Nine Lives

Many years ago, I attended a three day workshop in a nearby province and I was on my own. On the night I arrived, I ended in an accident as the motorbike I was riding collided with another one. Both motorcycle drivers were fine but I wasn't. I sprained one of my foot as well as receiving bruises all over. 

When I was lying on the ground, someone came to me and told me he was willing to send me to the hospital if I pay him two hundred baht. I agreed because I have no other way to pick myself up to go to the hospital. I was bleeding and I couldn't stand up. It was saddening that a man came not to offer assistance but to pry on helpless people by asking money in exchange for a ride to the hospital. I was in a cast for a month. 

Three weeks ago, I was involved once again in a motorcycle accident. This time, I was the one driving. I wasn't able to pull the brake levers on time to stop for a crossing cat so I fell sideways on the ground. The things I bought from the market went splattering on the street along with my purse and phone. 

There were cars passing and a couple of motorcycles came but none stopped to help. To my right, I could hear some people playing basketball since it happened adjacent to a court but none came running to even care. In the middle of the street, I cried for I cannot stand up but I summoned my strength and told myself that being weak was not the solution to my dilemma at that time. I needed to be strong.

I drove myself home with blood and bruises while feeling pain on both hands and fingers. I hailed a cab via phone, sent myself to the hospital and was treated for my minor injuries. I arrived home feeling numb in both hands and pain on the right side of my body and leg. It was a minor accident and I was a lucky chap. 

I was hit by a school bus when I was six, fell down from a tree when I was twelve, bumped my head in two different occasions and received stitches on my forehead, thrown from an elephant in one of my trips, gone through a laparoscopic surgery with no one around to take care of me, and so on. I am still alive and I learned that most people are not kind nor caring. It might be different if I was a movie star or someone wealthy but I am not. Nevertheless, these unfortunate events made me aware of my safety. It also made me think that I might be a cat. With nine lives, I get to live and tell my stories.