I leaned left around a turn before the second bridge, about halfway back to camp. I didn't see the water buffalo until it was too late. He charged out of the mangroves, the wide arc horns lowering and snout sputtering, his dumb staring eyes glowing in the headlights. I swerved instinctually and missed him by inches, but when I leaned hard the other way to correct, the tires hit a patch of soft earth and I went into a slide.
"Shit shit shiiiiiit!"
I felt it coming... WHAM!
Going about 40 mph, my right knee slammed into a concrete post on the side of the road. I was thrown from the bike. The next moments are hazy memories of tumbling end-over-end in the air -- tree branches and bushes thwack twack -- then sploosh, I sank into the murky swamp water.
-- From Wanderlost, by Ben Olson.
No comments:
Post a Comment