This time last year, my life flashed in front of my eyes. It was the closest near death experience I’ve ever had. My folks will say if the death that ought to kill someone should end up just shaving your head, then one should have every reason to be grateful. I had an interview appointment with KPMG in Lagos, so I had to travel all the way, I was too broke at the time to miss out on any opportunity, not like I had the insight to earn with steemit and Cryptocurrency like I do now. Unfortunately, I was involved in a road crash on the popular Lagos/Ibadan highway.
From the onset, I had this uneasy feeling because the bus made a loud sick creaky sound when it was started at the park. As a matter of fact, its rickety look was more baffling than usual. But waiting for the next bus wasn’t an option. The probability of missing my interview was 90 percent putting the steady traffic into deliberation. Or should I say I prioritized KPMG’s offer than my own life. A risk I will never take again.
Just about an hour into the journey, we were out of the city in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I could feel the bus forcefully pick up speed as we cruised down the pothole ridden highway. We were going pretty fast at about 100km per hour. The mere thought of the rigors I was going to go through in Lagos as the sun arose from its slumber made me exhausted from within. That informed my decision to get some sleep as I fell slowly into slumber.
I was just about dreaming about myself in a 3piece Italian suit repping KPMG and travelling all over at KPMG’s call, attending world class trainings and conferences beyond the shores of Nigeria, applying all the special graces, etiquettes and poise learnt from school of poise during business dinners and meeting tall beautiful and brilliant career ladies. As I imagined my radiantly glowing future with KPMG, I felt a smile on my gentle face.
Then all of a sudden I heard a very deafening bang from behind… the rear tire blew out (bursted) on motion and immediately the jostle for the steering began as one of the passenger seated by the driver was either competing or helping the driver to have that much needed life saving grip on the steering. Everyone started shouting " Jesus!".. But I swear I was ice cold, I couldn't utter any word, I don't know if it was because I had already given up or maybe I hadn't wrapped my head around it yet. But in that moment, my calmness superseded that of River Oni in Efon Alaaye Ekiti state. That innate fear of death we were all born with just vanished, and nothing really mattered any more. I just went blank, I am strong Christian so I believe in life after death if you've been good on earth or if you can repent so I always thought that if I was about to die my first instinct will be to pray for forgiveness, but in that moment I just froze, nothing ran through my mind.. At first,
The driver applied break and then bus tumbled off the road, rolled down by the side twice and fell into a mini cliff around shagamu. It was such a gory sight to behold. I thought I was going to die.
I didn't lose consciousness for another maybe 5 minutes, that's when my whole life flashed across my eyes I visioned my future first, all my dreams and how they would all mean nothing, I wouldn't travel the world, I wouldn't run for president, I wouldn't raise a small family.
The next was my past, all the sacrifices I made for self development and how they all amounted to nothing now. I thought about how I've not been keeping in touch with my family and how my mum has always been complaining, but I kept telling her that I was hustling and she would soon reap from what I was sowing, she was the last thing I was thinking of before I passed out.
The chilly breeze on my body when I woke up in the hospital the next morning was the best thing I have ever felt. I was so grateful that I wasn’t gravely injured. I was the first to gain consciousness unaided.
I had a major trauma to my skull and ribs, thankfully the fractured rib didn't pierce my lungs, and skull didn't completely cave in, I knew this my big head would save me one day.
Nonetheless, the experience taught me never to forsake myself at the expense of anything again. I should not have cared about getting late for the interview or even missing it. If I had died, KPMG wouldn't pay me a kobo because I am not even an employee yet. I learnt to appreciate the people around me the more.
To everyone reading this right now, please take a second to appreciate everything in your life. Tell your parents you love them. Call your best friends for hook up sometimes. Because you never know what can happen unpredictably. “May we not travel whenever the highway is hungry” like my folks would pray. I thank God for sparing my life ..
This is the second chance I'm getting to share this story.. Thanks @jerrybanfield