed head-first into him.
Lisa took a steadying breath, pulled herself together and wound down the driver’s window. “I’m fine. Thank you for stopping to check.”
“Tire blowout. Saw it happen as I
waited to turn left onto this road. You did well to keep this big guy under control,” he said as he tapped the roof of the car.
“I nearly ended up in the ditch,” Lisa said, her voice trembling slightly.
“You’ve had a shock. I’d like to help you change the tire if that’s OK?” he offered, leaning in closer to the window.
A prickle of unease rippled down he
