When I was nineteen years old I approached the taxi rank opposite Ealing Broadway Station

Due to a football injury I was unable to walk long distances

I lived about a mile away

It had begun to rain

There were two cabs to choose from

Initially I chose the leading cab

But then changed my mind

Which was rare for me as I considered it absurd to change my plans when travelling

This was only a micro aggression but it could have cost me my life

I chose the second cab and at about 23:1o that night we hit a streetlight and then a sturdy stone wall at about 51 mph

If by some miracle I was totally unhurt apart from a cut on my forehead

The driver who was at the time fifty-four years old suffered serious injuries

He never drove again and retired a few month later

After the crash the owners of the house without a wall came out to offer assistance

They had been awoken by the crash

The husband on seeing that the driver was badly injured went to his immediate aid

The woman and her young son took me into a large kitchen

I was given a tea towel to stem my bleeding

The son who was about five sat opposite me but did not speak

I was given a cup of sugary tea

About ten minutes after the accident a cop entered the kitchen and in all seriousness asked who had been involved in the accident

The woman was wearing a pair of male pajamas and a Japanese style maroon and gold dressing gown

The child was wearing a pair of pajamas featuring space rockets and astronauts

I was wearing a pair of pale jeans and a grey sweatshirt and was covered in blood

I thought the cop was joking

After being checked out at the local A/E I was sent home without stitches and told to rest

It was during these weary days that I questioned the absurdity of the event

If I had ridden with my original choice then I would not have crashed

But it changed me as I ever never alter my travelling plans

A few years later at an airport in Zagreb I was offered a later flight back to London

But I made a fuss as I was sure that the second flight would crash

As it was both flights arrived safely

I smile now at the absurdity of my fears

 

 

 

Stephen Masefield