1977 - Peter & Sandra car accident
Landed in Sydney on 22nd July 1976, got picked up at the airport by my friend Dr Terry Linsell who told me he was sharing a flat in Cremorne overlooking the Harbour with two other buddies Michael and Bob and that I could stay with them until I found other student accommodation closer to Sydney University. In the Following three months most of Michaels close group of friends became my friends too. Derwents - John and Margaret Derwents, Barbara Mill house and the Luis - Peter and Sandra. All of us were in the same age bracket and we spent oodles of time together on weekends playing cards and having lunches and dinnersmand watching movies at the cinemas. I also learnt a new Card game called Canasta and another called 500.
Come November 1976, Syd Uni Closed for Christmas and I was fortunate enough to get a vacation job as a bus conductor thanks to my classmate Chris Acheampong from Ghana. We were virtually inseparable at the Uni. He lived closer to the Uni with his wife daughter and son.
Chris told me there were five positions as a bus conductor and will be on a first come first serve basis subject to medical examination. Chris and I arrived at 4.30am and believe it or not there were four students in the queue already. So Chris was No5 and me No6 in the queue. I did not want to build my hopes up. We were all picked up think the first ten and driven to a bus depot for medicals. As luck would have it one girl dropped out and the chap before me was rejected as he was colour blind. Poor chap he was extremely disappointed.
Each one of us got posted to a depot close to where we lived so that we could get to work early in the mornings. I got posted to the Brookvale depot as the early morning staff bus went past Cremorne. It was a good three kilometer hike uphill for me to Military Road where the Bus Company picked up staff.
The bus came at 5.00am sharp which meant I had to wake up at 3.30 shower and get ready and either jog or take a brisk walk to the bus stop saying hello to all the doggies who got to know me as I always had some treats for them just in case they chased me (Dogs hate men in Uniforms for some reason Postmen, Police etc) and bit my calf muscles.
I settled well in the job and was having good fun. Early morning starts meant having to hit the sack early latest by 9.00pm.
One morning about 2.00am I had a bad dream. In my dream I saw a white Car Collide with a small brown car The Brown Car was a Honda Civic that Peter Lui and Sandra Drove. Peter was driving and he was OK. Sandra who was in the passenger seat was badly injured on the crash....
I snapped out of this bad dream with a cold sweat. Turned the Lights on and realised it was around 2.00am. Got myself some cold water to drink and convinced myself it was just a bad dream, but I could not go back to sleep as I may not wake up on time for work. Stayed in bed pondering what to do. You dont phone a friend at 2.00am and tell them not to drive. So I decided Id go to work and phone Peter and Sandra from the depot before they left for work. There was no such thing as a Mobile Phone or SMS or email or Whatsapp those days. Just the landline at home and workplaces.
I started work and by the time my first shift finished it was past 9.30 so I decided to forget about my silly dream. Finished my work by 3.30pm and went home and had a snooze.
Around 6.00pm I was up and Michael was busy cooking a meal in the kitchen and asked me to shower and get ready and set the table for dinner. I ducked into the shower and got dressed and walked into the kitchen. The stove was switched off and the dish was half cooked and Michael was nowhere to be seen. I assumed he must have gone downstairs to the laundry. not there he was gone and his VW was not in the parking lot. I was very confused and sat there dumbfounded trying to guess what was happening.
About 7.15Pm the Phone rang and it was Michael. He said sorry Ram I forgot to tell you that Michael and Sandra were the dinner guests and unfortunately they had a bad accident at the Sprofforth Rd Cremorne Rd intersection. I said Oh My God Were they in the Brown Honda Civic and were they hit by a White sedan ? Was Peter Driving ? Is Sandra OK ?
Michael said shut up Ram. Let me tell you . I am here at the Master Hospital. Rushed here as soon as I got a call and did not tell you as you were in the shower. How do you know all the details. I said Mike I had this dream in the Morning. and sandra was hurt and hospitalised.
He said your Bullshit dream was off the mark. Peter is bleeding from a Damaged nose which hit the steering wheel and they are treating him and Sandra is fine. I said Ok I will jump into my car and be there is a jiffy.
By the Time I reached Mater Hospital They had been moved to a regular ward from Emergency. Peter was sitting outside with a Bandaged nose Talking to Mike and Sandra was missing. Mike said Your dream was right ram Sandra has internal injuries caused by the seat belt and has been admitted.
Sandra was in Pain but could talk. I said I was sorry and she asked why and I said I should have called you this morning and asked you not to drive as I had a dream of your car accident.
I can never forget what Sandra said to me:
You silly Bugger stop dreaming about me .....:-)
Sandra who was a Kindy Teacher married Peter who topped electrical Engineering at NSW Uni and moved to Amsterdam to work for Honeywell. Then they moved to Hong Kong where Peter was part of the new Hong Kong Airport design Team and Sandra Joined LEGO and is today a Director Lego Asia Pacific. Unfortunately we lost Peter five years ago.
Landed in Sydney on 22nd July 1976, got picked up at the airport by my friend Dr Terry Linsell who told me he was sharing a flat in Cremorne overlooking the Harbour with two other buddies Michael and Bob and that I could stay with them until I found other student accommodation closer to Sydney University. In the Following three months most of Michaels close group of friends became my friends too. Derwents - John and Margaret Derwents, Barbara Mill house and the Luis - Peter and Sandra. All of us were in the same age bracket and we spent oodles of time together on weekends playing cards and having lunches and dinnersmand watching movies at the cinemas. I also learnt a new Card game called Canasta and another called 500.
Come November 1976, Syd Uni Closed for Christmas and I was fortunate enough to get a vacation job as a bus conductor thanks to my classmate Chris Acheampong from Ghana. We were virtually inseparable at the Uni. He lived closer to the Uni with his wife daughter and son.
Chris told me there were five positions as a bus conductor and will be on a first come first serve basis subject to medical examination. Chris and I arrived at 4.30am and believe it or not there were four students in the queue already. So Chris was No5 and me No6 in the queue. I did not want to build my hopes up. We were all picked up think the first ten and driven to a bus depot for medicals. As luck would have it one girl dropped out and the chap before me was rejected as he was colour blind. Poor chap he was extremely disappointed.
Each one of us got posted to a depot close to where we lived so that we could get to work early in the mornings. I got posted to the Brookvale depot as the early morning staff bus went past Cremorne. It was a good three kilometer hike uphill for me to Military Road where the Bus Company picked up staff.
The bus came at 5.00am sharp which meant I had to wake up at 3.30 shower and get ready and either jog or take a brisk walk to the bus stop saying hello to all the doggies who got to know me as I always had some treats for them just in case they chased me (Dogs hate men in Uniforms for some reason Postmen, Police etc) and bit my calf muscles.
I settled well in the job and was having good fun. Early morning starts meant having to hit the sack early latest by 9.00pm.
One morning about 2.00am I had a bad dream. In my dream I saw a white Car Collide with a small brown car The Brown Car was a Honda Civic that Peter Lui and Sandra Drove. Peter was driving and he was OK. Sandra who was in the passenger seat was badly injured on the crash....
I snapped out of this bad dream with a cold sweat. Turned the Lights on and realised it was around 2.00am. Got myself some cold water to drink and convinced myself it was just a bad dream, but I could not go back to sleep as I may not wake up on time for work. Stayed in bed pondering what to do. You dont phone a friend at 2.00am and tell them not to drive. So I decided Id go to work and phone Peter and Sandra from the depot before they left for work. There was no such thing as a Mobile Phone or SMS or email or Whatsapp those days. Just the landline at home and workplaces.
I started work and by the time my first shift finished it was past 9.30 so I decided to forget about my silly dream. Finished my work by 3.30pm and went home and had a snooze.
Around 6.00pm I was up and Michael was busy cooking a meal in the kitchen and asked me to shower and get ready and set the table for dinner. I ducked into the shower and got dressed and walked into the kitchen. The stove was switched off and the dish was half cooked and Michael was nowhere to be seen. I assumed he must have gone downstairs to the laundry. not there he was gone and his VW was not in the parking lot. I was very confused and sat there dumbfounded trying to guess what was happening.
About 7.15Pm the Phone rang and it was Michael. He said sorry Ram I forgot to tell you that Michael and Sandra were the dinner guests and unfortunately they had a bad accident at the Sprofforth Rd Cremorne Rd intersection. I said Oh My God Were they in the Brown Honda Civic and were they hit by a White sedan ? Was Peter Driving ? Is Sandra OK ?
Michael said shut up Ram. Let me tell you . I am here at the Master Hospital. Rushed here as soon as I got a call and did not tell you as you were in the shower. How do you know all the details. I said Mike I had this dream in the Morning. and sandra was hurt and hospitalised.
He said your Bullshit dream was off the mark. Peter is bleeding from a Damaged nose which hit the steering wheel and they are treating him and Sandra is fine. I said Ok I will jump into my car and be there is a jiffy.
By the Time I reached Mater Hospital They had been moved to a regular ward from Emergency. Peter was sitting outside with a Bandaged nose Talking to Mike and Sandra was missing. Mike said Your dream was right ram Sandra has internal injuries caused by the seat belt and has been admitted.
Sandra was in Pain but could talk. I said I was sorry and she asked why and I said I should have called you this morning and asked you not to drive as I had a dream of your car accident.
I can never forget what Sandra said to me:
You silly Bugger stop dreaming about me .....:-)
Sandra who was a Kindy Teacher married Peter who topped electrical Engineering at NSW Uni and moved to Amsterdam to work for Honeywell. Then they moved to Hong Kong where Peter was part of the new Hong Kong Airport design Team and Sandra Joined LEGO and is today a Director Lego Asia Pacific. Unfortunately we lost Peter five years ago.
