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On Thursday May 21st 1992 Prajna and I left in separate vehicles for the final rehearsal of The Maui Murders. Prajna was just minutes ahead of me and out of sight. As I came up to a curve leading down in to Maliko gulch, a driver was waving his hands to slow traffic down. As soon as I rounded the curve I saw Prajna’s car against the guardrail with another car facing the same way. I drove around the wreckage and looked into the driver’s window of her car. She saw me and called out to me.
She was alive. As clear as every memory is of this, I don’t remember parking my car or going to her. I just remember next being by Prajna’s side. She had a cut on her forehead from her broken sunglasses. She told me that the other car had crossed the center line.
Prajna’s Toyota Tercell was totaled. The other car was a large BMW. Its hood was on the road with hot coolant. Prajna and I talked more. She thought her leg was broken.
Police and fire department arrived. The firemen pulled the driver’s door open and got Prajna out and onto a stretcher.
Talking later to a fireman he said her hadn’t heard screaming like that since Vietnam.
I followed the ambulance to Maui Memorial Hospital and spent most of the evening in the emergency room. Prajna’s mom and brother got there soon after I called them.
The other driver was intoxicated. She suffered a busted lip from her steering wheel and had to listen to Prajna while medical personnel put pins in her left leg.
Prajna was in the hospital for two weeks. She still had a metal rod in her leg and scars from the accident.
That night I told the ER people Prajna was my fiancé to be able to get in to see her. But it was more than that that was the turning point in our relationship.
Wow. I remember that day, too, but from a different perspective. We were all at the rehearsal wondering "WTH are David and Prajna?!" Then an announcement was made that Prajna had been in a car accident and you guys were at the hospital. I didn't think a room full of theatre people could be so quiet.
ReplyDeleteAfter a few minutes of silence, we all got busy trying to figure out what to do. The next thing I remember was being handed a clipboard and a headset and told I was going on as Prajna's part.
The next nite I remember you being there. Not *you*, but at least your body was there. I remember following the script I had on my clipboard and physically moving your body to get you ready for entrances and reminding you of your lines as your brain was nowhere even close to the theatre or the show. But, hey! It all worked out ok. Us "Beavers" help each other out, right? :)