As I write this piece, I am currently in my hometown, lots of kilometers away from the university town I live in. Going back home is a good and happy thing, but two things keep me from enjoying the long weekend: I have inches of literature to review for a position paper I am working on, and I am looking after my bedridden father.
You see, my father has been a victim of a gruesome motorcycle accident weeks ago. The crash severely injured his two feet and hips, the latter being the most severely affected. His feet already went under the knife, and is currently recovering. By the end of the month, he will again undergo surgery for his damaged hips.
While an investigation was ongoing, while my father was confined at the hospital, I was stuck in my academic world: readings, quizzes, sabaw mode. Only days after the accident was I informed: my mother called me and said, “Anak, ibagak kenka ti agpaypayso: naaksidente ti amam.” [Son, let me tell you the truth: your dad met an accident.] She said she does not want me to be worried, thus, the delay in informing me about the accident.
And indeed she does not want me to be worried. Hours before writing this, everything was revealed to me. It was bothering, indeed.
Weeks ago, while traveling southbound, and while it was raining, my father was driving a motorcycle. Right in front of him is a Manila-bound bus, which stops and goes to pick up passengers. Perhaps because of his impatience, he decided to overtake the big vehicle. However, on the northbound side, an Innova was traveling, too. Then, things happened. Slam on the Innova, slam on the bus, then, my father was lying on the street.
He was brought to the hospital in the adjacent city. A policeman called my mother, saying my father had an accident. My mother said that the policeman did not say a word about his condition: whether or not he is conscious, unconscious, or dead.
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There are a lot of motorcycle accidents around the nation, and sometimes, these cause fatalities. Of the 11,414 accidents reported from January-September last year, 2,788 motorcycles were involved in accidents, according to a Tempo news story. And it seems the trend is that the number of accidents is increasing.
Thank God my father is still alive, but it is very sad to see him bedridden, and, at times, in excruciating pain. This seems to be a lesson learned for him; you see, this is a case of drunk driving. For many times, we have already told him that if he is just from a drinking binge, he should not attempt to come home for his safety. Then, the accident happened.
The saying is true, indeed. Repentance always comes last.
This sounds cliche, fine. But, every driver – whether motorcycle or car, van or truck – must always be an alert and defensive driver. If you are going to drive home, better not indulge yourself in an alcohol drinking binge. Finally, drivers must follow traffic rules at all times. I think everybody knows what he/she should do while on the road.
Let me end this piece with an excerpt from sir Herdy La. Yumul’s essay Musings of a motorcycle crash survivor:
But accidents choose nobody, and no matter how good a driver you may be, you cannot expect others to be as careful. Worse, much as you wish, you cannot always trust yourself to be as cautious as humanly possible. There are times when deep thinking distracts you, and, occasionally, your senses simply betray you. Or it could be the weather. Or the infrastructure. Or the vehicle itself.
Guien's Panorama 