DIASPOMAN: When showers came in different colours

Last week I narrated to you how I opened a dance with a pregnant Gisenyi bride whose bridegroom had drunk too much to be able to stand on his two feet. So, I was asked to be the substitute in order to keep the party going. This was way back in the mid 90s, when Aggrey and I happened to be in Gisenyi with our one and only Afande Niko. Well, after the wedding ceremony was over, we prepared ourselves to rush back to Kigali. As we prepared to board a taxi, Afande Niko came to us claiming that he could give us a ride in his brand new Land Cruiser. But then it turned out to be a lousy, old ramshackle single cabin pick-up. To make matters worse, Afande Niko suggested that we sit behind in the open air as he giggled away with his new girlfriend. Aggrey, Jean Claude and I were forced to sit behind in the open. We faced either side of the road and clung our hands around the metal bars. We sat behind with two other people who had also begged bwana Niko for a lift. The pick-up was in a sorry state. The shock absorbers had obviously tasted better days. There was something unique about Afande Niko’s driving style. Whenever, the road was smooth and good, Afande Niko reduced speed and drove around showing off to his girlfriend. He would point out to the beautiful hills, for his tourist chick. I guess she was a Kigali resident like the rest of us. It was when we reached rough roads full of potholes, that Afande Niko would double the speed. This would toss us up in the air as we cried out for help. The fried eggs that we had crushed in the morning were now on the verge of sprouting out. This was made worse by the sharp corners and bends that stretch between Gisenyi and Kigali. After an hour of sheer hell, Afande Niko parked the pick-up in Ruhengeri. We disembarked and religiously followed him. He marched onwards like Superman himself. His belt was decorated by walkie-talkie. For us, this was a relief from the bumpy and windy ride that we had endured so far. We joined Afande Niko at the bar, where he bought a round for us. As we sipped, Aggrey and I used our eyes to search around for a better car that could offer us a lift. Revellers walked in and out but not even one soul to give us that much needed lift. It was becoming late. During those days, it was not safe at all for one to drive along this road. The only exemptions were for big bosses in powerful jeeps. That is why Afande Niko insisted that we continue guzzling the beers even when everybody else was packing up to leave! After so much insisting, Afande Niko agreed to proceed with the Journey. Once again, we sat behind like a heap of merchandise. Afande Niko did not waste time. He was already in high gear and speeding off like a rally driver. A few meters ahead, the dreaded raindrops began to fall. It started as a drizzle. We prayed hard that the drizzle would not develop into heavy raindrops. This time around, our prayers were not answered. What started as a drizzle soon became a hailstorm! Our fellow passengers dragged out polythene bags and covered their heads. We looked on helplessly as the rain washed us mercilessly. The metal rails of the pick up became unbearably cold, making it very difficult for us to hold on. For once, Afande Niko was touched by pity. That is why he pulled up near a building along the way. We hopped out very fast and took cover. Before long, the rain had stopped. The distance to Kigali had become much shorter and Afande Niko assured us that we would arrive in 20 minutes. As we shivered in our wet cloths, Niko cruised on in a bid to arrive on time. Along the way, he endeavoured to overtake as many cars as possible. Although the idea of overtaking was good, it turned out to be Afande Niko’s undoing! Well, it was Afande Niko’s turn to get a nice shower. Unlike us, it was not rain shower. Instead it was a heavy strike of saliva that came flying with so much velocity. It hit Afande Niko right in his eye. This happened as Niko tried to overtake a twegyerane mini-bus. Unknowingly, an innocent passenger had opened his window to spit. Only to miss the target and cause problems for our dear Afande Niko! diaspoman@yahoo.com