And Suddenly Time Stood Still

Two Saturdays ago, my daughters asked me if we could go buy something from a bookstore located at CSI CityMall. As a doting mom, I gladly obliged.

Trudging towards the main hi-way of Malued District, I immediately saw a tricycle parked along the road. “Great! We won’t have any difficulty finding one!”, I told myself.

My kids hopped onto the passenger side while I went around and sat behind the driver. I even kidded the driver, “Ma, dito na ako sa likod mo kase di ako kasya sa loob ng tricycle.” And I could still vividly recall how he let out a quick chuckle as he knew that I was referring to my weight issue.

With that, we slowly traversed the main road till we turned right as we reached Malta Street. Honestly, I really did not know that the driver was feeling unwell. After all, he was driving the vehicle seamlessly.

As we reached the end of the street, he made a gentle stop. Then it happened. He turned to me as if wanting to say something. But he couldn’t say a word. Instead, he began to go into a seizure. My first instinct was to grab my daughters and to pull them out from the side car of the tricycle and to bring them to a safer place.

My mind raced. Was this man having a Grand Mal seizure? Maybe he was an Epileptic. Or worse, was he having a heart attack?

It was a kind of scenario where you don’t want to be in. As I looked around, all the onlookers were as stunned as I was. Traffic along Tapuac Street virtually stopped as if time stood still. Tricycle drivers,who were once busy huddling on the other side of the road, froze. By-standers, just everyone, were all shocked.

All I could do was yell. “Help him please!” I couldn’t move myself. My knees were shaking and I couldn’t let go of my daughters who I was afraid might follow me if I run towards the driver to help him. I wouldn’t want them to be put at risk lest they get hit by another vehicle driven by a distracted driver. Oh! It felt terrible looking at the poor guy till his seizures stopped.

Finally, as I let out another yell encouraging someone to bring him to a hospital, some tricycle drivers were able to get back to their senses and carried the then unconscious driver to the passenger side. In a jiffy they sped off to bring him to a nearby hospital.

Honestly, it took a while before I was able to compose myself. I didn’t even now where home was at that time.

My legs really felt like jello. The image of him turning his back to face me and the mere fact that it was the last effort he made before he began to have his seizure was hard to forget.

He was probably in his mid forties. He was a little heavy on the side. Goodness! It’s very possible that he has a wife and it is probable that he had little kids who might have been waiting for him to come home that night. Oh I can only imagine!

When I went to bed that night, a plethora of questions about how I’ve been running my life began to cascade my mind. The kind of food I eat: the good and the bad Cholesterols. Hmnn.

How many hours of sleep do I get each day? Do I get enough exercise? How is my relationship with my Creator at this point in my life? Am I making a difference as I pass through this lifetime? 

The incident really got me into deep thinking. I know. It’s time to change ways.

Looking back, my heart is filled with gratitude as to how the Lord spared my life and that of my children from meeting an accident on that fateful day.

As for the tricycle driver who I barely knew and who according to my source is currently fighting for his dear life, I pray that that he will be able to survive the unfortunate ordeal. In fact I would like to thank him through this corner. You see, if he did not stop the vehicle just before he had the seizures and if he went full throttle instead, who knows what could have become of me and my children?

So for the rest of the week and the years to come, let me say to everyone -- stay healthy and stay safe. God bless.