The Accident

I was coming out of my apartment last week. It was a normal night, I was on the way out to meet my housemates for dinner.

Once I turned out onto the road, a motorbike in the opposite direction decided to overtake the car in front of him. It was a rather narrow road so before I knew it, a motorbike was eating into my lane and heading straight towards me at perhaps 60km/h...

....*BAM*

I'm not sure how far or how high the dude flew. All I knew was that once I got out of the car, he was a good 100 metres away from my car. Alive. With only a few scratches.

Can't say the same about my car. The front part was totally smashed. Sigh.

Interesting to point out was that though the fault was far from mine, it took only 2 minutes before people from neighbouring stalls and shops came running out and pointing accusatory fingers at me. Needless to say in which favour the racial balance was tipped but far be it for me to harp on an issue as sensitive as that.... (though I reckon my point has already been made ... loud and clear).

How in the whole wide world was it my fault when I was merrily heading out onto the correct lane when someone came rushing straight into mine ?

How was it my fault when remnants and glass pieces from the accident were all on MY (left) side of the road?

Oh wait .... perhaps they thought that just for that stretch of road, people drive on the RIGHT side of the road, so I was driving on the wrong side of the road and hit that motorcyclist.

Thankfully my 2 housemates joined me soon afterwards and I couldn't describe how much relief their mere presence provided me.

We headed to the police station after that and did what had to be done .... despite the sheer gloom the accident cast upon me that night, I was given a reason to cheer up.

For I was to catch a 10pm bus back to KL that night, and having finished up at the police station, I arrived at the bus station at 10.05pm only to find no buses there at all. I thought that was it. Goodbye KL

But then I discovered something ..... why were there so many people hanging around? Turns out the buses hadn't arrived yet. That night I was plunged both into distress and happiness at the same time ....

It's been a week now and I've just handed my car to the mechanic. I've since realized that in the heat of things, we take the most convenient path in accepting a situation... through denial. Where problems crop up, we immediately swing around and point fingers, seeking solace in the fleeting and misleading comfort that someone else will take the blame. Where solutions seem scarce, we are quick to judge those offered by others yet make little attempt at solutions ourselves.

Deep inside I've made peace with the person whom I collided with that night, though I probably will never see him again. I've learnt to accept that no one was to blame that night, that if an accident has to happen, it will happen. Nevermind those people who were judging us that night. No issue with the amount of bucks we'd both have to fork out to repair our damaged vehicles.

I'm just thankful that the both of us came away with our lives and good health that night. And for that I continue to be thankful ......