~EVERY DAY IS A STORY~

“THE QUERY”

Crossing the road to the opposite side so I could take a tricycle, popularly called “Keke”, to my work place, I glanced briefly at my phone to check the time. Ten minutes to eight o’clock. “I’m not too late,” I thought to myself. Give and take, I should be at my office before the official eight thirty call time. I flagged the first “Keke” but the driver pointed to the opposite direction which in our general knowledge of the road, means he’s going towards the new Jos University Teaching Hospital site. 

Instead of flagging the “Keke”, I resorted to using my fingers to point in the direction I’ll be going all the while whispering “British”. One of the “Keke” stopped for me to enter but when I saw that the only available seat is the front sit beside the driver-which of course is against the traffic rule but it’s still done anyway, I declined entering. Mind you, am still mindful of the timing but I wouldn’t risk having two things happening to me. The first is; just before the British junction, some patriotic and zealous Road Safety officers station themselves from 8am till God knows when, to apprehend errant road users. 

If you are familiar with the Bristish-Lamingo road, you’d know that immediately after the bridge, just before Shuma filling station, any road user could sight the Safety officers and decide quickly, what to do.  What to do usually depends on how “guiltless” the road user is, but, being Nigeria, 80 percent of the road users are 80 percent of the time, guilty.  So, the norm is to drop the occupant sitting on the errant seat or take a longer route through Millionaires’ quarters to avoid the Safety Officers.  Now, I wouldn’t want to trek some good 100 metres to hop back into a Keke that I’d have to make full payment for or take an unnecessary detour that will delay me. Secondly, dressed in a nice pencil skirt which is just below my knee, the ideal sitting position wouldn’t be the front seat.  I learnt that lesson the hard way back in 2012 during my National service. That’s a story for another day.

Now, back to my ordeal. 

After rejecting the Keke, I tried my luck some more, but, all was to no avail.  I then felt my waist twitching so, I decided to check my time.  Behold it’s five minutes after eight. I’ve been standing for fifteen minutes- well, that explains the twitch. By now, I’ve silently began to chide myself for rejecting that front sit as I became more anxious about going to work late.

Finally, I got one going my way and quickly hopped into the back seat (not that I would have mind if the available was the front seat). By now, the time is ten full minutes after eight o’clock. Well, I’m going to be late-that’s for sure. Long story short, I encountered a “hold-up” at Rikkos junction which isn’t heavy so by twenty-eight minutes after eight, I was at British Junction. I didn’t mention that it’s another ten minutes trek from British junction to my office especially if the Keke is not going towards Abattoir, Rayfield or Secretariat junction which reduces the trek by at least, three minutes. Today, the Keke is going the opposite direction so, I began another long trek to my office.

Naturally, I don’t walk slowly. A friend once told me I walked like a Soldier. I walked, broke into small runs, all in a bid to make it to the office early. Somehow, I managed to arrive thirty-five minutes after eight. My colleagues were in our Boss’ office for the devotion and daily briefing before work begins. Looking shamefaced, I pick my chair and took position. My usually cool Boss was typing away on his laptop computer. He printed some documents, folded and carefully stapled each. He then quietly handed the document to each of us and told us to open it.

“QUERY”!!! Query? Me?? What??? Wow, I was more than taken aback. The query letter clearly expressed that I’ve been repeatedly warned about coming late but have not taken heed to adjust. After the devotion and briefing, I replied the letter and explained my ordeal (actually, it is the beginning of School term and somehow, I did not just notice that the influx of parents dropping off their kids at the Plateau Private school, contributes to the heavy hold-up along the British road thus making Keke drivers avoid the route. The activity of the Safety officers is only compounding the issue).

The next day, I arrived the office at twenty minutes after eight. Don’t ask me how I managed to make it that early because nothing is impossible with determination. I just don’t know how I managed to stop being deliberate about coming early or about so many other things. Anything is attainable with determination.