Never say never

There is something to be said about wise sayings. Over time, I have come to appreciate that the people who coined them knew exactly what they were talking about; in fact, they probably came up with them out of their own experiences. Take, for instance, “Never say never” – this year I have had to swallow my words on two occasions.

My family has two cars, one much older than the other, and which has given us very good service over the years, including taking us to various parts of the country without complaining, no matter how rough the roads. But lately, it has been demonstrating the effects of age as well as wear and tear, and now requires some gentle coaxing on some days to get it moving. At the beginning of the year I decided I would “never” drive it again because if it broke down on the road, I wouldn’t have a clue what to do. This arrangement worked out just fine – I simply used the other car.

But the day came when the other car was not available because the hubby needed to go out of town (the older car has been given lighter duties that do not involve going too far from the neighbourhood). So there I was, with our youngest needing to be dropped to school and some errands that needed doing, while the car that I had sworn “never” to drive again sat quietly in the parking (if I didn’t know better I could have sworn it was smiling). Thankfully, because time was not on my side, it didn’t take me long to swallow my words, grab the keys and get going. I drove it for a week before the other one came back, and now I don’t think twice about using it.

Bodabodas

The second time had to do with boda boda taxis, which I had sworn from the beginning that I would never, ever, EVER use. I have seen how they operate, I have heard our young ones narrate their hairy experiences, and I have even had some up close and personal encounters with them on the road. However, I never thought to plan for if they were the only vehicles available in a time of need.

Well, that time eventually caught up with me a couple of weeks ago. Some friends and I planned to visit a sick mutual friend and on the material day, we met in town so we could travel together. It was then that one of the girls mentioned that we would most likely have to use boda bodas to get to the house of the friend we were going to visit. Of course, I made it clear at that point that “I do not take boda bodas” so we agreed that the four of us could split the cost of an Uber taxi once we got off the matatu on the other side. If not, then a tuk tuk would do just as well.

We alighted at the stage and looked around for an Uber, but the boda boda rider we stopped to ask said Ubers did not operate in the area where we wanted to go. What about a tuk tuk? It turned out that those were very rare. At that point, the three ladies turned to look at me for a solution since they were willing to jump on boda bodas (being veterans) but they could not leave me behind. So I very reluctantly agreed, although swallowing my words was little harder this time.

Before we set off, I gave the boda guy a two-minute sermon-cum-lecture explaining that this was my first time and that it was very important that he go very slowly. Thankfully, he was a mature man who understood me completely and gave his solemn word to transport me with maximum decorum. So we set off – him, myself and the good Lord, who I wasn’t about to leave behind. Heart pumping, I prayed all the way, and I’m happy to report that my maiden boda boda ride (to and from the stage, mind you) was gentle and safe, giving me cause to revise somewhat my perception. And now, I never say never.