The fateful day was like any typical school day in the city of lagos. I stepped out from my parents's house, headed to my institution of learning. As i reached the bus-stop in my locality, i sighted my classmate, Emmanuel. As if on cue, he looked my way and saw me too. He came towards me and playfully hit my arm. "Joseph, always the model late comer". He laughed lightly. " Not a bad title, coming from my newest partner in crime". I responded.
Shortly later, we heard a bus conductor calling our destination and the scramble for bus seats began. Like frenzied animals, we found ourselves struggling with other potential passengers to get the scarce number of seats remaining. Luckily, we both got ourselves the last two seats left. Seconds later, I and Emmanuel were on our way to school.
Our school building stood tall above others and could not easily be unnoticed. We paid our fares and alighted at the other side of the road, directly opposite the school building. Emmanuel alighted first and suddenly dashed across the road. I do not know what actually possessed me that moment because I didn't look at both sides of the road yet I followed suit. I was a fast runner but my speed couldnt save me. I didnt see it coming but perhaps, did hear it a little too late for me to turn towards the direction of the sound.
The last thing I remember seeing was an oncoming motorcycle on high speed, then the collision! Moments later, the stringent antispetic smell of a clinic stunned me as I drafted back to consciousness.
Slowly, I tried to open my eyes but to my horror, found only one opening. Then i saw about three females clad in white, stitching what looked like my other eye. I was about to scream when one of the nurses quickly understood and said, "You are lucky, the wound is very close to your left eye".
Later that day, Emmanuel came to see me. " Thank God, you are alive. I have never been so scared in my life. I saw the bike hit you, then you passed out and rolled into the gutter then I alerted the entire school, It was the vice principal who rushed you to a nearby clinic". "How did i look?" I asked weakly. "Terrible, your face was caked in blood and i thought you lost your left eye". He was obviously shaken, having witnessed my near death experience.