It was in June 2018, the day a petrol tanker exploded into fireballs on Otedola Bridge around Alausa-Ikeja Lagos, and triggered one of the worst traffic in the history of Lagos… up to Victoria Island.
I was in that terrible traffic and it dragged forever. Somewhere around Alausa Secretariat, near MKO Abiola Gardens, my car spluttered to a halt and could not start again. The battery had been drained in the traffic.
I panicked.
It was about 10pm, and on a Friday.
After trying all I knew and they yielded to nothing, I starting waving down cars to help jump-start the car. I waved and no one stopped. I never blamed them. It was a tough day for everyone.
I was getting nervous and the night was getting darker.
I kept waving.
An Alhaja stopped and ordered her driver to help out, though we couldn’t start the car. She later advised I pushed the car to a nearby shop and fix the following day.
I thanked her and they left.
I kept waving.
At past 11pm, the traffic had drastically reduced. I was tired and sat on the boot of the car, waiting for something to happen.
Suddenly, a rickety truck dangled into the scene, got to where I parked and paused. I jumped down and told him I needed help. He parked in front of me and staggered out of the car.
He was pissedly drunk, but still in control.
Oh! Its Friyaaay!!
He opened his bonnet, disconnected his battery, lifted it and brought to my car. He connected it and Vvvvrrrmm…my car roared back to life.
Amidst sweat, and a serious reek of alcohol, he removed his battery from my car, put my own battery, and connected the terminal so the battery could start charging. This took us another 10 minutes.
He picked his battery and left for his truck. I followed him and asked for his phone number but he said I shouldn’t bother.
I gave him my complimentary card and told him to ‘flash’ so I could have his number. He collected the card, glanced through and returned it. He told me not to bother calling him. He dropped the complimentary card on my car bonnet, and left to fix his own battery into his truck.
My car was still running.
So I tidied up and returned some tools into the boot. I closed the boot it and looked ahead. Behold, the truck was no more there.
Goose bump popped up all over my body.
He couldn’t have fixed the battery, started the car and drove off in nanoseconds.
That’s humanly impossible!
It took us about 30 minutes.
I ran to the spot he parked and looked around and still could not find any tail.
Again?!
I shrugged, enter my car, revved the engine louder and drove off; and wondering.
Then again, it dropped into my heart.
‘He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters’.
I started laughing alone in the car, gaining more mileage, and reveling in the fact that my help does not come from man, it comes from above.
Whenever desperation comes and the night seems longer; whenever the darkness seems hollower, and I looked around but help was nowhere, I remember this and my faith is strengthened…because…
He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters.
