In the Nick of Time

Feet busy pedaling, heart racing fast and eyes focused on the road ahead. Thomas pedaled the bicycle as fast as he could. He squeezed his eyes off the water from the heavy rain that had drenched his sight.

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“Hold on a little bit, Megan. I’ll be right with you soon!”

He had just received a call from his pregnant friend being in labor. He had just left her place a few minutes ago. He wanted to stay the night with her as she seemed a bit weak but she insisted on being okay and that he could leave but a few seconds ago, she called, speaking in pain for him to rush over.

As Thomas pedaled harder, taking the sharp corner that connected the bridge that led to Megan’s house, he miscalculated his turn and ended up colliding with the railings on the bridge, causing him to crash against it and fly away from his bicycle.

Thomas felt his head hit the railing and tumbled over it.

“Help, he yelled as he fell down the bridge. The rain splashed heavily on his face. The breeze carried him down the bridge till he landed.

His eyes were shut and he expected to land on something hard, something rocky but he seemed to be in a trance and he lay there with his eyes still firmly shut with his heart almost pounding out of his chest.

He let the rain soak him in as if soaking his thoughts at the same pace as his heartbeat. The beating sensation of the rain on his face sent a sharp painful feeling to his brain but that was not enough to make him open his eyes and get up.

Thomas felt another sharp pain like a bee sting on his cheek and that was enough pain he needed to jerk up. Then, he realized he had just landed on a beehive.

That was his savior.

He slowly turned to his side as he tried to get up but his heartbeat sped up when he looked down and saw that the beehive was hanging down a pole holding the bridge and he could fall at any time.

He tried to understand how a beehive was able to hold his weight but that was just what saved him as he could have died if he went down the bridge.

The pain in his cheek hit him again as his phone rang. He moved slowly, in the hive as he tried to stretch his hands up to get a hold of the upper part of the pole holding the bridge.

“Megan, I’m sorry. Hold on a little bit,” he said to himself as a single teardrop escaped his eyes.

As he tried harder to get a hold of the pole, a part of the beehive broke and fell down the bridge and he almost tripped.

He looked down at his doom again and a wave of fear hit him hard.

He stretched his hands higher, jumping a little bit but not enough to weigh the beehive down when tons of bees burst out and circled around his legs.

“How are you guys even active under this heavy downpour?!” he yelled, asking no one in particular. As he tried to jerk the bees off his legs, more parts of the beehive fell down the bridge alongside some of the bees, leaving the part where he was standing. That was his last straw.

He jumped higher this time and now, he got a hold of the pole. Now, he was dangling down the bridge, looking down to see the last beehive falling apart.

Thomas’ phone rang again in his pocket, but his hands were busy. He squeezed his eyes and swung to the side while catching the pole with his legs. He then mounted the pole to reach the upper side of the bridge and now he was standing back on the bridge.

The rain was gradually stopping now but not his heartbeat nor the buzzing sound of his phone in his pocket. He tried to catch his breath as he dipped his hand into his pocket to grab his phone.

He walked briskly further away from the bridge, forgetting his bicycle. He pressed the phone against his ear as he waited for Megan’s voice but none came, instead, he heard a loud cry of a baby.

“She's here,” he finally heard Megan say.

“Oh, my goodness! Megan, how?” He felt a mixed feeling of joy and fear. He was surprised she was able to give birth on her own.

“I couldn't hold it any longer. She wanted to be out so bad and with just one shout and push of pain, she slipped out.”

He had no idea what she meant by ‘slipped out’ but a genuine smile from his heart appeared on his face and he ran faster towards her house.

“Thank you for being a good friend even though her dad decided to neglect me. Thank you for accepting me, Thomas.”

“I will do it over and over again, Megan!” he yelled as he ran faster and the line went quiet. “On my way, don’t pass out on me!”