Good Samaritan

I am not sure why I decided to publish this now, out of the blue. This encounter occured almost two years ago.

The story came in mind where I somehow landed at COMFORT Taxi's website during one of my aimless virtual tour. On one of the pages, they listed the names of taxi drivers who have been awarded for their good service, sincerity and willingness to help the needy. It rang a bell. And this is how the story went...

In around mid 2004 (I think it was 19 August), I got my first "kiss". Unfortunately, that first exter-familial kiss came NOT from a homo-sapiens but rather from something belongs to Apis genus, a bee or hornet or something like that I am not too sure and don't really care.

All I knew was I got a sudden pang of bitter pain, and I could see a part of my left palm was swollen. And hardened. And blue-ish. And very very very extremely painful. It somehow benumbed the motoric movements. I had to maintain my arm at 90-degrees bent position.

I was somewhere in Telok Belangah, near the highway. There were not many people there. In fact, I couldn't see anyone in sight except those inside the cars and riding motorcycles, which were useless.

I went to a panic state and managed to call my friend whom I know has some doctor-friends. Fortunately, those doctors are with her at that moment and the first suggestion was to go to hospital.

In the midst of panic feeling, I could feel that the pain "crawled" and got closer and closer to my shoulder. I flagged a cab, luckily could found one immediately.

When the driver asked me for destination, I quickly answered "Hospital!!". He started realizing the height of the situation and he asked me why. I could only answered "Bee-sting!!". He looked at my swollen and blue-ish palm and my stationarily bent arms. He stepped on his gas and told me "I'll find the NEAREST clinic for you. Don't worry, just stay calm." The taxi was speeding.

He stopped for a while, only later that I knew that he went down and asked a person where could he find the nearest clinic. In front of the pointed clinic, he stopped and refused the payment. He just said "don't care about payment, please just go immediately and see doctor!! It's a short ride anyway." I tried to open my wallet with my right hand but he insisted "Please just GO!!! Go see the doctor and DON'T pay me a cent. Take a good care of yourself."

Being extremely panic and having the pain crawling higher and higher to my shoulder, I just dashed out from the cab and reciting "thank you thank you thank you..." to the taxi driver.

I stormed to the clinic and after knowing my situation, the nurse let me cut the queue and therefore I was able to see the doctor immediately.

"You're lucky", the doctor said after examining my hand and giving me an anti-histamine. "If the sting reaches your heart, you may not know what its reaction is and what will happen to you." It's at the shoulder already, remember?

The doctor gave me some medicine, some of which were pain-killers and sleeping pills. His last advice was to call an ambulance immediately when I have the slightest difficulty in breathing at night or on the next day. While waiting for a cab back home, I still had time and energy to call my boss and let him know that I would be on MC on the next day. I wonder...

Despite the jab that I've got, the pain was still unbearable, in fact it became more and more unbearable. One confession to make, that night I didn't take a shower at all *ugh*. So I just washed my face and brushed my teeth. Let me tell you, even those simple tasks at that time seems more difficult than stepping on the moon.

I slept in a foetus-position, due to the extreme pain which was not getting better at all. I was sweating despite the aircon for bearing the pain. Here the sleeping pills came in rescue. I really went to sleep due to the high dose that the doctor gave. I remember even when I was dozing off, I was still fighting with the pain. So it's the high-dose coupled with my tiredness.

My hand was back to normal only after one and a half day after the incident. The mark stayed for weeks. Luckily I didn't have to call any ambulance at all *grin*.

That "Good-Samaritan" taxi driver trully deserves an accolade for what he has done. But I didn't do anything, I somehow regret that. Though I know that my circumstance that time didn't really give me the chance to check out his name, driver number or even the plate number.

So with this, by publishing this story, I wish he gets what he deserves in a way that perhaps only God knows. Eventhough I have no idea who he is and where he is now, let God do in His own mystrerious way. Is it possible?

Song playing in radio: "I Swear", exactly the song that Christine and I liked to sing together 12 years ago wuakakakakkaka =D sounds so romantic, huh? Again I remind you, we are both a 100% straight female....