If I Start To Talk

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If I start to talk!
The things my eyes have seen.

This caption dropped into my mind when I started typing this post. A bit inspired by Tiwa Savage and Dr Sid’s song. Still on my observation and musings (See previous post). Today I left the house after not going out for a while and I had to board a bike to where I was going to.

Here’s the thing in the University of Ibadan that has been in place since I became a student, bike fare has never exceeded 70 naira even during petrol price hike. So I got a bike for 50 naira to where I was going to and while on the bike something struck me. I was going to pay 50 naira I know which meant the man would have to carry about 20 people before he makes 1000 naira which is not even enough for a bowl of ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. It’s simple maths but got me thinking.

Let’s picture this: A grown man with kids and a wife, would leave the house around 6am and work till probably 8pm (yes, commercial bike riders stay in school till that time). Let’s say he goes on 30 rounds, that’s still 1500 naira which is just like twice the money for the petrol he fills the bike with daily. He has to feed his family and cater for other needs that might come up. How does he intend to do that?

That got me thinking. We have a lot of heroes in Nigeria and every other part of the world where men and women alike hustle like this everyday. Not necessarily with super powers but they do great things. I read a story of a woman who sells roasted plantain and yet sent her son to one of the best universities. A picture of him in his youth corps uniform was taken with his mother. The smile on her face was wonderful!

I mean the bike man knows the amount of money he makes daily and yet he is still willing to wake up every morning and go for that same work. If someone like that could still be hopeful for a better tomorrow from something that really isn’t bringing him much, then the rest of us whose situations are better than his, should be hopeful for a better tomorrow too. Consistency is key!

Read and share. Thank you ❤

P.S: Do check out the series ‘Diary Of A Serial Killer’ by my friend on inkdepth.blogpost.com ☺

27 Comments

  1. Yeah.. You are so right…. There are indeed heroes and heroines out there that should be celebrated for doing honest jobs, though menial in a country like Nigeria. They are simply courageous.

  2. Lmaoooo. Coldstone? See the issue here? We’ve been exposed to too much luxury. See the way you just called Coldstone ??. He probably doesn’t even know what Coldstone is. If you’re down I have a suggestion. Let’s live the kind of life they live for a month. Because honestly the best way to appreciate something is when you have experienced life without it. If you’re down, we’ll cut off our data, electricity, fuel supply, good food, and every other thing. Then we’ll feel like heroes! ??

    1. Looool I appreciate the type of life they live now and will always do. Please I don’t think I can cope. No data, good food and electricity for a month? No phone? Haha just kill me instead. All I can do now it to support them in ways I can, to encourage those around me.

  3. I was just talking about how people are able to pay rent, fees, eat and cloth themselves and kids with 18,000naira minimum wage. These bike riders are even earning more than most graduates. Imagine if he makes N1500 a day. In 30days that will make it 45,000naira. I know of graduates that are earning 30k and less.
    It is well and we thank God for where we are too.

    1. Hmm true. But then, it’s just like half of that 45,000 he gets that he would use for the family. Surely he would have to buy petrol and pay union fees. Everyone is just coping in their own way.

  4. This is really something too think about. I think I’ve seen the photo of the woman and her son, it really touched my heart, God bless them. Well done for this post.

  5. I do these kind of silent calculations all the time. Like imagine those mallams that fetch and sell water in kegs for like N10 – N20 and that’s all they do.. some people try. God help us all

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