Our Keke Driver is Mad

How ram fights are used for entertainment in my country have little to do with this post, so, I have to explain.

After rams are paired against each other, people bet on a potential winner and then left to fight. These rams would face each other and charge forward to knock down their opponent.

Some cowardly run for their dear life, some face their opponent head on and some die in the fight. Whatever the case, the entertainment will surely happen and there must be a winner.

When we got to the fuel station to fill our car tank, my friend and I were so engrossed in our gist that we neither paid attention to the reading on the station’s tank nor the payment made using our card. After the purchase, and successful payment, our brother zoomed off. We were off to church and damn, we were almost late for the service!

“We were debited twice,” our dad said.

“No joor. The alert was probably sent twice. You know how these bank alerts can be,” my friend said. But behold, the account balance reflected a double charge. We contemplated addressing the issue after church by noon or turning back now. We had gone quite a long distance from the station and were already late for church. Addressing the issue by noon is risky because the attendant’s shift could be over by then and that would be the end. So I suggested my friend and I should go back to sort the issue while the rest of our family went ahead to church.

We boarded a keke napep (tricycle) back and on the journey, one korope (minibus) roughly drove past us and caused our keke to swerve to the left. “What is wrong with this man!” “Can you imagine this!” “Eih God o!” We said individually.

Our keke driver was mute.

Almost immediately, we saw our keke driver picking up the pace to meet with the korope. On seeing the driver turning right, he yelled at the driver and charged right in an attempt to knock his minibus down.

What!

We all shrieked.

“Alaye*, what is your problem?” someone said.

“I wan go fight am now,” our keke driver replied.

“With the trailer wey you dey drive ba?” I reprimanded.

At the instant, he realized his tricycle was no match to his opponent’s mini bus. The fight in him may be full and rage-worthy but his weapon was not equal to the rage.

I pondered for a bit how our driver intended to win this ‘fight’, using his mismatched weapon and risking all our lives including his, and I couldn’t help but conclude he was not in his right frame of mind.

Life is short.

Stop getting mad or it will get shorter.

To my Stranger-Sis

Photo Credit: istockphoto.com

❣

In this journey of life, we all should show warmth, however little it may be.

– Dúpé Jayé

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Last Friday, I was enjoying a certain group conversation so bad I had to walk to the bus station while simultaneously typing on WhatsApp (v for very bad, I know). On getting there, I was told the bus would arrive in another 5-10 minutes, so, I tried an alternative but it failed as the nearest available bolt ride was far away, and riding a bike was out cos choosing a Hausa guy to cycle you to your desired location requires you to pay keen attention especially to control their speed (cos those guys definitely have 9 lives and are not scared of losing one), and since I wasn’t in a rush, I decided to wait.

Few seconds in, a lady began her analysis of the situation and it felt rude not to respond since she was talking to me. Long story short, a guy, another lady, and an old woman joined… We face a lot here in Nigeria so I won’t sadden you with the altogether unnecessary details…

When the bus finally came, I, the guy, the second lady, the old woman, and others boarded it. Along the way, the guy and the old woman alighted, but only the guy said bye, and when I got to my destination, the lady said, “bye, sis.” I responded with a smile and a “bye, babe.”

Sis; short for sister

• (British) IPA: /ˈsɪs.tə/

• Any woman or girl with whom a bond is felt through common membership of a race, profession, religion, or organization.

• (slang) A black woman

Some may have felt awkward to be called sis by a stranger, to the stranger herself, it might have meant nothing but for me, it is the little things, it was small yet touching.

We come from a common race, we are black, and we shared a journey.

It felt homely and in that split second, whatever I was going through in life didn’t matter, I smiled wholeheartedly.

To my stranger-sis, you may never see this, but I’m rooting for you with prayers, may you always find reasons to smile!