12. A minor accident before the trip to the South Island.

 

Before the trip, I researched online, booked ferry tickets, train tickets, bus tickets, and a one-night stay along the way. Actually, I could have flown across the islands directly, which might have saved money and time. But I wanted an experience I didn't know what it would be like, to experience different modes of travel, visit various places, and meet people and see things I'd never seen before. When I booked these things, I usually did it a while before the trip, checking each day of the week to see which one was cheapest. I tried to make each booking as coordinated and balanced as possible, not necessarily the cheapest. Because the main point was to have a diverse experience, adjusting here and there. Once everything fell into place, all that was left was to save up and wait for the day.

 

While waiting for the trip in about a week, two unlikely minor accidents occurred. The first was one work day when I rushed out of the car to pick up beans. I closed the car door with normal force, but due to impatience and carelessness, I meant, my mind was on the bean field in front of me while my hand was swinging the car door. This caused the door to pinch and hit the tip of my left thumb right at the nail. At the time, I felt pain but pretended not to notice because greed and impatience had taken over. I just kept picking beans. The symptoms worsened around noon; my finger started to ache and I worked slower. I began to feel frustrated and annoyed, and at the same time, the aunt's daughter felt unwell and wanted to go home at noon. She asked me if it was possible, and since my finger was already hurting, even though I wanted to work and save money, I didn't value money more than the thought of making her feel better. So, I was happy to drive her home, and another exciting incident happened again. While I was turning the steering wheel to park the car as close to the house as possible so that she wouldn't have to walk far, the entrance to the house was quite a tight fit for the car. However, I didn't leave enough space due to carelessness, and her new car scraped its side against  the corner of a neighbor's house wall, resulting in a not-too-large but still quite noticeable scratch for a new car.

 

I told her right away not to worry about anything, that I would take responsibility for all the repair costs. My mouth said that, but deep down I was worried too. I wasn't concerned about the money, but what I was worried about was how her mother would view this when she got back home. And another thing was that I was about to travel in a few days. Plus, my dominant thumb was still sore. I admit I was worried, but I didn't show it. I made lemongrass tea for her to drink in order to ease her stomach pain while I slowly sat down to think and assess the situation.

 

Then, as it got late in the afternoon, close to the aunt's work ending time, I decided to call her, giving her a little hint that I wanted her to come home quickly because I had something to talk to her about. My intention was to give her some time to prepare herself, hoping it might reduce her shock when she returned and saw the scratches on the car.

 

But then things were resolved quite easily because of the aunt's generosity. She didn't see it as a big deal like I did. She said she knew a good, affordable paint shop, and she took me around to talk to the painter that evening. When I heard the price, the painter quoted and I tried adding various emotional compensation costs, I thought I would likely be responsible for no more than $500 in damages for this. Knowing the rough figure in my head helped me reduce my stress significantly.

 

Regarding my finger, the aunt recommended that I take anti-inflammatory medication as a precaution, but I was still stubborn as usual. At that time, I had the attitude that the body could heal itself on its own, and out of arrogance, I didn't follow the aunt's advice. About a day later, I saw unexpected results. My left thumb was almost twice the size of the other, and there was black blood trapped under the nail that couldn't escape. My finger hurt so much that I slept fitfully and couldn't go to work the next day. At one point, I had to use a needle to pierce the skin at the tip of my nail to squeeze out the trapped blood. Part of me was excited about what was happening because the blood was gushing out like a fountain, and part of me was slightly amused at myself for not taking the anti-inflammatory medication as the aunt had suggested. However, after squeezing out the bad blood, the pain decreased significantly, but it still hurt. I thought that all I had to do was wait, but even then, I didn't go get any anti-inflammatory medication.

 

The day of departure was approaching. I'd already transferred the money for fixing the car to the aunt's account, but I still have to wait a while for the mechanic to be available. Honestly, I wanted to stay and take responsibility until everything was finished, but the situation didn't allow for it. Nevertheless, the aunt was very understanding and even threw a birthday party for me, taking the opportunity to say goodbye as well. I myself still felt strange and confused about whether leaving this house was a good idea, but it was just a small voice in my heart. The next day, the aunt drove me to the bus station. To be honest, at that time I was thinking of going to the South Island and finding work there for a while to change the scenery. I hugged her in a courtesy manner, but in my heart I felt grateful.