Our Chance

[2007, April]

“Hey, hey. Are you there?”

This question continued to sound vague in Grace's ears. But her eyes were too heavy to open, her head too dizzy to be fully awake. “Please, save my Mom,” she said softly.

It was raining heavily that afternoon. The sky looked so gloomy. The cars that were barely moving and filling the one-way street, were then completely motionless due to a traffic collision involving three motorcycle riders. While Grace and her mom helplessly lay down on the street, the guy who caused this fateful incident escaped.

Having been in the same shoes once, Evan could care less about his expensive clothes being wet and dirty. He just wanted to help the casualties. As he was helped by a total stranger in the past and could get a second chance at life, he also wanted to pass that kindness on to others.

“Help! Call an ambulance!” Evan shouted at everyone around him. He took off his backpack and put it under the girl's head as a pillow. “Please wait here.”

Afterward, he left Grace and headed for the middle-aged woman on the side of the road. She didn't look good. There was blood coming out of the back of her head. Evan believed that this woman needed help as soon as possible.

“Doctor! Is there a doctor out here? If there is, please come! This woman needs immediate help,” Evan shouted repeatedly.

Somehow the message traveled from the scene to somewhere a distance away. A woman in her thirties came running over.

"Is it that bad?" The woman rhetorically asked as she crouched down next to Evan. She immediately caught the bad situation that happened.

"I don't know. There is quite a lot of blood obviously," said Evan who knew nothing about medical matters. "What should I help you with?"

The woman looked around her and then at Evan. "Please find any clean cloth that is not wet. If possible, find alcohol. And also an umbrella," she said.

Evan quickly stood up from his place. No matter how hard it was to get them, he started shouting around the cars there. He ran to and fro, past people who didn't care enough to help.

An umbrella and a clean t-shirt were easy to get, but not alcohol. Learning that the two items in his hands were indispensable, Evan ran back to the scene. He handed her the clean t-shirt while covering the young doctor and the woman.

Luckily someone came, offering some help. Evan immediately asked him to hold the umbrella. He knew the girl who was still lying near her motorbike couldn't be left alone either.

Evan hurriedly carried Grace's body into the shade of a tree. He let her lie in his arms. Then he took a jacket from his backpack to use as an umbrella for the helpless girl.

"Oh God, please save them." Evan lifted his prayer in a faint voice.

Although almost unconscious, apparently the guy's words were able to put a smile on Grace's face.

~~~

[2011, December]

Grace was holding two large plastic bags of spicy meatball satay and cilok (ball-shaped dumplings). She took them in a bit of a hurry as she wanted to see the fireworks from the roof of her house.

This New Year’s Eve tradition had been carried out for almost five years with her best friend.