It is commanded, "Love thy neighbour as thyself." And the reason is because as humans, an intangible lesson that we must learn is to treasure life and to treasure the people around us because when a loved one departs, you never get that chance to say 'I love you' or to turn back the clock ever again. Once your neighbour leaves you, who else is left that you may turn to?
My friends, life is often neglected until that fateful day comes where we encounter death in its various manisfestations. Some of us may have had close brushes with death. Many of us have understood the effect of death. And many of us have witnessed death claiming the lives of people we may not even know. But always, always treasure life, treating every day as if it were your last. Do not regret the day you lose that chance.
I say this because this evening at 9.50pm as I made my daily pilgramage back home from training, I witnessed the unfortunate loss of a life. Death came as a traffic accident.
The victim was the passenger of the driver of a frozen produce truck that had swerved of the course of its intended path and met the face of a column beneath a flyover with full impact.
As I tried to put a picture to the ruckus, I realised it was too late and I felt gravitated to deliver help.
I plead with those reading this, if graphic details disturb you, I ask that you utilise your discretion.
As I drew closer to the site of the accident, I was able to view how badly smashed in the vehicle's front was. Everything else around was deafening silence as I felt even more compelled to check on the state of the two men that were trapped inside.
The driver was breathing, but it was clear that he was in need of immediate help. I was deeply troubled when my eyes had glazed across to his companion however. Motionless and seemingly lifeless, his body was nothing more than a floppy limp fold that chose to hang over the broken windscreen of a table. I could not see his face, for it was out of my angle of vision. It had protruded and had been flung too far forward for any bystander to see. All I saw was the back of his neck, head tilted to the side, blood streaking down his jugular like a thick red line of paint.
Two ambulances had been called. Two firetrucks ploughed through the road before stopping over, creating a momentary diversion. I wanted to help so badly while my heart screamed out for God to save the life of the passenger that was still sandwiched in the vehicle's cabin. It was in painful agony that I stood, watching the teams pry open the doors in a desperate fight against time; in a bid to save the life that was wearing so thin and so quickly.
But as I stood and watched even more, that slither of hope that I had seemed to etch away into the surrounding black night. It was all a flurry of confusion as the paramedics and the firemen bravely fought the evils of doubt and upheld their duties as keepers of life as they freed the doors of the pulverized truck.
This was where my heart felt the greatest sadness when I saw it was too late. As the passenger who had been laying there all the while was moved by the paramedics, urgently attempting to detect the slightest response from a body seemingly devoid of life.
What told me to stay put and chance upon the state of the victim myself I do not know but when his head had been lifted up, my entire stomach had turned itself inside-out as I fought to hold back any tears that were trying to escape.
It was too late as I saw his face. It had been mangled beyond recognition. The entire right portion of his face had been literally diced to pieces as the gory mess of his skin hung in shreds that resembled the mince beef you find in supermarkets.
Blood poured out of his ears and his neck was broken and twisted in the most obscure of angles, presumably from the impact of the collision.
Through that moment where I captured the haunting image of devastation, an image that seemed so horrific and grotesque, I knew I could bear no more. I removed myself from the site and placed myself amongst the crowd of bystanders that had gathered to witness the spectacle, stirring up fodder for next-day gossip.
As I stood and reflected upon the very words I had heard from another witness, I held back the tears even more and remained silent before taking my exit.
We never know what may happen in the course of our lives but let us take the efforts to bond closer in love and harmony, making every effort to treasure each other count.
 |
|
Friday, September 01, 2006
 designed by
yenskie
|
|
Quick bits
|
Free Hit Counters