A terrifying experience – an Open Speech
It was an unusually hot day. Exhausted after football practice, I headed to the bus stop to wait for Bus 112 which would take me home. I was beginning to drift off to sleep when I saw the bus arriving. The sun was in my eyes and that was probably the reason why I got onto Bus 113.
I was glad to get a seat. Within minutes, I was slumped against the window, fast asleep. When I opened my eyes, it was dark outside. I was the only passenger left on the bus. I could not recognize the part of
town we were passing through. I pressed the bell and the bus stopped. I planned to hop across the road and catch a bus going in the opposite direction. However, I found myself on a quiet street with a row of shops that were all shuttered. I kicked myself for not asking the driver for directions.
As I was wondering what to do, a motorcycle came down the road. The rider looked at me as he passed and then stopped a short distance away. I went to him and asked him how to get back to Taman Klang Utama. He smiled and nodded. He patted the back seat and said that he would send me home. Without a second thought, I climbed up behind the rider. He turned the motorcycle around and headed in the direction I wanted. We traveled for about 15 minutes and the surroundings still looked unfamiliar to me. The rider made a few turns and I knew I was hopelessly lost. I asked him where we were going. He did not answer but increased his speed. Alarm bells started to ring in my head.
I tapped the man on the shoulder and told him to stop. He leaned forward and went at high speed now. Then he slowed down to turn into a dark and narrow road that led into an oil palm plantation. I had had enough. I jumped off the vehicle and fell onto the ground. The man turned around and rode towards me. I swung my school bag at him and he lost his balance and fell off his motorcycle. Without looking back, I just ran and ran. When I dared to stop, I found that I was on a properly tarred road. Cars were passing by. I was relieved to see a taxi and waved frantically, praying that it would stop. It did. I got in and gave the driver my house address. I was shaking uncontrollably.
When my family learned what had happened, they were horrified. My parents told me that I should have just looked for a public phone and called home when I was lost. I knew I had been foolish. It was a frightening experience that I hoped would never happen to me again. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
