31st August 1997, 1am (Paris time): A Mercedes-Benz drives at speed through Pont de l'Alma tunnel. The inhabitants of the car are contract driver, Henri Paul; Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed,also known as Dodi; Trevor Rees Jones, a body guard and Diana Princess of Wales, an icon.
In Aberdeen, Scotland a 28 year old woman lies awake next to her sleeping husband, Meeester.
The Mercedes crashes.
Misssy M is preoccupied.
1.30am: Ambulances arrive. The driver is dead. Dodi Fayed shows no sign of life but a resuscitation attempt is made. Trevor Rees Jones and Diana Princes of Wales are alive. Rees has facial injuries and is rushed to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Diana is crouched on the rear passenger floor with her back to the road. Ambulance crews cannot remove her.
Misssy thinks she might be pregnant.
1.45am: News breaks of a serious accident involving royalty. Journalists everywhere are called into work.
2am: Diana is freed from the wreckage and is rushed to Pitié-Salpêtrière. She is alive.
Misssy wonders if she is ready. What time can she get a test? Do all night garages sell pregnancy tests?
2.15am: Surgeons discover that Diana’s heart has been displaced to the right side of her chest. Her pulmonary vein and the pericardium are torn. They operate immediately.
3.30am: Meeester gets up for his early morning shift.
Surgeons struggle to repair the damage in Diana’s chest cavity.
Meeester goes out the front door being careful not to waken his wife.
4am: Doctors pronounce Diana dead.
Meeester arrives at work at the same time as James Naughtie of the Radio 4 Today Programme arrives at his. The Radio 4 schedule is abandoned. Naughtie delivers news of a terrible accident.
4.30: Jean-Pierre Chevènement France's Interior Minister and Sir Michael Jay, British Ambassador meet with police to discuss the press release.
5am: Meeester phones Misssy.
“Put the telly on. Something has happened. I’m sorry. Happy Paper Anniversary by the way.”
Peter Sissons is on the BBC. Sissons on a Sunday? Diana has been injured. Dark footage at a tunnel shows chaos. It is light outside in Aberdeen. What is going on? What time is it?
Calls are placed to next of kin by police and diplomats.
5.10am: Misssy thinks about chemist opening hours, but sits glued to the television. Journalists interview other journalists. Misssy clicks on Radio 4. Naughtie? On a Sunday? She puts the kettle on, then switches it off again. It’s too early for tea.
Sissons is interviewing Jennie Bond, the BBC’s Royal Correspondent. She knows nothing and is talking about Diana and Dodi’s recent holiday in the South of France.
5.20am: Misssy turns the TV up as she puts the kettle on again.
5.30am: Diana’s death is announced to the world’s press. The BBC are still saying Diana is seriously injured.
6am: Misssy gets dressed in front of the television. Diana’s death is announced. Half dressed, Misssy sits down.
More journalists interview other journalists. Paparazzi apparently ran the car off the road. Stock footage of Diana is shown being hounded by press when she was nineteen, holidaying with her children and getting married to Prince Charles. Sissons is looking tired and upset.
9.30am: Misssy leaves the house. The streets are empty.
Prime Minister Tony Blair is interviewed outside his local church.
9.40am: Safeway is open. There are six cars in the car park. Misssy feels weird. Oh my god, her kids. She is not a royalist, but she might be a mum. She starts to cry in the car.
Finding out about new life doesn’t seem right today.
10.15am: Misssy returns home and turns on the television once again. She reads the instructions on her pregnancy test and pees on a stick.
10.25am: Newscaster Peter Sissons is speculating about the Royal Household. The Queen is believed to be in Balmoral. She has said nothing.
Thirty miles from Balmoral, Misssy looks at two little purple lines side by side. On the television people talk of nothing ever being the same again.
Misssy starts to cry with happiness.
It’s a strange day.
My son Indy
******
What was finding out you were pregnant for the first time like?
(This post was inspired by Lori)
Fantastic post Gillian. It gave me goosebumps. Well done.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written, expertly crafted and so great that's true. New life is always a cause for celebration. Always.
ReplyDeleteoh wow, what a day to find out, huh?
ReplyDeleteBrilliant post! Yeah nothing quite so dramatic for me. I was on one of my 'pretend diets' and on holiday in Vienna and just really attracted to the smells coming out of the McDonalds. Also some silly young boyfriend of my mums said to me the day I arrived there 'you're pregant aren't you?' and yeah, peed on stick. I was!
ReplyDeleteThat was fabulous. Nothing so dramatic and memorable. After 1 1/2 years of trying I felt ill. finally peed on the stick and voila! She's 3 now. And I have a 10 month old boy. Funny, both were a surprise and both times I found out I was slightly hungover. Not a stellar beginning for either.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant stick peeing story!
ReplyDeleteI had known the guy 6 weeks when i suspected there may be someone growing in me. we had a running joke about alligators living in my tummy and i joked about how there might not just be alligators in there. we went to boots, got a double pack of pregnancy tests. while walking up perth rd in dundee we ran into my mum. very hard to act casual while your mum meets your new FB for the first time and you think you might be having his baby. finally we ditched mother, dashed home and peed on a stick. POSITIVE. after a shaky start we lasted a year and a half, which i thought was pretty good considering. i am now the happy single parent of a beautiful 6 year old daughter who i would not be without. and her dad is the best ex gal could ask for.
Great post - mine was more of a Mr insisting I took a pregnancy test after I started throwing up the whole time after having been feeling sick for days... wasn't a bug was 8 weeks pregnant!
ReplyDeleteSo well written. What a memorable story! xx
ReplyDeleteBrilliantly written. Amazing when you think about all the things that are happening around the world at the same time. And I'm with Steve. New life is always a cause for celebration.
ReplyDeleteA great post, made me a little bit teary.
ReplyDeleteMine was nowhere near as dramatic, we were on holiday (in the Maldives lah de dah) I couldn't finish my glass of wine and I didn't fit into any of the clothes I'd taken, I figured I should take a test...
What a fab post. I felt I was pregnant almost from conception. Sounds daft, I know, but I kind of tingled, and my boobs got all tender. I had to wait until I could pee on a stick because it was so early.
ReplyDeleteIt was our first effort too (as it were). My ex-h was confidently expecting it to take a good six months and wallop! down in one!
Nothing as exciting for me. Had been off the pill for 3mo, missed a period, went to town and got a test - couldn't wait so I went to the public loo's, gross I know, but had exciting news when I got home again :)
ReplyDeleteGillian and Emma, I just popped over from Sleepless Nights to congratulate you on your book. I'm in the process of writing a text book and I know the effort involved in writing non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteI am, alas, not a parent. If I am blessed, you can be sure your book will find a place on my shelf.
PS Apologies for the link to my old blog. The blogspot login will not allow me to enter my own URL and name. The last post will link you across to my current site.
Lori: you never forget the first time.
ReplyDeleteSteve: Thanks Stevo. You are right.
Heather: Was very surreal. And it was out first anniversary as well. Restaurant was empty that night.
Emma: Is that the diet where your Mum made you swim the length of the Danube?
Pond: Re hangover- reckon you’re in the majority with that one, actually! Or is that just drunk when conceiving?
Two Dolls: What a story- AWKWARD!
Muddling: That very thing has just happened to a girl I work with. Think she did about 7 tests!
Jane: Thanks!
Coolwhip: Cheers, m’dear!
Bored: Check you out with your Maldives (my brother is there right now- jealous much?)
Sarah: I think I was the same both times- I think you just know. Mind you, since then 9and post vasectomy) I was convinced I was pregnant about 3 years ago as i had the same feeling. Turned out to be nothing. V weird.
Going: I had to stop myself from going in Safeway carpark, I was that excited. Good for you for making it to an actual toilet.
Watershedd: Thank you so much. Fingers crossed you’ll read the book and have the first hand knowledge—if you know what I mean!