Railway Ramblings

The car was beautiful and the weather was excellent. Everybody had breakfast and we were all ready to go. Each went to his designated car. Me and my daughter headed for Edmund’s car, the beautiful Nissan Skyline with its modern curves and features that could turn heads even on a rainy day. I was on the passenger’s seat (as I was the navigator) and Edmund was on the driver’s seat, making final adjustments to ensure he’s comfortable while driving. His wife Virgie was at the back with their son Kurt. My daughter Danika was safely cuddled in the middle.

All set and off we went to Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand’s largest skiing area. Clint was in the front car, as he and his wife, Vivian, had been to the area many times before. Jeff with his wife Ana and the kids were in the second car. Not too far away was Jovy, with his wife Ellen, and their kids and Cathy in the third car, a Honda Odyssey. Then there was Jun and his wife Doreen in their small but excitingly reliable car. Their kids, Aaron and Winter, were with the Odyssey, driven by Jovy. And at the tail of the convoy was us. As if warning us of things to come, Edmund’s seat belt got stuck and he was driving without it on for the first few kilometers.

But we were too excited to be bothered by seat belts or the danger of not wearing them. We were on our way to the long and winding road towards our first snow ever. In fact, we started seeing patches of snow on the roadsides, and it brought the kids to hysteria, as the older ones savour the beauty of the snow-capped mountains in front of us. It was so beautiful. I wish my wife was with me on that trip. I wouldn’t even mind if she were as hysterical as the kids (as I knew she would be) upon seeing the majestic scenery around us.

The weather was clear as the clouds gave way to an amazing view of Mt. Ruapehu ahead of us. As we wound up towards the mountains, the temperature started to drop and the altitude began to rise. We caught sight with the other cars as we started our way up the winding road. Then we saw signs, warning signs like “Ice / Grit” and we jokingly said, “Ok, Ice” like we’re expecting ice alright, so what’s with the sign anyway.

On the way up, we saw some cars on the side of the road being fitted with chains, and we slowly passed by them. A little farther, we saw pebbles on the road, or some kind of gravel that hit the underbelly of the car, like we were on an unpaved road. What we didn’t realize was that those things were neither gravel nor pebbles … they were ice on the road, and it made driving more challenging than extreme sports.

All of a sudden, without warning, the car skidded. It was like I was watching Fast and Furious with cars drifting on a carpark, except this time I was inside the car and it was not a carpark but on the edge of the cliff. As the car was sliding to the right towards the opposite lane, the world seemed to swirl right in front of our eyes, and the car was heading towards the rails. The wheels failed to grip the roadway, and we were sliding sideways away from the centre of road. Edmund hit the brakes, just in time to avoid the rails and the cliff a few inches away, yes, inches away, not feet nor meters. I could hear my daughter saying, “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die.” For a moment, we were all silent, unable to grasp the reality of how close we were to seeing our Creator before the rapture.

After recovering from the shock of it all, Edmund told me to check the front wheels. We were now actually on the opposite lane, diagonally facing the cliff. I stepped out of the car, and saw first the cliff on my left side, and how steep the ravine was. After Edmund restarted the engine, I assisted him in redirecting the wheel, which was locked facing hard right. We started downhill, way back to a safer place to make a u-turn, and give ourselves a little time to gather our wits.

It was only the beginning of an adventure that we will never forget, and the continuation of God’s protection that we will always remember.

To Him be all glory power and praise!