Wednesday, 1 July 2015

The Uniformed Man In Mufti Pointed A Gun

Subconsciously full of hope that there would still be maruwa left; got just in time for the last maruwa before the rush hour
Settled in time and had two elderly men forming my side defences.
Out of nowhere was an unexpected passenger
Booze and weed was the aroma he brought



Forcefully he dragged a passenger off and settled in besides the driver
Menacingly he looks at us at the back seat
“Get down now” was the command from his lips to our ears
Confusion was our reaction then anger
The eldest passenger at my right side spoke first
He hadn’t finished reprimanding the unexpected passenger when we saw a shiny black metal object

Alas it was a gun
Pointed at us
The gun was thirsty to be offloaded unto one and all of us
None of us wanted to die including the eldest man possibly in his seventies

Alight we did
Around we looked, seeking for another maruwa
Alas none was on sight
Grudgingly our eyes looked at the unexpected passenger

He had four companions now
They dragged the maruwa driver into a danfo bus
None at the scene raised an alarm
From nowhere a tiny feminine voice which surprisingly belonged to man asked “who are those”?
“Na detectives oo, dem get problem with maruwa people dem” replied a road side seller
My mind tried to digest this new information
The man who just pointed a gun without reason at me was an officer of the law

Two days later, read a related article in a local newspaper
Four maruwa drivers were reportedly killed by area touts
The said touts had squabbles with the drivers
Officers of the law were used to intimidate and assault these drivers
My mind wondered if the maruwa driver taken away earlier was among the dead
He definitely would be among the assaulted
Shame at my cowardice earlier on overwhelmed me
I should have done something to help

Even if it may have cost my life

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