A Street Without A Traffic Light and A Girl Named Concepcion

      You may call it a free-for-all spot. Four streets converging. There is no traffic light and vehicles (cars, tricycles, trucks, bikes, motorcycles) are always coming in hot from four directions. You cross at your own risk. Okay, if you’re patient, you could be safe. We always pass through it whenever we want to go south, and that late morning, three days ago, I found myself (and my bike) in that area. And there was a long convoy of vehicles ( led by a white taxi) coming from my left, cruising along the street in front of me, and I didn't know what came over me but I thought that I still could ride past the taxi to cross into the other side of the street —so I didn't stop and instead pedaled hurriedly, and, boom! The taxi hit me on my left side. And right that moment, when I felt the cold, unflinching steel on my flesh, my whole life suddenly started flashing in front of me:

     The day I was born and as I cried at my mother’s bosom

     The first day that I went into school as a grade one student, with my father watching me for a few minutes from outside my classroom

     The first time that I had a crush; with a girl named Connie—her whole name was Concepcion and I was in grade six then

    The day I hit my head playing basketball in high school and my vision going black for a few seconds

    The day my young high school physics teacher admitted that she had a crush on me

    That day when I had a fisticuffs with—

     I lost my balance as the taxi stopped, but I didn’t fully stumble as I was able to prop my body with my right leg. Then, I waited if I would feel any pain—nada. I was okay. I looked at my bike and it looked okay. I glanced guiltily at the taxi, at the side of the driver and I wanted to say “Good job!” because he was able to stop on time, keeping me from harm. I mounted my bike and pedaled away, and when I glanced back, I saw the taxi moving away, too. All’s well that ends well. I was grateful that I came out of it without a scratch. My bike and I would be patient from now on.

      Then I found myself thinking, whatever happened to Concepcion?