Coincidence?

I've started carpooling with my two other friends since the beginning of this semester. It's quite cost-saving as each car get the chance to 'rest' for two weeks from traveling to our workplace.

***

Three weeks ago, it was my turn to drive; picked them up in the morning and sent them back in the late afternoon.

On one of my many trips home from kak B*n's house, I met with an accident. I was turning to my right at a t-junction. There were two cars signaling to the left as they wanted to enter my junction. So, I quickly seized the opportunity and turned to my right. A motorcycle trying to take over the two cars suddenly hit the brakes and the next thing I saw the motorcyclist and his bike literally sliding towards my car and I heard a loud thud. In my heart I kept praying that I didn't lenyek his head and hoped that nothing serious happened. I parked my car by the roadside and one of the locals who was at the stall nearby quickly came to the motorcyclist 's aid. I was sort of relieved when I saw him standing. I went to him to check if he's ok and the other guy helped him to the nearest bus stop. I asked whether he wanted to go to the clinic but he refused. He asked me to go back because he's ok and it's almost time for buka puasa. I was quite shaky but I managed to call my mom to inform her what had happened and drove home slowly. I knew my car was hit and perhaps there's a scratch or two, or worse it could be dented. When I went home, I checked the spots where my car was hit earlier. Adoi, I spent a few minutes termenung near my car. The paint on the door was merely one month old... But as my mom said on the phone, better kemek kete dari kemek orang. Alhamdulillah...

***

Last week it was kak B*n's turn to drive. On her way to my home, her car was banged by a motorcyclist from the left direction as she was making a right turn at a t-junction near the place I had my accident the week before. The biker asked her to send his bike for repair which kak B*n did almost immediately because she felt it was her fault. But then I think the boy was at fault too because he was speeding. After kak B*n sent the bike for repair (morning), the boy went to see the mechanic in the afternoon and said he wanted the bike to be repaired by his friend and kak B*n was to pay for the cost. They sort of agreed even though they were skeptical about the boy. Later that night the boy asked them to pay RM500 and showed the receipt from the bengkel. Kaw2 kena pau, sedangkan the repair earlier was estimated at about RM180 (we asked for quotation from the first bengkel). They had no choice but to pay because they've agreed to settle it without bringing the matter to the police. We later found that the boy's license has expired! Adoi, melayang lima rat! But then, alhamdulillah the boy didn't suffer any injury. The impact was of the accident was quite bad on both vehicles (mudguard kemek, lampu pecah depan, gigi beruang kat depan tercabut) but then again, alhamdulillah nobody was injured. Poket jelah senget...

***

Then it was i*t*n's turn to drive and to go through almost similar situation with both kak B*n and I. Yesterday, as we were heading home from the office, I*t*n's car was hit from the back twice. We thought the car behind us accidentally 'accelerated' into us upon seeing the red light turning green, but we were wrong. A lorry hit a Kancil, and it hit a Spectra and it hit our car. The best thing was, the Kancil, the Spectra and our car were stopping at the traffic light when the lorry came at quite a speed and 'smacked' us all. The Kancil was badly hit, the front and rear screen hancur, rear bumper, tail lights all gone, front bumper and head lights were in very bad condition. If you asked me, I'd say it's a total loss - the engine cannot be ignited so it had to be towed away. And as usual, the lengkai(s) (orang yang keje nya cari kete accident and tow) were among the first to come to our 'aid' (konon). I*t*n was in shock, so kak B*n and I had to take charge of the situation. Both of us came out of the car. Kak B*n took photos of the accident and I went to the back of the lorry and jadi polis trafik. Alhamdulillah somebody from the office who also took the same path home saw me and stopped in front of our car. To cut the long story short, the lengkai offered to bring us to the nearest traffic police station and after lodging our report he said we can send the car to his workshop and in 4-5 days it will be ready. Not having much knowledge and enough experience to decide on what to do, we followed the lengkai. I*t*n was asked to sign a piece of paper which she did as a result of being panic and in shock. At the police station, I called my brother and told him what happened. He asked me not to give the car to the lengkai and I was scolded when I told him I*t*n had signed the authorization letter. So, I went into the police station and asked a traffic officer for some advice on what to do. The response that I got from the lady was not really helpful. So I decided to sort the issue out with the lengkai, and decided not to allow him to take the car to his workshop. He was waiting for me at the other side of the road, where they put all the wrecked cars for inspection etc. I told the lengkai who brought us to the police station that we've decided not to send to his bengkel. He said "tak boleh la kak camtu, tadi akak dah sign kira dah janji la tu" - then I told him this was the first time we met with an accident, we didn't know what to do. Besides, my father is a mechanic (and that was a lie no doubt, berdosanya aku menipu di bulan Ramadhan). Then another fat, very fat I mean, lengkai came dengan muka garang gile and started scolding me and giving me a lecturer about "melayu tak nak tolong melayu sendiri" - eeee geli telinga aku dengar! tolong hape! cam la aku tak tau, kang aku hantar kete gi bengkel ko abis parts kete aku yang ori ko tuka dengan yang kaput punye! Funny though I didn't yell at him back, I used diplomacy in handling this big guy although his saliva was raining towards kak B*n and I (just kidding! :P). Although I was speaking nicely to him and tried to calm him down, he was still yelling at me. Then I saw an officer in commoner's clothes looking towards us from his office. The big lengkai saw him too. He then asked us to walk towards our car. He pretended to see what's wrong with the car thinking that I didn't know what he's trying to do. He then said that it's not fair lah that we've dragged him to this police station, wasting their time to show us direction if we didn't want to send to their workshop. I gave up! I told him that I'll pay RM50 for his petrol and buka puasa. Wah, at first he wanted to pau us some more and saying RM50 cannot buy anything la in KL. Bloody fat guy! You think I don't know ah, you think I come from which ceruk ah? Gurun? Kundasang? Lupar? I then told him that I only have this much and I can't give him more. Realizing that I won't compromise to pay more he then lowered down his tone and said "Yelah, akak kena paham kitorang keje untuk bos, makan gaji, tadi dah janji dengan bos nak hantar bengkel nanti bos kate kite tipu. Bukan saya nak marah, tapi keje makan gaji kak. Kalau dapat masuk bengkel, kot bos bayar rm30, dapat la kitorang rm30 kak" - In my head "yadayadayadayada - ko ingat aku takde member lengkai ke? Koman2 RM1000 pun boleh dapat la kalau sebijik kete!" I didn't want to argue, I just said that I understand the nature of your job and I am sorry to trouble you. Then he said, "kitorang bukan nak duit kak, kitorang nak tolong je" (yeah rite!) "duit ni akak yang bagi ye, kitorang tak mintak tau" (ape2 la mat, tak kose aku nak layan!). After almost half an hour of debating, the first lengkai took the money, thanked me and drove away. The fat lengkai gave me his number in case I want to send it to him because HE CAN MAKE THE CAR READY IN 4-5DAYS! Penattttttt aku!

I arrived home at 10pm...

Alhamdulillah the lengkai didn't do anything to i*t*n's car and none of us were severely injured. This morning we came to work with neck and back-pain; only today we feel the impact of the accident.

***

Although we had three accidents for three weeks in a row, we are grateful to Allah for protecting us and our belongings (our cars were not severely damaged like the Kancil). The damage can still be fixed, but if anything happened to any one of us, it will affect us till the day we die.

I know Allah is testing us in this holy month of Ramadhan and He is also reminding us that worse thing can happen. I believe these accidents also serve as reminders for our ill-doings that we did intentionally or unintentionally. It His way of reminding us to repent for our mistakes before it is too late.

Thank you Allah for your Mercy and Protection and most importantly Your Love.

***

Have a blessed Ramadhan people! And be careful on the road!

Salam alaikum..