Shattered Dreams

When the uncle, with whom we stayed, bought a new motorcycle, it was a joyous moment. He took me for a joyride, my first on a privately owned vehicle. Uncle adored me greatly and had great plans around my development. He wanted me to go the best school, engage in various other activities and go abroad for higher studies. Uncle loved his new vehicle and greatly enjoyed 15 Kms ride to his office and back home and my joyride was a must each day, before he parked his bike for good for the day. One day Uncle did not return home till late hours, and a messenger came to deliver a message to my parents. I saw their worried faces, but I didn't understand the situation. Leaving me in the custody of our neighbours, my parents rushed somewhere. I do not have any further memories of that day, but for the dinner served by our neighbours to me and then putting me to sleep for the night. Next day, I woke up to incessant sobbing of my parents only to know that uncle was hit by a fast-moving bus from the rear, breaking his skull and that he was no more! His untimely departure put me and my family into lots of hardships and it also heralded an end to all those dreams that Uncle had envisioned on for me. More than the shattered dreams, the incident had such a deep impact my juvenile psyche that till day I have not be able to learn riding a motorcycle, though I have a driving license and I drive a four wheeler. But whenever I try to ride a motor bike - as a driver or a pillion rider - memories of that black day immediately come back to haunt me and my hands start trembling and confidence becomes zero. Childhood traumas impact one deeply and are very hard to overcome.