My Neighborhood Watch #32 - Reporting Events Around us

Unforeseen occurrence happens on a daily basis. We leave our homes as early as possible in the morning to work, school, people's home and the streets to do one thing or the other. Most family heads go out there to hustle so they can cater for their material needs. On leaving, we render our lives to our creator to protect us from the wicked ones and from activities that would cause our downfall.

This was the case with a man, a family head to hustle for his family. He is employed as a driver in my institution. His work is to convey students in his shuttle bus from town campus to main campus. This shuttle bus he has was on hire purchase. He hired the Bus with 1.5M to be paying on a monthly basis before the bus is fully entitled to him. It was a usual activity for these shuttle drivers to cool their engine with water after every successful return. They do this on a daily basis to avoid overheating.

This man shown above took students from ,Town campus to Perm site campus as usual but the unexpected happened. As he arrived Permanent site campus, his bonnet caught fire. The overheating of the engine caused but it's surprising though because he cooled the engine before taking off. As the bonnet caught fire, all students flew out of the bus in a stampede.

Nobody knew what would happen next but fear gripped a lot of students. Water wasn't available to quench the fire immediately. As he step out in a rush to get water in a bucket, he returned to see his bus in flames. The bus was burnt to its maximum.

The bus driver broke into tears. For the first time I saw a man cry horribly. He expressed his pain in tears. He shouted uncontrollably and started lamenting saying,

GOD OH!!. Why me? I've not even completed the money for the bus. It's gone. Where will I have 1 million naira to pay back for the bus. I have families to take care of, rent to pay, bills to pay and lot more. Why does it have to be me oh God? Why? Why?

The man cried uncontrollably with no comfort. A lot of students and staff gathered to comfort him and everyone including the man take thank God no one in the bus was affected. He thank God lives were saved. He was grateful for that though. The fire service department came in no time to quench the fire as it was already causing serious commotion.

Some students captured the scene and even video the man as he was crying. Although I wasn't there in person but I feel the pain of loosing something so precious which may make you go into debt in an attempt to sought yourself out. The night of yesterday, it became a serious trend on Facebook social media.

Some people thought of raising relief for the man as they collected his number and account details. Very painful experience. Yet, another painful thing happened which shocked the whole village for the first time.

It's the death of a beautiful, young lady with two kids. This woman is well known in the area where I live. Yesterday night, she came to my mum's pharmacy to purchase some pain relief. She was out with mat, bags and lot of things that made my mum suspicious. She then asked the woman where she's going to. The woman replied saying; I'm going for tarry night. My mom doubted her because that's the normal excuse she have been hearing from these villagers.

As a health personnel and nurse, my mum has been advising the villagers to be delivered of their babies in the hospital and not in Traditional birth attendant, a local way of giving birth. Most of them refused and had serious consequences. They are afraid they won't have the money to pay that's why most of them choose to take the Risk. My mom pleaded with this woman as a friend that she should go to the hospital and give birth but the woman insisted saying she is going to church for tarry.

Pexel

Some hours back, It got to the ears of the whole village that the woman we saw yesterday is now dead. No one knew the cause, only my mom. Many attributed it to witchcrafts and village people, only those close to her suspected she died as a result of her giving birth. My mum was in disbelief. Even as I'm talking to you, she's finding it difficult to be herself because the late woman was a close friend to her.

Blessing, what have you done to yourself?. Most of these villagers don't learn lessons even when experience have shown. They want to witness it themselves before they believe. This is my report for today.

I invite @basil20, @saintkelvin17, @sbamsoneu and @emmyjnr

Dated: 26th and 27th January, 2024

Cc,
@xkool24