So I closed a little earlier today. I closed around 6:15pm and headed straight for Diamond bank Junction at Wuse II. I crossed the road and waited for the next cab heading to Banex Junction. Soon enough, one stooped. I noticed that it had only one passenger seating at the driver’s corner. He was a very old man. I knew he was having sight problems because he didn’t even respond when I entered the front seat of the cab. I sat in and tried to look at his face again through the side mirror, but this car didn’t have a mirror. I wasn’t too comfortable (as a sharp boy, trust nobody. E fit be setup), so I was expecting something funny.
When we got to Banex Junction, I alighted and when I was paying, the driver told me to help the old man to cross the junction. At this point the man started talking. He spoke impeccable English and I was very impressed. He wore a hat with the NLC logo in front. I really don’t think that man can see. He stretched his hand out and I held his hand. He was shaking. I knew this required enough patience. I tried to convince the driver to help us cross the junction. He complained about the traffic building up at the other side, so I had to do it myself. I heard a woman calling Kubwa Expressway (my destination) and the man was going in the same direction, except that he was going to drop before me. He explained that he had to climb a pedestrian bridge after Jahi, where there is a filling station (Oando). We had already passed the vehicle when I finished telling the man that we should go with the woman. Unfortunately as soon as we were just close to the door another lady came and entered the car. I really didn’t want to cross that junction, especially with the man. I even hate crossing roads. But at this point, I didn’t have a choice. The man engaged me in a conversation almost immediately. He asked me where I was from and I told him. We crossed the road without any hassle. Throughout the whole time, the man had described our steps and movement. He had described the junction in detail. Now I think about it, I’m very sure the man is blind. When we got to a good spot to wait for a cab heading to that place, he told me he was pressed and he had to ease himself. I told him OK, and I made to turn him around to the drainage behind us. That was the least I could do to him. But we didn’t even make it there! He was peeing right on the pavement and I had to stay there to caution people so that he didn’t splash pee on passersby.
He finished, leaned back and said, “My friend, are you there?” I responded and took him back to the roadside where we will get a cab. We got into a Sienna and headed for Jahi. He asked me what I was doing, about where I stayed, he asked if I had finished my youth service. Then he asked for my name. I told him “Dairo” because some people find it hard to call my first name. Then he asked me for my baptismal name. I told him “Peter”. He replied, “Ah, Peter, in French it is called Pierre, Italian, Pedro, in Russian and Slavic it is called Petrovich”. At this point he told me he studied French, Latin, Italian, and 15 other languages. And yes, he started speaking French. He spoke Italian, and he spoke Latin. The other passengers in the vehicle must have been impressed, but nobody said anything. In between the trip, he told the driver not to forget that we were dropping at Oando filling station after Jahi and when we were close to the pedestrian bridge, he told the driver that we must be around the area – and he was correct.
He came down and the driver was kind enough not to take the full fare from us. So I helped the climb the culvert. As we approached the bridge, the man told me to watch out for the stair case. He told me that we should take the left bridge. And really, the left staircase was the best choice for us. It was a straight bridge all the way to the top. The right staircase would have been more stressful for us to climb because it was designed differently. He knew how many staircases we were going to climb. And he counted them in French. When we got to the other side, we had to wait for another cab that would take us back to Jahi. It didn’t make any sense to me. “Why didn’t we just stop at Jahi?”I asked myself. When we got to Jahi, we got an Okada to take the old man to his house. Apparently, the policemen that work in the area know the man well and they helped to get the Okada man. I said goodbye to him and turned to head home. Then I looked back. I had to cross the Kubwa Expressway Road to continue my journey. I easily crossed the lanes leading to town and I got to the middle of the road. Then I had to cross the other road leading to Kubwa. The vehicles were moving so fast, I couldn’t dare to cross the road. Remember I hate crossing. Surprisingly, I saw some people crossing. Twice I thought 2 people were going to be knocked down but they crossed with such skill. I couldn’t. I thought it was suicide. Then I looked far away to my left. In the distance I saw a pedestrian bridge. Immediately, I crossed the less busy road back and started walking to the bridge. I didn’t care about the distance. It was safer. I walked for 20mins, and believe me when I say I’m a fast walker. On getting close, I realized that it was the same bridge the old man and I had climbed just to cross the road. The man had to pass his destination just to cross a pedestrian bridge.
People, this is a serious matter. People who pass that road daily know how accidents happen anyhow there, most especially at Jahi Junction. I don’t see any reason why a sane person would want to cross Kubwa Expressway, but I also know that none of those people that crossed that road in my presence would even want to walk to that bridge so far away.

I’m begging the Federal Government (or anybody that can help get their attention) to look into this. There is no reason why there should not be a bridge there. People cross that road every day because they don’t have a choice. Make life easier for them please.

Thank you

brownlolly you have a good writing skill.

Haba all this gist for bridge.....


The end I expected


So when I put the man on okada, I entered a cab to my destination, on reaching there I could not find my wallet, I phone 6 bend and it dawned on me that the old man was actually a con man



Now thats a typical naija story

Sparrow13: brownlolly you have a good writing skill.

Thanks

If only this post goes more viral, perhaps someone in the position to do something might come across it. Good article.

Ahhh!!! Dis tori wan sweet buh e later bitter[color=#006600][/color]