From road rush to road rash

April 16, around 10 am, I received a call and was informed that some property in school was missing. So I prepared myself to go to school. I just awoke at the time. By 10:12 am, I drove off to school. I was rushing. There was a car ahead of me and I thought it was our principal. Knowing that I could overtake him, I moved rightwards but unfortunately, just to meet a woman who was halfway to the center of the road. She was passing by a small truck selling watermelon on the side of the road. I was trying to avoid hitting her but she was hit by my side mirror. I got off balanced and thrown and rolled badly on a concrete road. What I had in mind at the time were a lot of things. What would happen to me? How was that woman? Would I be hit by the approaching car? I really saw the car approaching to me but luckily, it did not hit me since the driver (Mr. Lauronal, who was a father of my students) quickly applied break on his car. There were a lot of people. I could hear a woman from a nearby market shouting for help. I was lying on the road. I stood up and a witness was explaining what had happened. He was saying it was not my fault - It was the woman who was going to buy a watermelon who passed by the road. I saw a policeman and I complained to him why were the vendors allowed to sell on the side of a national highway. I saw that the woman was alright. She was trying to explain that it wasn't her fault. There were people there who know me. They were asking if I was okay. A fellow teacher and friend of mine was passing by. She (I call her Balot) was backriding with her husband. She approached me and told me that we go to the hospital. I would have rushed to school having the thought that I only had minor injuries. But looking at a number of road rash that I got, I realized my wounds were needed to be cleaned. I still managed to ride on my motorcycle and went to the hospital. Balot was really a great help. She accompanied me to the ER. There, I was initially treated with betadine. Then I was advised to have anti-tetanus shot. Balot was there all the time. She was the one who processed for my medicines. When it was my time to be injected at the OPD, she and her husband left. She informed my two nieces what happened, so the two girls came and helped me with my needs. Sheryl (a former student and a co-teacher) also came. They also proceeded to our place. 

Cindy (a co-teacher) and Small also came. She brought a disinfectant spray. It was very painful when applied on the wound. I never had such a kind of pain. I took shots of my road rashes and had them posted on a private group chat with my friends.

Now, the physical pain becomes real. The discomfort in sleeping is now happening. This is the point when you reflect, who's really to be blamed? That woman, the watermelon sellers, my fellow teacher who called me or me? I wished I did not decide to go to school or my phone was out of reach. But I decided to go to school. It was my decision. I decided to overtake the car. It was my decision. That was my choice, so here I am. Times like this one make me think how Jesus was feeling the pain of wounds he sustained on His road to Calvary. My own wounds make me realize the Lord's human nature of sensing bodily pains. It took Him three days to have all His wounds heal. It would take me longer for sure - a time enough for me to be constantly thankful that I am still alive. All the while I was really thinking about my hands. Were they okay? Could I still serve at the Cathedral and play the Church organ? I just pray that the Lord may strengthen me in all these. I know that I can get through this. 

LORD, hear my prayer; listen to my cry for help. On the day of my distress I call to you, for you will answer me. (Ps. 86: 6-7)