Grocery day done. Finally. I loaded everything on the passenger seat — eggs, bread, instant coffee, the essentials — and sat down in the driver’s seat like I just finished a mission.

I don’t know why, but I started feeling like a race car driver about to take off. I checked my mirrors. Adjusted my seat. Seatbelt on. Hands on the wheel.

All clear behind me.

Shifted from park to neutral. Then to reverse. Everything set. But before I pressed on the gas, I did one last check on the side mirror.

And there it was.

A motorcycle. Parked right behind me.

I froze. Because literally, a few seconds ago, there was nothing there.

Then I saw a man rushing off, holding his kid’s hand. The kid had a backpack. Probably late for school. And in my head I heard him say, “Sandali lang, iwan ko muna ’to.”

I wanted to laugh, but also — paano na ’to? I didn’t want to touch the motorcycle. It wasn’t mine, and honestly, I didn’t trust myself not to drop it. So I waited.

Good thing someone nearby noticed what happened. He walked over and helped move the motorcycle just enough so I could get out. I thanked him, and he just smiled like it was nothing.

As I drove away, I thought — I really did check my mirrors. I really did everything right. But life still managed to slip in a surprise while I wasn’t looking.

Maybe that’s what mirrors are for. Not just to see what’s behind us, but to remind us that no matter how ready we think we are, we’ll always need a little help from someone kind.

“Check twice. Life parks surprises when you’re not looking.”