CarizzCruzem

Last Friday, I went with Kuya Lito to LTO Imus to get me a student driver’s license. Every morning, my Dad gathers the family to pray. When I was told that day that I was going, I refused. Well, for one, coz I planned to do so many things on the computer that day. Another reason was… I didn’t really want to go out. I thought of several alibis just so my Dad would agree with me, but to no avail. He won! Minutes before Kuya Lito came to pick me up on his motorbike, Mom and Dad got into a little fight. So then, when Kuya Lito arrived, the air was intense. I asked each of my parents for their blessing and off we went.

While on the way, I was thinking of so many things. I’d thought of the little discussion I had with my Dad regarding not going out that day; also, of the little disagreement my Mom and Dad was having that morning; as well as the heavenly man which is the protagonist in the book I’ve been reading; finally, I’d thought of my situation as a Christian. While thinking about my current situation as a Christian, I remembered that we didn’t pray for safety. So, I said a little prayer that God would protect us on the way.

All of these were running around my head, when suddenly I found myself on the floor. I was in a state of shock. I was thinking, “What am I doing on the floor?” Then I saw the motorbike lying on its side beside me. And it dawned on me, “Oh, we slipped.” I didn’t know what else to do, so I remained rooted kneeling on the road oblivious of the traffic and the people staring at us. When I came out of the trance, I stood up and walked to the side of the road where Kuya Lito was already standing holding his motorbike. I was shaken. Kuya Lito asked if I was alright to which I responded with a little nod. With that, we drove off.

I felt like both of my knees joints were dislocated. So I prayed silently that we wouldn’t slip again because I was so sure that if it did happen again, my knees would be crushed into million pieces. Further down the road, Kuya Lito stopped. He told me that we couldn’t go on looking like we did. We both have dirt stains on both of our knees. But I didn’t care at all. It was alright with me. I mean, so what if I went about having mud stains all over me. I could care less about what people think of me, so long as it doesn’t harm them in anyway. But I didn’t tell him that, instead, I just smiled. He even thought about washing out his dirt away through the water running through the canal. The water was crystal clear but I said that it could contain some chemicals as it was coming from a factory. So he didn’t. He was thinking of going back because of what he looked but decided to continue on as we were nearer to Imus. So, I just asked him to text Dad and tell what happened. He did.

As we were on the road again, he gave me his cellphone to read the message he received right then. It was from my Dad. He was asking what FCI was and where it was. I was typing my way on the keypad to reply to my Dad when it rang. The call was from Ate Cynthia. I answered and she asked how we were. I told her that we were ok and that we only got mud stains. I didn’t want to tell her that I felt like the lower part of my leg would fall off any moment. I didn’t want anyone to worry. But as I was telling her that, the beguiled cellphone went dead. I tried to turn it on but I couldn’t. So I didn’t bother at all.

On the way to LTO, I found out why the motorbike slipped. Kuya Lito was on 3rd gear even if we were uphill and he was using the handbrake instead of the footbrake. The hand that pulls the handbrake is also the hand you use to apply gas. So in dire circumstances like falling out of balance, instead of stopping by using the handbrake, the gas contradicts the brake, especially if you’re a novice, like Kuya Lito. I remembered I had the same accident because I was using the handbrake. I wasn’t used to the footbrake but, I guess I had a trauma, so I never used handbrake since then. Yes, Kuya Lito is a novice; he even went on driving on a red light!!! I was sure thankful that the policeman’s back was on us! My Dad didn’t have any choice but to ask Kuya Lito to take me to LTO because he had to go somewhere else that day.

At last, we made it to LTO safe and sound. Kuya Lito promptly went to a faucet and washed the dirt away from his pants. Little did we know that my parents and my uncles and my aunts and several other people were really worried about us. They were thinking that FCI was a family clinic. They were all ready to come and get us but didn’t know where coz the only way of communication we had went dead on us! So they didn’t have any choice but to wait. Sure enough, when Kuya Lito turned his cellphone on, he had his inbox full with unread messages. So he texted back and said that we were ok and that they shouldn’t worry whatsoever.

When we came back home, my Mom was a little angry with Kuya Lito for causing such a commotion by not detailing what happened to us. They talked about what happened, but I was a little tired so I went ahead to my room and slept. When I woke up, Kuya Lito told me and my siblings to go with him coz my Mom was waiting in Jollibee. In her gratefulness to the Lord that nothing serious happened to us, she allowed us to order food of our choice.

In other words… I have my student driver’s license now!!!