Collateral Damage

I injured my right forefinger this morning. It has two cuts, one on the front and the other on the back. It is swollen and black and blue, though it is not hurting as much now as it did at first. How did it happen? A friend did it to me.

It was not intentional - in fact she was trying to help me. I had my arms full with bags and bundles I was taking into a meeting, so she closed the car door for me. Unfortunately my finger was in the way.

While my injury was not caused by any sort of military action it fits the definition of collateral damage in that it was not intentional and happened as a result of some other action. Kevin has done it twice to me.

First he damaged my face in a car accident. This was 42 years ago, before we were married. I sued him for damages and the government insurance paid up. We were lucky because the law had just been changed to allow one spouse to sue another. The change was so recent that it got reported in the paper. I received $3000 dollars which went a very long way towards paying off our first house.

The second time was in 1993 when he asked me to pour petrol into the carburettor while he tried to start the engine on his old Jeep. Unfortunately it misfired and the petrol ignited. I suffered burns to my face, chest and arms. I spent two and a half weeks in hospital, had three skin grafts and have very little scarring. Again I was lucky. And so was he. We are still married.