Hobbling along awkwardly with a barking dog on your tail

SOME people swear by the vehicle they are driving. Usually it's either a MPV, SUV or EVO-8. Mine is just a plain, old 110CC Suzuki equipped with two wheels of suspect quality.
So one night, at about 2.30pm I was scootering home along some very dark and lonely roads, I suddenly experienced his sinking feeling. It was the air that escaped with a rush in my rear tyre.
"Great!" I told myself. "It's your lucky night!" I had actually meant that sarcastically as I entered the threshold of my neighbourhood. Near the guardhouse, there are usually five or six stray dogs parading in the vicinity. The animals normally couldn't give two barks about me but on that night, they were a little feisty.
Around the time when I discovered to my great horror that I was having a punctured tyre, the stray dogs decided to have some fun with me. They pranced out of the compound where they were prowling and headed towards me - post haste.
Being a man of limited courage, I stared Death in its face. Perhaps I exaggerate but at that moment in time, it seemed quite real. If you have not experienced or "enjoyed" the sight of about four or five dogs charging at you, you really don't know what you are missing.
There I was, gutless and riding on a crippled bike, thinking of my next life-altering decision. I gunned the throttle and prayed very hard. The punctured rear tyre is no fun to play with. It gained a little speed but it wasn't travelling at Formula One speed.
With seconds, the dogs with yelping at my legs. I kept on shoo-ing them. Not that it helped to any significant degree but it was a self-comforting act. My heart raced as fast as the dogs' legs. I prayed my bike wouldn't topple over all of a sudden. That would have been disastrous for me.
A fallen victim is supper for hungry dogs. Then by the grace of my guardian angel after about 25 yards, the dogs got tired of chasing me. My bike was bouncing up and down with great reluctance.
Have you ever tried to outrun dogs on a punctured tyre? Well, don't try. It's really not that exhilarating.
If I had any doubts about the divine protection and existence of guardian angels, they all vanished that night, very much like the mist in the morning. You just can't imagine how religious a person can get when the terrible twins, Death and Fear, jump on to your shoulders. Luckily for me, I am a praying man. There's no doubt about it after that night, I believe the Big Man Upstairs is looking out for me all the time.
I also learnt another very important lesson. Never neglect to service your mode of transportation, no matter how small it is. If the vehicle is in tip-top condition, it will have fewer chances of letting you down. Hallelujah!