We were all kind of numb, and walked around doing what we had to do with drawn faces, not wanting to believe that such a tragedy had happened. And that to such a close knit family, who had such big plans for the future.
Stephan's parents drove all the way back, about five hundred kilometers, and arrived that same night so that they could help Stephan with the children, and Trienkie and self left early on the Saturday morning.It was the most horrible trip I had ever made, as the thought of that little family would not for a moment leave my mind, and my heart just bled for them.
Jan was quite calm when we got there, his wonderful friend Nico with them, and what a friend that turned out to be. He wasn't just talking about the tragedy, but in his calm way managed to steer Jan's thoughts away from the harsh reality, at other times just sitting quietly, but his presence had a calming effect even on me.
I was heartbroken for my child, who sat there looking at nothing in particular, and now and then he would ask in a toneless voice: 'Why Nina?', before falling back into his comatose state.
Little Andreas was all patched up, his head full of shiny clamps to keep his cracked skull together, his leg and arm in plaster, and they were waiting for a few days before grafting some bone into his brow, where a piece was ripped out. But he had to stay in hospital for some time, and it was agreed that Jan would stay with him, while I took the eldest, Rene, home and fetch the baby from Ronalee.
I was sad to leave my child with his sorrow, but the baby had to be seen to. As the baby was breastfeeding, Ronalee had gotten him a bottle and some infant powdered milk, and she assured me that he had taken quite easily to his new feeding method, which took a great load off my mind.
When that five week old wee thing was put into my arms by a stricken Ronalee, the enormity, and the tragedy of the whole thing dawned on me, as it had not until now, and for the first time the reality really came home to me!
I suddenly wondered whether Jan had let Nina's family know, and was horrified when Nico phoned me back and said that Jan's brain was so numbed that he had not yet thought of it! I knew that he was in no state to think straight, so I got Maria, Nina's sister's phone number, and left a message to phone me or Jan immediately. I walked around in a kind of fearful dread in case Maria phoned me and I had to give her the terrible news, but she phoned to Jan's phone, and Nico answered it, and he was the right one to convey the terrible news.
We brought the crib over to my house, and Trienkie stayed for the week, for which I was very thankful, as I was not yet over my flue and coughing, but Irma was also on her way from Belgium for a month.
The photo of Andreas was taken just before the accident happened.