Good On Earth

It happened on the 28^th of February, 2015. It was a Saturday morning, and it happened that I had to go for a prayer meeting at Ridge. There was very little money at home. The house was dry. Not even food to eat. My mom had to go to the market at dawn. I hadn’t seen my dad that morning. Perhaps, he was gone to labor somewhere. Due to the hardship, my siblings knew they will miss classes. The meeting  was one that I couldn’t miss. I didn’t know how but I knew I had to make it. My mom left 7 Ghana cedis behind for us to manage with. I took 4 cedis whereas Theo, Kelvin and Confidence had 1 cedi each for food the whole day. Under normal circumstance, my transportation from Mallam to Ridge and back amounted to 5 cedis, 20 pesewas. My younger brother sacrificed to give me his 1 cedis to add to my 4 cedis to make 5 cedis. I was still short of 1 cedi but I miscalculated my transportation so I thought I was OK to leave. I couldn’t think about food or water for the day. I t was when I got to circle from ridge that I realized I was short of 20 pesewas. I needed 1 cedi 50 pesewas but I had just 1 cedi 30 pesewas. Just walking to the station to pick a car home and knowing very well that my money wasn’t enough, I felt it was a dream. I was confused I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if I should ask that woman shouting and screaming after customers to come and purchase her tomatoes or the little desperate girl selling under the scorching sun who perhaps didn’t live with her parents, or that driver and his mate busily shouting the names of places, pulling passengers here and there to board their buses, or even that old, wretched, malnourished man sitting with leg crossed and holding a bowl begging for money. That woman would have insulted me and called me a thief. That little girl could have shouted at me and called me a liar. The driver and mate could have seen me as a deceptive and hooted at me. For the beggar, I only imagined for I could not beg a beggar. I was confused now, not certain of what to do, where to go and who to go to. I knew there was only one way, to ask. But the question was, who do I ask? Now the sun scorched really hard that I sweat profusely that my cotton face towel couldn’t handle the sweat. I felt pains at my back and in my legs as I continued to walk to nowhere. Immediately from nowhere, an idea came to mind. That I should walk to the Ridge bus stop and ask those drivers for money. As I got there, a crowd busily chatting drivers caught my eyes. I shyly and quietly retrieved my steps, for who was I going to talk to and who was going to listen. I looked around and saw an old driver eating at one end of the bus stop. I walked faster knowing he was alone, to tell him my story. In my mind, I said a word of prayer. Immediately I got there, he didn’t even wait for me to greet when he hurriedly said” Are you going to Ridge? That’s the car, pointing to his old taxi.” “No Daddy” I replied quickly. After telling him my story, he quickly looked through his pocket and as if touched by what I said, and gave me 2 cedis, even when I asked for only 20 pesewas. I thanked him so much that he told me not to worry, for there was more blessing in giving. I hurriedly went to the station and picked a car home. Due to the increasing level of hypocrisy, falsehood and ingenuity, I didn’t know there was such genuine good on earth. I am kind, but I have learnt to be kinder. Hope you do too.