Istill remember the day I had a close call. It felt like I was staring death in the face, but somehow, I made it through. That experience changed me — it made me want to face my fears and try new things.

It was Saturday, and my dad was at home when he dropped a bombshell: “Wanna learn to ride a motorbike?”

I started imagining the worst scenarios falling, crashing, getting into an accident, and breaking my arms and legs.

But my dad’s calm tone soothed my nerves. “Come on, let’s give it a shot. You’ll love it.”

Suddenly, a spark ignited within me, and my doubts began to fade. I nodded, and an unfamiliar voice inside me said, “You can do this.”

It was around 9:00 when we left. We first went to a nearby ground, but it was closed, so my dad drove me to a desolate highway instead. As he stopped, I asked nervously, “H...h... here?”

“Yeah,” he replied.

The darkness and the thought of riding a bike on the hard concrete road overwhelmed me. The distant roar of vehicles and the smell of burnt food in the air scared the heck out of me. Panic set in, and my mind urged me to go back as if it knew what was about to happen.

I turned my head to the right and stared into a void resembling a black hole in space, its darkness pulling me relentlessly. The broken footpaths, filled with dark, stagnant water that seemed bottomless, sent shivers down my spine.

I shook my head as Dad guided me onto the bike. With shivering hands, I grasped the handles tightly, like a child clinging to their mother’s hand in a crowd. I kick-started the bike, but it didn’t budge. Trying again, it roared to life, and my heart began pounding wildly, desperate to escape my chest.

The silence was broken by Dad’s firm voice, “What’s the matter? Shift the gears and accelerate...”

I hesitated, my heart still racing. His voice echoed in my head as my trembling hands gripped the handles. Nervously, I looked at the moon. Its bright light sparked a flicker of confidence in me. With a racing heart and a chaotic mind, I tried again.

As the bike began to move, fresh air danced through my hair. I slowly released the clutch and accelerated, but barely covered three metres before the bike came to an abrupt stop.

Dad’s icy glare made my heart skip a beat. “I can’t control the throttle,” I stammered.

His firm tone cut through the sile­nce. “Try once more,” he commanded.

I gathered all my courage and kick-started the bike, this time with more determination. As I accelerated, adrenaline coursed through my veins.

“Give it more speed, or it’ll stop again,” Dad said.

Gripping the handles tightly, I leaned forward, adjusting my wrists for a better grip. The wind rushed past me, my heart racing as my mind conjured the worst scenarios. I invited Dad to sit behind me, and thankfully, he agreed.

As I sped up, I started losing control. My hands trembled and fear crept in. I began moving toward an incline.

“Slow down!” Dad’s horrified shout cut through the air.

I slammed on the brakes, twisting the handles sharply, the air catching in my throat.

Dad’s questioning gaze said it all, “Why did you stop?”

I stammered, “I thought I was going to crash.”

Cold sweat dripped down my spine, my hands and feet numb. But Dad’s calming tone wrapped around me like a warm blanket.

“Try once more,” he encouraged.

I struggled to speak, my voice hoa­rse with fear. “I can’t ....” But my head nodded as if driven by its own will.

With Dad behind my back, I tried again, but my heart still thundered. I increased the speed and was more focused and all of a sudden, I lost balance and started moving towards the footpath. Moon hid behind the clouds, the air stopped dancing and the scent of sand vanished. All I could imagine was my death. My mind stopped working. The bike moved independently as if someone was pulling it towards the footpath.

Thoughts surrounded me, ‘Is this how my life will end?’ ‘Will I go to heaven or hell?’

“Lower the speed and control the handles!” Dad’s horrified tone pierced through my thoughts. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t gain control. Then, in a flash, my world almost ended, but Dad’s quick reflexes kicked in. He tried to decelerate the bike, my heart raced, cold veins and a vacuum in my throat. Finally, he managed to stop the bike from plunging into the black hole.

This incident left me shaken, but thankfully with only minor injuries on my leg. I never rode a bike again, but that day, I learned to cherish every moment of life because no one knows what will happen in an instant. I realised the importance of family and developed the inner strength to overcome fear and challenges. Growth often stems from challenging experiences.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 7th, 2024