Art Imitating Life: Patience

By ADESUWA

It was 5.10pm.

'Click' that sent out my last mail for the day...the next fifteen minutes saw me tidying up my table, I wanted to dash out...infact I did...but couldn't help the niggling voice, I turned around at the main door, went back to my office and spared a few minutes to thank GOD for work done that day and bade my office goodbye...till morrow.

I walked leisurely to the junction and waited patiently for an "along" cab, there is no way I would take a 'drop'..else I would trek to work tomorrow...even my ancestors didn't walk that far to their farms.

I am broke. I had to pay Jas for balancing my accounts, Oye had reminded me that I owed laundry bills for the past two weeks, I had goods to deliver by next week..it was friday already and advance paid for the goods have been long spent and forgotten. Didn't I just get paid three weeks back? But then how much sef?!!!

'Peeeeem!'..if these abuja taxi men don't harass you with their horns who will? "Junction! Along o!!" I called from the kerb "come enter!" the driver called back.  I did.  I happily paid 50 naira when I got to my destination. All buses available weren't going my way. I waited for some minutes and then a car came along with three passengers..and they were going my way! Yippeee! As I settled in one of the pedestrians waiting for means of transport (as there are cars and buses) had this "look at this lady entering this private car with only men in it.." look on her face. I looked the other way...the only thing I thought of was home and food! I would not be kidnapped jare..! penny for her thoughts though.

We happily journeyed until we came to the bend that led to the expressway...

"Mtchew! Na wa o! This holdup na for what naw?

"Kai! When person go reach now?"

"Hope say no be accident sha?"

It was barely 60seconds we joined the traffic and complains rent the air. We moved slowly till we were on the main express way, I looked ahead and saw that there was no traffic some twenty cars ahead of us.

"This small hold-up see as Nigerians have formed five lanes on this road!" I said to myself. "What impatience would cost us eh!...you people should go to lagos and see how far with traffic!" I continued

"Accident ni o! " The man by my side said.

"I talk am!" The front seat passenger snapped...

Oh well two cars hit themselves and probably one of them is a huge write off or both? Ehen? So why are cars slowing down...????

"What! JESU!" the man by the widow put his hands on his head.

I immediately adjusted and stretched myt neck so I could see what was happening...So it wasn't two cars after all.
Lying there in the middle of the road was a corpse..oozing blood, with organs and intestines spewed all over the road...like bits of meat..all red and pulpy.  The corpse was a man..fully dressed..like he just left his place of work. It was friday, I guess he was going home to family or so.

He may have just left work like I did..but now he lay dead. His body mangled, a branch of leaves was placed on him...so he has assumed that state. I shook my head, He couldn't shrug off the leaves, he lay there...LIFELESS. I guess his body is the least of his worries now...maybe he is already facing judgement..who knows?

All my nagging thoughts quietened...someone somewhere is being called and told that his or her loved one has gone to the other world.

I mean! Here I am calculating debts and wishing away! and  as I did that someone died.

"I sure say na that luxurious bus wey park for there hit am" I heard someone say ..I was oblivious to my surroundings..I had gone far in chiding my self in my thoughts for being so vain and not thankful.

When did this accident happen? Why did he have to cross the expressway?  Was there not a pedestrian bridge nearby? Why did the corpse have to lay there for all to see till a good samaritan concealed it with a branch of leaves...when we had the road safety who should have taken care of this?

As these questions rolled into my head, one fact remained...He is dead.

As we continued our journey, I notice the incident touched a lot of road users around, most cars were not fast-paced anymore...we had all become suddenly patient. Death reminded us to be..but did it have to remind us?

Well as we went on, pace picked up. Like saying "Oh well! We didn't die today.."

Hmmmm...it could have been anyone.

Adieu Mr.... All you wanted to do was cross the road. Whoever you are I pray you rest in the bosom of GOD. Amen