The Long & Winding Road

This was the day that taught me and Matt to cherish life and live everyday as if there is no tomorrow.  We rented motorbikes to check out the island because it is very big.  Our plan was to go all the way over to Long Beach on the southeast side of the island.  We had also planned to go to the National Park and do some hiking.  All of these plans changed when I looked in my side mirror and did not see Matt riding behind me anymore.  I thought to myself,"Why would he stop?"  Then as I drove back the way we had come I realized that he had probably crashed and could be anywhere in the trees or bushes along the road.  I continued on driving the area scanning the trees for somewhere where his bike could have crashed through.  I drive for about 3 or 4 min  and then see a big group of people surrounding someone.  As I drive up, I realize it's Matt and he is bleeding a lot from his head.  He looks like he is in shock and at first I didný think it was that bad but when I looked closer I realized he had some very deep cuts on his face and head.  An ambulance was called and off he went as I headed back to our bungalow 45 min away to get his wallet and medical insurance info.  Upon my return to the hospital about an hour and a half later, I see Matt in the operating room getting stitches to his eyes and forehead.  I couldn't believe how many stitches he was getting!  He asks me to go check on the bike because neither of us grabbed the key so I take off to find his bike.  I drive to the spot and don't see the bike.  Now I'm thinking it's stolen and that he's going to have to pay for the whole bike too.  I drive back to tell him the bad news but when I arrive he is waiting outside standing next to the bike.  I failed to see it upon leaving.  Someone must have driven it back for him.  It's pretty banged up but not as bad as Matt himself.  He's also standing next to an Irish guy we had met a couple days before.  The Irish guy had a broken collarbone after falling off his bike earlier in the day.  The two of them go with the bike in a truck taxi after a great joke by me asking if they wanted a ride home on my bike, haha, they weren't laughing though! I cruise the 45 min ride back to the bungalow with my ipod in wondering how all of this has really happened.  Matt was on a lot of drugs after he went to the pharmacy to get cleaned up so he passed out fairly early in pain.  The good news for me and the bad news for him was that there was a party with free food right across the street.  I checked it out and saw some really good bands play while my friend slept with close to 30 stitches in his head and face.  Thank god he's alive though because he could have very well been killed given the speed involved in the accident.