So, one Tuesday while going to work there was a bit of traffic on the road and as usual people formed multiple lanes to make getting out of the traffic even worse.
Beside the vehicle I was in, was a battered BRT, those old red ones. It was packed full with many people standing inside. I could hear them shouting at the driver to take it easy. But did the driver listen?
He continued trying to slink through the traffic conveniently forgetting he was driving a huge bus. Well, less than 5 seconds later, Baba had hit this jeep in front of him. I don’t know zilch about cars, but the car he hit was really flashy and looked expensive.
The rim behind it fell off halfway.
Hahaha.
White starched caftan with brown strappy leather sandals came down from the jeep, but before his feet could touch the ground, Baba from the BRT bus threw himself on the ground. SMH.
An old man not minding the rain and puddle of water on the ground, he threw himself into it.
‘Ejo sir, please sir, abeg sir’ he began to plead. It was a very pathetic sight. Some women from the bus joined him in the begging, ‘please sir, have mercy.’
Accidents can happen at any time to anybody but if this Baba had not been driving as if he had a meeting with Bill Gates he would have avoided this one.
Owner of jeep stood staring at his rim and broken tail lights, I could tell he was mentally calculating how much replacing them would cost. The old man was still on the ground pleading, tears and mucous now mixed together on his face.
The scene reminded me of my growing years, I used to fight a lot – at home with my siblings, neighbours, at school. I was always ready to fight not as if I had strength o, but I wouldn’t back down from a fight.
One day my Mum probably tired of it all called me aside and said, you better learn to respect yourself and command respect, because you are a girl, your brothers will one day grow bigger than you what will you do then? She didn’t say it in those exact words but you get the idea.
Respect yourself, respect your old age so that people will respect you.
I have seen accident scenes where someone bashes another’s car and you see both parties come down from their cars, exchange phone numbers and drive off.
But this Baba was most probably doing hire purchase or remitting some money to the owner of the bus per week, yet he could not respect himself while driving.
Someone in the vehicle I was in went, ‘see how this old man is begging a small boy like this and he is really taking the begging, he is very stupid. Is it because the man is poor?’
Yes, if you don’t want to grovel in the middle of a muddy road in this Lagos, drive carefully, stay on your lane because poverty issa bastard.
Respect yourself!