Yazid ***

The flowers were dazzling. What a wonderful feeling. Soft sunshine playing from among the canopy of tall dense trees. A cool breeze caressing his body. Butterflies in all colours fluttering lazily. Birds chirping. Yazid smiled. It was heaven, and he was relishing every moment of it.

And then the horrible screeching sound. A loud jolting crash. The world was turned upside down. It was pitch dark. For a long moment, absolute silence. Then the screams. The scrambling. The moans. Yazid looked around at the chaos. Bags lay everywhere. Arms and legs protruding at the most unlikely angles.

Yazid sensed immediately that he was miraculously unhurt. He immediately set about assessing the situation. The bus lay on its side, the rear end protruding over the deep ravine at the side of the road. The front end was crushed, twisted metal hanging out in all directions. Yazid saw a shattered window, and kicked the glass shards to create a larger opening. He looked out. There was a way out. He quickly started helping the people one by one, helping them out, and to the safety of the side of the road.

Yazid was sweating profusely. He was exhausted. He had moved all the remaining survivors to safety. Many lay semi-comatose. Some sat moaning. And help was on the way. Yazid could not believe that he was the only one unhurt in the nasty accident. But it was equally miraculous that no one had lost their lives. Even the driver was alive, having been thrown backwards before the front end of the bus was crushed against the cliff.

Yazid looked at the bus lying o the dark and lonely road. Not a single vehicle had come by in the last hour since the accident. He went back to have a last look inside the bus. As he clambered the side, he heard the sound. Yes, it was a vehicle. Help was here. He began to clamber down when the trailer appeared around the corner at breakneck speed.

***

The crowd looked in horror. Firemen were hauling Yazid’s crushed and lifeless body from the ravine.

“He saved our lives. Why did this happen to him?” someone wailed.

“What cruel fate. Here we are alive and well and he, after all he did, is dead.”

The firemen pushed the stretcher into the ambulance. Everyone hobbled over, and stood around. Some sobbed. Tears trickled down. But Yazid’s face looked serene and peaceful. He had earned his place in heaven.