Hi everyone. It's time to start preparing an extract for reading in the prose competition.
I wondered if my story of when I was injured working as a bricklayer in Ireland would be a good passage to read? What do you think?
I am writing
in response to your request for additional information in Question 3 of the
accident reporting form. I put "Poor Planning" as the cause of my
accident. You asked for a fuller explanation, and I trust the following details
will be sufficient.
I was working as a bricklayer. On the day of the accident, I was working alone
on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I found I
had some bricks left over which when weighed later were found to weigh 120kgs.
Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel
by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth
floor.
Securing the rope at ground level, I
went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I
went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of
the 120kg of bricks. You will note on the accident reporting form that my
weight is 85kg.
Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my
presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded
at a rapid rate up the side of the building.
In the vicinity of the third floor, I
met the barrel which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive
speed. This explains the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken
collarbone, as listed in Section 3, accident reporting form.
Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the
fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley which I
mentioned in Paragraph 2 of this correspondence. Fortunately, by this time, I
had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in
spite of the excruciating pain I was now beginning to experience.
At approximately the same time,
however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground, and the bottom fell out of the
barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed
approximately 25kg. I refer you again to my weight.
As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In
the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for
the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe lacerations of my legs and
lower body.
Here my luck began to change
slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my
injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three
vertebrae were cracked.
I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain,
unable to move and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost
my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope.
Hi everyone.
