Sunday, March 19, 2006

The Luckiest Rabbit of All


 

Have you ever felt that your habitual environment was so familiar, that you'd taken a road so often you would swear that nothing about it, old or new, could ever catch you off guard?

It was three days ago. Eight at night and pitch dark. I was driving away from my condo on the narrow, poorly lit, tortuous and billowy Coley Davis road.

On the second turn, the same one I've taken a thousand times before, it just appeared. It jumped right in front of the car as I was going 55, a small furry creature with floppy ears, and two small black eyes gleaming with the inevitability of my rushing headlights.

A rabbit.

I had seen a few roadkills scattered on Coley Davis before, but I always assumed it was an utterly avoidable occurence, that the drivers were reckless, ruthless people and the animals were taken by surprise, stunned by the upcoming blindly charging vehicles.

I was wrong it seems. At least partially wrong. What happened to me screamed everything but avoidable, all of it being wrapped in the minuscule frame of a split second.

I don't know how I managed, but in an instant, while my heart was about to burst out of my chest, I decided not to break or swerve, which, in the rush of the moment seemed almost suicidal. I chose to somehow adjust the car's trajectory as to have the rabbit pass under it, right between its spinning wheels.

The two seconds that followed were a grueling mix of generalized numbness and fear. I knew the numbness came from all the adrenaline rushing through my veins.

But why the fear?

I was speeding away from the scene where the rabbit was supposed to be mangled and smeared on the asphalt. And yet, when I looked back, I saw, to my utter surprise, an unscathed oblivious rabbit calmly hopping away to the other side.

I let out a sigh of relief. Damn lucky bastard. I miraculously managed to avoid it, but for some reason, that dull, ill-defined fear lingered on. Maybe, just maybe, was it from how, in the deep corners of my psyche, I thought I were the rabbit, crossing road after road, incredulously dodging one fateful turn after the other, until the one that marked the end of my journey came and snatched me away.

Counting the miles, I gradually calmed down. What the hell. We should all be like him, cross all roads to the other, more beautiful side. Especially when crossing the road will take us closer to where we think we belong. It would certainy help if we're lucky, like he is, but it won't really matter if we're not.

And nevermind what's waiting. Something most certainly is, or will be. Because, no matter what we choose and where we go, there will always be a last turn looming. Always. Even for the luckiest rabbit of all.

10 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

welcome back.
happy for you and the rabbit.
very inspirational.

6:09 PM  
Blogger Fouad said...

Thanks Mirvat. I haven't been gone this long, have I?

Hmm 3 days.. I guess I have been..

6:28 PM  
Blogger Ghassan said...

hope luck won't fail us one day...

7:53 PM  
Blogger Fouad said...

Oh but it will ghassan. That's the point. And because it so is, let's raise our glasses high, and drink to good times gone and coming :)

8:59 PM  
Blogger Ghassan said...

Cheers!

9:22 PM  
Blogger Hashem said...

Optimism is hoping that our best day, is always among those to come...No matter how beautiful was the day before...

"...there will always be a last turn looming"
well, I don't mind the day that turn comes...I just don't want to be there when it comes!

kasak ya fouad..

11:47 PM  
Blogger Ramzi said...

Beautiul Fouad.

But what of chickens and their road crossing habits?

2:18 AM  
Blogger Laila K said...

fouad, same thing happened to me on a very narrow curve in a neighboring village back home (why did the cat cross the road?!)..let's just say the cat was not as fortunate as your rabbit, and neither was I..I can still remember every little detail.it's horrific, you're very lucky :)

10:56 AM  
Blogger Mar said...

It's all about taking a risk and not taking one is a risk in itself.Fouad you're so inspiring, thanks for being a part of my daily escape.

3:40 PM  
Blogger Fouad said...

So7tak ya hashem :)

well, ramzi, if my rabbit were a chicken, I guarantee you, it would have been the end of the joke and the chicken :)

Ouch laila.. sorry.

mar, thank you for spending the time to read what I have to say.

9:03 PM  

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