The Bystander

I wasn't really a bystander then. I just happened to be walking towards the scene of where everything happened that day.

Friday afternoon. Everyone was rushing to go home or go elsewhere to enjoy a great weekend start. Rain just stopped pouring and the streets of the city were wet. As for me, I couldn't wait to leave the office and indulge myself in a badminton game a few cities away from where I work.

Me and a new officemate shared the elevator and enjoyed our leisurely walk-and-talk to where we were supposed to take our respective rides. As we were about to cross the street, we saw a group of people gathered right in the middle of one of the most populated avenues in the city. There must be something really wrong there, we thought.

Despite the throng of people gathered there, vehicular traffic continued, however, at a slower pace. Hence, we couldn't just cross the street and go to where all the "action" is because we might get run over by a slow-moving bus, whose driver happens to be looking at the "action" as well.

So me and my officemate became mere bystanders. Standing at the sidewalk to catch all the "action."

But the "action," we realized, was really an "in-action." Right in the middle of the street, there was a lady sprawled on the floor, blood oozing from her head. People were gathered around her, frozen in shock, doing nothing. Yup, the lady's body was not in "action" as she was very still. She was not moving, not one bit. And the people around her were not in "action" as well as they didn't move a muscle and were just content with being spectators.

And then I saw this policeman, who, instead of helping her out immediately, lifted the lady's arm, nudged her leg a little with his foot and went around her still body. It took a few minutes before a vehicle stopped by and some people from the crowd actually took heed of the situation and lifted her into the vehicle.

Once in the vehicle, no one wanted to accompany her to the nearest hospital, which was just a few blocks away from the scene. Fortunately, a traffic aide went with her albeit being prodded by the policeman forcefully.

You see, what happened was she got sideswiped by a raging motorcycle. The vehicles were actually stopped by a traffic enforcer to make way for the pedestrians. But being in a country where traffic enforcement is not given due accord, the good and mighty motorcycle driver went his way and proceeded despite the policeman's order. That was when Harry (the motorcycle) met Sally (the lady).

I myself am guilty of being motionless that afternoon. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move a muscle. I was in shock. I was frozen as ice. I was mumbling some things I couldn't remember but that was it. It has always been my reaction to an emergency. I never got over it.

The only thing I could do that time, and a few hours after that, was to pray. I couldn't do anything. I just prayed... prayed for her safety... that she survives the ordeal.

So the next time one of you, my dear friends, intend to meet an accident, please don't take me with you. Otherwise, you will just have another bystander looking over your helpless body sprawled in the busy streets of the city.