Lagos City, Big Lagos City.
Lagos City is not the place you get helped that much because it's a city of crime and scammers. Even the most naive-looking person can be out there to scam you if you're not careful. This has made many people in Laguna hardened, many with hearts of stone, and many without sympathy anymore.
This city I'm talking about is the one I grew up in—a city where no one is ready to help you, no matter what circumstance you find yourself in. On this bright evening, on my way back from work, I got on a bus heading to my bus stop. I was happy because I was done for the day and it was time to relax at home and then plan for the next day. While in the bus, the driver began to request payment, which everyone was making. I dipped my hands inside my pocket just for me to realize that I had left my wallet in the office.
The moment I realized I wasn't with my wallet, I started thinking about what to do. Should I call a friend to come pick me up at the bus stop and then pay for my transportation? But that won't work because they are all at their different businesses. I didn't want to inconvenience anyone, so I asked the driver to stop the bus so I could get down. He asked why, and I told him I forgot my wallet at the office, and I have no money on me.
I started hearing "na so them dey do," meaning "Thats how they behave." One lady even said, "See the thief inside the suit," meaning, "Look at a thief wearing a suit." There was nothing I could do but just huge the drive to pack somewhere so I can start walking. The driver was very angry, then he packed, as I was about to get down. A man in the bus said, "So even if he is a thief, is it so hard to help someone in need of help?" He told me not to worry; he would pay for my transportation. He did pay for my transport, and I thanked him very well because it was after I got down from the bus that I realized the distance I had been trying to walk. I might have fainted on the road.
Many months had passed, and I had even forgotten about what happened. I was on a bus and was about to pay for my transportation when the young student said she couldn't find her money for transportation. Normally, it was the usual thing for students to enter the bus and pretend they didn't have money because there was nothing the driver could do. People started insulting her and calling her by all manner of names. I couldn't stand it because I had found myself in such a position before.
I asked everyone to stop insulting her; I made them know I would be paying for her. I paid for her, and when I was about to get off the bus, I noticed she also came down at my bus stop to thank me again. She was so grateful. I asked where she was heading, and then I realized she hadn't gotten to her bus stop. She said she was scared to sit on the bus if I wasn't there. I gave her some extra cash, then asked her to be careful next time, and then we parted ways.
The truth is that I am not sure I would have helped her if that man hadn't helped me that day. I would have just ignored her and nothing would have happened, but at that moment, I saw myself in her, and I was prompt to do something because someone had helped me before.
Thanks for reading.