An Accident Retold....

When I crashed Abang Haris's three month old red Proton Saga about a quarter of a century ago (it is fresh in my memory) I was deemed to be in the wrong. All evidence pointed to me as the guilty party, because:
1) the skid marks indicated that my right side was on the other side of the road,
2) the other driver was an apek tua (well not so tua... maybe 40 plus)
3) I was young (I wasn't 20 yet then).


Sergeant Abu Bakar, I remember him well, was the policeman who took my statement. He was wearing a hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned down to his bulging stomach, and I, being scared and intimidated, dare not look straight at him and was instead looking at the few strands of grey hair on his leathery chest. He wasn't really interested in hearing my side of the story.... He just asked for me to accept his "special offer", a reduction in the compound.


So I was wrong, and Abang Haris paid for it. Abang Haris, I seek your forgiveness....


But, I tell you the real story now.


Mother (God bless her soul) wanted to go to Kak Sarah's house and I was in no mood to drive. I don't remember why. So, when mother insisted, I reluctantly agreed but I (being me) had to show a little anger. I drove fast to Kampung Tunku, dropped mother off and drove back to Bangsar, still angry. I was going down hill, and as a thing I like to do from that point was to just let the car coast down the hill, without pressing down on the accelerator.


At the bottom of the hill,, next to the Mobil station, I saw a pick up truck in the opposite lane signalling to turn in to a lane to my left. The driver seemed to hesitate, perhaps not sure if he should wait, or should he dash across. Just as I was approaching, he decided to go and I had to adjust slightly and eased into the right lane to avoid him.... that's when I notice there was a car behind the truck and the apek was following the truck in to the lane. Apparently, he didn't see me because his vision was obscured by the truck. A Nissan (or was it still Datsun then) Stanza... He moved forward and I drove right into him, standing on the brakes. Since I was already turning the steering to the left to avoid him, the impact deflected my trajectory, and I ended on the curb on the left side of the road.


Then, it started to rain.... and it rained so heavily, there were flash flood all over KL.


It is my fault? Maybe it's mother's fault, she shouldn't have been so insistent. Maybe, it's Kak Sarah's fault, because she was the one who insisted that mother come over. Or, maybe it is even Abang Haris's fault... he shouldn't have let drive the red Proton Saga. And, what about the pick-up truck driver, he (or she) must surely be at answerable, too. I had the right of way.... he should have stopped to let me pass....


But, he got clean away.


On top of everything else, the apek and Abang Haris probably had to pay off the good sergeant to "smoothen" the proceedings....