The Bad Samaritan

Chapter Twenty Six

133 The Bad Samaritan Chapter Twenty Six E sole thought he had to make good use of a golden opportunity. There was no time to waste. Time should not blur the hard facts. He had to strike the iron while it was hot. So, on Sunday afternoon, he set off for Kole village. He knew he would meet the people in their famous El Dora do bar. In going, he took along some good cash to entertain the people. He got to Kole village at 4.15 p.m. and as expected met the bar full. The people recognized the vehicle and rushed to welcome the driver. To their surprise, they saw Esole himself. They welcomed him heartily and invited him to sit down. One man offered him a beer. Esole sat down to drink it. “I shall not be drinking while you watch. Barman, give everybody here a beer,” Esole demanded. The atmosphere in the bar changed immediately. The people sprinted forward each trying to get a bottle of beer before the barman ran out of stock. Those who got beer did not wait for an opener. They wrenched open the bottles with their teeth and raised them to cheer up although the others still struggled to get theirs. In that cacophony, some people sent for their wives and other relatives they had left at home. The people came in stealthily. That was not necessary. Esole wanted the whole village to come if that were possible. By the time the last person got his bottle, some had drunk theirs by half. Esole raised his bottle and the bar roared “cheers!” followed by a long drawn silence, and then long drawn belches. The people who came later were also served. Esole peeped into the store and found that the barman had a good stock. 134 Charles Alobwed’Epie “Barman, take note, when people finish the first round give them a second round. Each person should have two, two only. If you give more you will pay for it yourself,” Esole instructed. As the people drank, two middle aged women came in with walking sticks groaning. They greeted Esole and sat close to him. One of them looked up to him with a rather dismal note. “Madam, what is wrong? You are not well?” Esole asked. “Master, your generosity has killed me. The vehicle you gave us yesterday to bring us back home has shattered my backbone. I have never had such rough ride before,” the woman said. “Sorry madam. I thought I was helping you but it has turned out to be a bad thing I did. What really happened?” “Master, I don’t know what to blame – the vehicle or the bad road. It should be the bad road. Because of the bad road, the vehicle rocked, banged and bashed us from side to side, from front to back and from back to front. Before long, most people developed sore palms from holding firmly to bars. Although I sat on a bag of rice and held firmly onto a bar. I wasn’t long in that delusion of safely when I was jolted out of my position and slammed back with a devastating bang. The vehicle had suddenly taken a nosedived into a pothole and roared out with unbelievable force. My backbone snapped, stars raced in my eyes and I felt excruciating pains slash through my back. It was a horrible experience. In spite of the pain, I preferred to do the rest of the journey on foot. I thought I was alone in that situation. But when I asked the driver to stop, I was surprised at the number of people who went down the vehicle and took to trekking.” “A nyango weren’t you lucky! You landed on a bag of rice. That was as soft as a bag of cotton. But can you imagine my fate? I was ripped from the iron bar on which I 135 The Bad Samaritan sat, then slammed back with unimaginable force. My backbone cracked kuag. And that was it. That was it of my backbone, not only my backbone but also my buttocks. My buttocks are still having painful spasms,” the other woman said. “That is pitiful Madam. Instead of the vehicle relieving you it hurt you. That means at both ends you were exposed to death. And I believe, not because of the vehicle but because of...