It was a beautiful Sunday morning. I was heading to the airport to pick up a friend. The car was well washed both inside and out just a few minutes ago. The sun’s rays caused the outside to sparkle, and the tint of amoral over the magrims was evident. As I stepped inside and closed the door, the air freshener perfumed the car with that “new car” scent.
I pushed the seat slightly backward, fastened my seatbelt and twisted the rearview mirror into position. Then I pressed my right foot on the brake and my left hand on the steering wheel. With my right hand, I plugged the key into the ignition and turned it. The engine turned over in rapid succession and the car hummed into a start.
Using the little buttons near to the steering rod, I adjusted the side view mirrors into the perfect position. I turned the AC unit on and shifted it to highest power and coolest temperature. Then, with my index and middle fingers, I pulled the buttons on the door which wound up the power windows. I waited a few seconds for the traffic in front and behind me to clear, then I moved my feet from the brake to the accelerator, as I turned the power steering towards the direction of the road.
As I entered my driving lane, heading straight west, the road was clear for miles ahead, except for a few cars here and there, which were not much of an obstacle to overtake. A few seconds later, the engine was roaring under the strain of gas injected into the cylinders full blast. My hands gripped the wheel tightly as my right foot floored the accelerator. The needle of the speedometer swerved on its dial. The houses whizzed past me like magic. I turned on the music to my favorite soft rock beat.
I flew past the No. 19 road, across the Berbice River Bridge, past D’Edward Village and Cotton Field. Just then, I was covering an area where the rain had just fallen and the road was wet. As I rounded the corner, a cow appeared in front of me, about ten meters ahead. The curve was so steep I couldn’t have seen the animal earlier. I realized at that moment that if I clamped the brake the car would skid off the road, and if I swerved, I would hit uncoming vehicles.
At the time this incident occurred, I was 27 years of age, and I realized instantaneously that I had to call on my entire 27 years of experience to get me out of this fix. My brain shifted into overdrive, and in a matter of milliseconds, I executed my maneuver: tapping the brake lightly and releasing in quick succession until the vehicle came to a halt – just in time to save the day! That was an accident I avoided!
