A Traffic Accident

“Ouch… it hurts!” I clutched my knee in agony. Blood was gushing out from my leg like a waterfall. I was a picture of misery as excruciating pain bolted through my entire being. Around me, traffic had come to a standstill as drivers rolled down their windows to see what the commotion was all about. As the pain intensified, I could not help but recall how I had arrived at this dreadful moment…

“Yay! It’s Saturday!” I chirruped happily. Jumping jubilantly, I grabbed a marker and doodled a smiley around this much-anticipated day on my calendar. Every Saturday, my bestie, Mark, and I would embark on a cycling journey. Come rain or shine, we would take our wheels out for a spin.

Tappity-tap-tap! It was Mark, announcing his arrival with his trademark greeting. I smiled before darting over to open the door. “Are you ready?” he exclaimed exuberantly. I flashed a thumbs-up, my ecstatic grin saying it all. Towing my bicycle from the garage, I quickly joined Mark. In one swift motion, I was perched on the bike. My partner-in-crime and I were raring to dive into our weekly antics.

“So, are you ready for a game of ‘Dodgeball’?” Mark suggested, with a twinkle in his eye. How could I say no? ‘Dodgeball’ to us was not a harmless game played with a ball. We morphed into human dodgeballs, dicing with the traffic instead! Being daredevils, this dangerous, hair-raising activity appealed to our wilder side. The weather was perfect for such an occasion and so the stage was set. Little did I know, fate had other plans for me…

With a determined look in our eyes, we started our race across the 8-lane road which was surprisingly quite empty. Pedalling furiously, I threw caution to the wind. I was unstoppable—my legs a lean, mean biking machine. In a split second, I had surpassed two lanes and was nearing the third. Quickly glancing behind, I realised that Mark was far behind me. I soon grew complacent. Feeling like I had already won the battle, I foolishly forgot that I was in forbidden territory. Out of the blue, a speeding BMW-i6 lurched towards me like a loose cannon. The knot in my stomach tightened. My eyes widened in abject terror. Buoyed by a sudden rush of adrenaline, I tried to desperately pedal away, but it was too late.

Screech! The speeding motorist struck me hard. I heard myself scream as Mark’s horrified shriek echoed mine. Like a ragdoll, I was flung off my bicycle and hurtled to the ground with a sickening thud. I tried to sit up but could only smell the burning tyres assaulting my senses. As I lay on the floor, I was a limp heap of agony.

“Jovan… ” a voice rang out. I thought I heard my name in spite of the searing pain in my bleeding left knee. In no time, I also felt a throbbing pain that seemed to radiate from my twisted ankle. “Jovan… ” the voice grew louder.

Mustering a whimper, I turned over. Writhing on the unforgiving asphalt, I noticed my bicycle for the first time. Reduced to a mangled wreck, it lay crumpled and unrecognisable, staring at me forlornly. Unable to withstand the agony, I was barely aware of the crowd that had started to form around me.

Mark was the first to reach me, concern etched all over his face. “It’s okay… you are going to be okay. Help is on the way… ” he rattled on, grabbing my hand tightly. Mark’s trembling hands belied his calm exterior. Thankfully, the familiar siren of an approaching ambulance provided me with some consolation. Every second that I lay there felt like an eternity. I had not only sustained several nasty abrasions; by then, the blue-black bruises on my mottled limbs had turned a darker shade—grim proof that the damage I had suffered went beyond mere surface wounds.

Who was the driver responsible for this? Wait. Where was he? Only then did Mark reveal to me that the driver was nowhere to be found! As livid as I was, deep down I knew that I was partially to blame for this traffic accident. As I was hoisted into the ambulance by the paramedics, I heaved a depressed sigh. As they closed the doors behind me, I finally understood the true meaning of the proverbial saying: ‘Fools rush in where angels fear to tread’.