An Unforgettable Tale On Two Wheels- My Close-Call Experience

Have you ever had a close-call experience while cycling? Was it a close call with a speeding car? A fall into a ditch? Fallen brakes that make you hit a car or an object? I’m pretty sure close calls (near death) experiences are something lots of us here can relate to. Here’s a big question: should we stop cycling after close calls? I can relate to these things before I’ve also had such ugly experiences. I’ve heard so many stories and even news of people who gave up on their cycling dreams because they had such an experience. A very close friend of mine who was once a cycling pro gave up on his cycling dreams and turned to another sport because he almost got hit by a car.

These things happen every day. Not only do people experience close calls while cycling, but these things also happen in other areas. While driving, walking, and even while in our homes. We just have to be extremely careful in our daily activities.

In my last post in this community, I wrote about how my mom got me a nice bicycle so I would stop renting bikes on the streets. I was really happy when my mom got me a new green and flashy bicycle. She gave me the bicycle on one condition- I was only allowed to ride the bicycle in my parents’ compound. She allowed me to ride the bicycle on the street only on Saturdays when she was around. My mom was over-protective (she still is). I do not blame her. She is a nurse. As a nurse, she has seen so many things. I do not blame her for being overprotective because it is natural for her to worry. She has seen lots of things and her way of showing unconditional love to her kids was to protect them. I understand that everything she does comes from a place of love and affection.

My mom gave me a bicycle, but I was only allowed to ride it in our compound and on the street only on Saturdays. She allowed me to ride the bicycle on the street on Saturdays because Saturdays were her free days. Plus, our street was calm. At a point, I got tired. I wanted more. I had already mastered some cycling skills and I was hungry to try them out on a busy road. I had watched lots of cycling videos and I wanted to try them out on the street.

I was not a stubborn child. But sometimes kids do stubborn and unreasonable things, right? I planned everything out perfectly. I waited till my mom was out, then I brought my bicycle out. My heart was filled with excitement. At first, my heart started pounding, but as soon as I stepped on the pedals, everything became normal. I did not want to be seen by our neighbors, so I took a short route. After cycling for about 4 minutes, I got on the busy road. The air was different. The smoke from faulty cars, the honking of cars and motorcycles, and the steps of pedestrians made the atmosphere different. The smile on my face was as big as a circle (or something.) “finally, the brave Favour is finally achieving his cycling dreams” I thought to myself.

I was so happy that I didn't notice a speeding car rushing towards me. Nigerian bus drivers are crazy. I was expecting him to change his direction, while he was also expecting me to change direction. It wasn’t until he got very close to me that he changed his direction. It was too late. A side of the bus hit my bicycle and I fell to the ground. Thankfully, the other cars on the road were kind hearted. They stopped, and one of them helped me up. I had a little scratch, but I managed to cycle back home.

Put yourself in my shoes. Would you tell my mom about this experience? Yes! You guessed right. I didn’t tell my mom about it. She doesn’t even know about it till today.

In conclusion, this should remind us of the importance of safety. We should always wear helmets, obey traffic rules, and not compete with cars and motorcycles. This way we can keep ourselves safe.

Note: ALL IMAGES IN THIS POST ARE MINE OTHERWISE STATED

Thanks for reading.