One day in mid December,
some of my best friends in senior high and I decided to go on a small
trip to the Taipei city zoo. I got up very early that morning without
being waken up by anyone, for I was really excited and anxious to go out
with those friends of mine. After having the delicious breakfast my mom
had prepared for me, I packed my stuff and headed for the Chung-li Train
Station where we had planned to meet.
It was still very early and the fog made the sky seem darker than it
should be, so there was almost no one on the road when I went out on my
motorbike. Singing merrily on the open road by myself, I was content
with the joyful thoughts and expectations for the day. And since there
was no one else on the road, I felt as if I had the road to myself so I
rode quite fast.
Suddenly, while I was enjoying the wind and the speed, I saw the shadow
of an old man coming out from somewhere in front of me. I was shocked
and astounded by the sudden appearance of the old man. I pulled my
breaks so hard that there was a squeaking sound. I felt the wheels
slipping under me. But it was still too late! It seemed to me that my
motorbike brushed by the old man. At that very moment, I didn』t know
how to react. All that had popped into my mind was that I have hit
someone and the old man must have been injured badly. Finally, I
managed to stop my motorcycle a few meters ahead of the old man. I was
so shocked at the thought of having hit someone, however, I still tried
to calm myself and then I turned back to see if the old man was alright,
but there was no one there!
I looked for the old man earnestly; still, I was the only living
creature within sight. I was so shocked that I didn』t know how to react
at the time. I was stoned! My mind didn』t seem to work well and all of
a sudden it went blank! After that, all I could remember was that I
somehow managed to get back on my motorbike and went straight to meet my
friends. When I finally came back to reality again, I was already with
my friends on the train. I told them what had happened but they all
thought that I had an illusion, which I knew perfectly well was not the
case. I believed what I had been through even though no one else did,
because I was the one who was shocked.
What really happened to me on that early morning still remained an
unsolved puzzle even until now.