Banana Pancakes

Aiding and Abetting (Part 5)

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Part 5

Aiding and Abetting

When we were twelve, Kongpob and I acquired the same scar; identical in its location, mark, and color.

It makes sense because we were riding on the same bike and fell down on the same lake embankment.

It was the summer of our twelfth year when we decided to take out Kongpob's two-seater bike and commit suicide. Yes, suicide. Suicide is a very serious matter and should never be seen as a playful subject. However, at one point or another in our chaotic lives, as human beings, we consider it. When things get rough, when we see no way out, when we feel as though dying would be better than living – we want to abandon life. 

However, in most cases, suicide(s) involve just one person.

No. Not my suicide. My suicide attempt was together with Kongpob Suthiluck. 

To this day, I still think I chose great company because truth is, we were twelve. We were twelve and stupid. We were twelve and utterly out of our minds. We thought we were smart and had what it took to carry out the mission. Our plan was to drive the bike right down into the lake until it engulfed us, let go, and then drown to our death. However, there was just a slight glitch in our perfect plan. 

We both knew how to swim – we both knew how to swim very well.

"Why do you want to die?"
"Do I have to have a reason? What about you?"
"I have a reason but I don't want to tell you."
"Well – I have a reason too but I don't want to tell you too."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Let's go die together then – without our reasons."
"Fine with me."
"Fine with me too."

To this day I still don't know Kongpob's reason for wanting to commit suicide. And to this day, I've forgotten my reason. But I can say with a 100% confidence that our reasons were probably stupid because we were twelve. 

We were twelve and stupid.

Kongpob was the one steering the bike as we rounded the grassy hill toward the lake. This lake wasn't a typical looking lake. It wasn't murky brown water that occasionally bobbed nasty-looking seaweed or dead fishes upstream. No. It was a beautiful lake. Dark blue and whenever the wind rippled through it, it had an ocean-like effect. I'm also forgetting to mention that were there also swans, ducks, and birds there too. Oh yeah, we chose to end our lives in style and around other life too. Like I said, we were twelve.

"Push off."
"Are you ready?"
"Let's go."

Pushing off the bike, I clung onto Kongpob's waist as the bike started rolling downhill. Because it was such hot weather that day, there was no one else around. It was just Kongpob and me. But that was a good thing. There weren't any witnesses to our stupidity.

"WAHHH!"
"STOP! STOP!"
"I CAN'T! I CAN'T!"
"UGH!"
"ARGH!"

Unbeknownst to the both of us, there were rocks near the embankment – go figure. When the front tires of the bike jolted up and barely rolled a few centimeters until the back tire caught the up-take, Kongpob's body weight fell forward. Guess who and what fell along with him? Yep. Me and then the bike.

I remember closing my eyes as hard as I could and thinking, "Oh my god, this is going to hurt!" But I opened my eyes just time to see Kongpob falling onto the largest rock at the tip of the lake and the end of the embankment. I wished I had fast reflexes in order to avoid it, but truth was I couldn't. Because I was right behind Kongpob, I hit the rock after he hit it. We both landed on our sides and heard the impending crunch of the granite rock hitting our hip-bones.

"I'm dead! I'm dead!"
"You're not dead fool! If you're dead, you wouldn't be screaming 'I'm dead'!"
". . . I'm DDEEAADD!!!"

The crash of the bike dipping into the lake and our screams awakened the awareness of people on the other side of the lake. Before Kongpob and I could scream "I'm dead" again, people swarmed the scene. Pretty soon, the police and ambulance were called. The scene became quite chaotic when we were rushed to the hospital. Needless to say, my grandpa and Kongpob's father were called.