Motorcycle Explorer August 2015 Issue 7 | Page 24

A Beautiful Accident ac•ci•dent ˈaksədənt/ noun an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause. "the pregnancy was an accident" synonyms: (mere) chance, coincidence, twist of fate, freak; fluke, bit of luck,serendipity; fate, fortuity, fortune, providence, happenstance "it is no accident that there is a similarity between them" It is important that I begin this story from the very first domino piece. Because I bought a motorbike. It wasn’t how it was supposed to end, and God knows my intentions were good. I had it all planned out, buy a bike and live happily ever after. Simply put, it was the perfect solution to all my problems. Saturday evening and I’m cruising down Waiyaki Way on my way home, my head is pounding but the wind seems to kiss the pain away. I’ve been missing for three days. It wasn’t how it was supposed to end I switched off my phone, switched on the bike and took off. Nothing provoked it, I didn’t know how long I’d be gone, or where to, it didn’t matter. That was Wednesday, and I found myself in Eldoret where I was pulled over by four armed flying squad officers, all shouting at me to put my hands in the air and identify myself ama they turn me into a kichungi. But that’s a story for another day, this story is about what happened when I got back to Nairobi, stay with me. I’m racing against light showers of rain, Eldoret was ephemeral, her roads labyrinthine and I’m looking forward to getting home. The monotonous growl of the engine plays a perfect score to the last scene just before the credits roll. I’m seated there, hands clenched on the throttle thinking to myself “Nothing could get anymore beautiful than this moment right here”, but that’s because I’m still alive, who knows what the afterlife has to offer? And that’s when it all happened…when I was away chasing horizons. I get home all right; it’s just that I can’t enter the house. Because the landlord had been trying to call me, because my phone was off, because I didn’t pay my rent, BECAUSE I BOUGHT A MOTORBIKE. It’s raining and it’s dark and I’m standing outside the house with my helmet still on, then a bright flash of lightning. Remember when I said that it wasn’t how it was supposed to end and that God knows my intentions were good? Good, because I need you to believe me. I swear there was the loudest thunder right after I got the bright idea of calling my ex-girlfriend…but I didn’t, because we broke up, BECAUSE I BOUGHT A MOTORBIKE *moment of silence*.