“I am not a savior oh, just a guy who wants to help his gorgeous neighbor get home without being sunburnt”
She laughs, “He is funny. This ride home better be enjoyable”
Silence, as he shuffles between radio stations with one hand on the steering. He skips a couple of stations hastily creating a distorted yet weirdly pleasant sound.
“Kike, remember this isn’t your car, you don’t have to spell out that you are a vivid listener of Kaba fm, you don’t have to be in control”.
She remains still using the opportunity to take in his features. “Rough hands with the tip of each finger blackened by a grease-like substance, he must have had his hands in something dirty… but he is fine sha”. The “sha” added to make it clear to self that the guy in question is good looking but not outstandingly fine, just normal kind of fine if that makes any sense.
“So erm, you live alone right?”
“Yes. What about you?”
“Well, yes technically, other than my brother who passes by every weekend to complain about the woes of university like I didn’t attend that same school. I know he just wants more money to spend on his girls, but he won’t come straight”.
He pauses, readjusts himself like he is trying hard not to smack an insect stinging his thigh…“these youngsters” he adds hastily.
She laughs throwing her head to the side whilst unconsciously stealing a glance at a sign board reading “ Maame Special Fish joint. Come and you would love fish again!”
She laughs even more. ”Seriously, nothing one won’t see in this country”.
She quickly chips in “life of a big sister” to their half dead conversation.
The sign board comes to mind again and she smiles this time imagining the look on the disciples face when they were told “Come and I would make you fishers of men”.
He changes the radio station rather hastily just as a beautiful voice starts singing the first words of the song “amazing grace”.
“Really, you had to change it just now?” she asks.
“I’m really not into such stuff”
What does he mean by such stuff? She probes further… “Such stuff meaning?”
“Oh you know…GOD, HE CAN SAVE YOUR SOUL FROM DESTRUCTION kind of music. Just not my thing”
He must be kidding, first of all, Amazing grace is not “such song” secondly God can actually save you from destruction. This is all said in her head.
She sits still trying to decide how inoffensive she could ask if he believes in God without having to look like some overly spiritual being who has come to remind humanity of their sin.
She makes up her mind to ask right away just as he tunes the volume of the radio up as if to swallow up the silence. This time, it’s a strong voice, panting heavily, shouting out cuss words with a good beat at the background.
She should just hold her peace. Who wants to start probing into someone’s personal space on a first meeting? As a next door neighbor, they would run into each other sooner that thinkable and then she would look him in the eye. “Hey, Mr fine boy are you born again?”
She is so lost in her train of thoughts; she doesn’t realize there is silence once more until he clears his throat. She looks out just in time to catch a glimpse of the supermarket.
“Oh no, I have to pick up some things from the next shop” she mutters.
He brings the car to a halt.
She gets down feeling grateful for the ride and even more grateful for the personal space from the pressure of having to turn a man into “fish for the Lord”.
She is about entering her tailor’s shop next to the supermarket when everyone jumps from the shock of a sound nearby.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
She stands still, unable to join the crowd rushing madly towards the accident scene.
“Next time. Next time?…this was his last chance”.
