Last month on a rainy day, I was going to fetch milk from my neighbour’s place. As a daily ritual, this activity, every day at 6PM, springs me into action like clockwork on small springs.
But that day? Something felt off. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but I knew it wasn’t quite a right feeling.
As usual, I knocked on my neighbour’s door. Three times, four times. No answer. Was she not at home? Maybe she’s in, but the fan’s too loud so she couldn’t hear me. Without further ado, I showed myself in.
As soon as I had walked in, I started hearing noises coming from behind me, which later turned into intense huffing and puffing. I turned my head soon enough to realise it was coming from her cow. It has unhooked itself from its leash!
Not wasting a second, the cow charged at me with its horns slightly bent towards me. I used all my might to stop its attack, but couldn’t gain any strength from all the cheese I’ve been consuming. Its hard skull kept sandwiching me between the wall and my hand tried to prevent it, spraining itself in the process so that the horns don’t dig into my stomach.
As if with a stroke of genius, my knowledge came back right in time to save me from my plight. It reminded me of the statistics of how cows were among the number one reason of death among farmers, not traffic or other humans. That if I feel to the ground, the cow could immediately maul and stomp me to death with its great feet. That I have to get away somehow. I tried to use my left hand to turn its head away, and cried for help. It took me a lot of struggling and panic but as soon as I got some inches of distance between me and the wall I was pressed against, I swiftly ran out the door I came in from.
And that sole moment has saved my life from an imminent, unsuspecting danger. It’s then that I realised how important it is to have a working mind under pressure and not zoning out and limiting your chances of survival.