Mami's story...

It was friday noon when I sent my kids to school that day. I sent my second dauhgter, Alia, first to the local government school before proceeding to sent my eldest daughter, Aina, to a religious school, next to a Masjid.

As always on a friday noon, the men came to perform the Friday's prayer and the traffic was bursting with cars and other vehicles. On any other days, I would have dropped Aina right in front of the school's gate so that she does not have to cross over the road. But since it's a friday, and there was no available parking space, I decided to drop Aina by the roadside.

After alighting, Aina stood in front of my car and proceeded to cross the road. I waited in the car watching her as she looked on her right and then on her left. Just as she was looking on her left, I saw from the side mirror of my car, a motorcycle came dashing at a distance of 20 to 30 kilometers per hour right onto my child's path.

Before I could say or do anything, BANG!!, the motorcyle hit her as she was about to lift her legs to cross the road. In a flash, I get out of the car to get to Aina who was wailing in pain. Some of the men who had finished their friday's prayer came running and helped her sit, her shoes and schoolbag flung about one meter away from the scene. The motorcyclist was knocked out of her seat and had landed on the road.

I comforted Aina and carried my crying daughter into the car as the men told me to hurry and get her to a nearby clinic. On hindsight, I should have checked first if there were any broken bones before I carried her into the car. That was a dangerous and unwise move on my part; I guessed I was too shocked to think of anything else. Luckily, my youngest son, Adam, did not follow me out and had stayed quietly in the car.

After taking Aina's school bag and shoes from the helpful passersby, I asked the woman motorcyclist if she wanted to go to the clinic too. She seemed to have hurt her hand. But she refused and insisted that she was fine. I apologised to her for the incident and quickly hurried to the clinic.

Thankfully, praise be to Allah, the doctor certified my daughter fine and did not suffer any serious injuries, except for some minor cuts and bruises on her knee and face. As of now, she is completely fine and well on her way to recovery.

But the incident kept playing in my mind like a broken record and left me in a deep trauma. In whatever condition, I should not have let my daughter crossed the road alone. It was a mistake on my part and I realised that, albeit too late. I was lucky that Aina was not badly hurt. From now onwards, I promise to myself that I wouldn't let my children or any children for that matter, to ever cross the road alone again.

And as for the motorcylist, she should have slowed down her motorbike in a crowded area, more so in a school's vicinity where there were many children around who were trying to cross the road. I am not trying to point any fingers here, what should not have happened, had happened. I really learnt my lessons well... :(