LET THE REAL AFRICAN PLEASE STAND UP

Okay, so I think I will write about my daily morning encounters in my blog because yesterday's write up JUST STOP, PLEASE brought responses from the mode of visits it got (not necessarily in the comment it generated,
because it generated no comment at all, lol. I have to learn how to get comment out of you guys one way or the other because comments help us bloggers to know how much you appreciate what we do or at least sincere thoughts that can help us improve where we err)

Okay, and again, back to today's topic. I took the BRT bus from Barracks Bus Stop to Maryland (Oh, not Maryland again *winks*) and as I sat there alone with my thoughts deeply enveloped in what news would be worthy of MikeAtols blog mention; is it the civil servant with 50 bank accounts and twenty something houses or is it the GLOBACOM musical fiesta with the Legend himself KSA (King Sunny Ade) with performing attendance of D'Banj Bangalee, Ejanlalee, and all the LEE's he intends to be called or is it the follow up on the Lekki/ILAJE lock-down and the news developing thereafter?

All these filled my head when the bus jerked and made a sully move away from the stop into the tiny lane specially made for its routine route. The young man seated beside me was much younger than me and when I looked into his face, he was engrossed with his device, listening to music and pinging at the same time. Is that not what we all do this days? Thanks to the rain for knocking off AIRTEL's data network, I would have been in the same mould like the young man; I always do anytime I grab a comfortable ride.

So, perusing my environment, I saw this elderly woman standing directly in front of the young man sitting beside me (technically, that means she was in front of me too *coversface*) and he must have noticed she was quiet elderly but refused to do something about it.

Now to further enunciate on the "Do'ing something about it", I will explain thus. As African's, we are (or should I say, we were) taught to respect elders which means greeting them even if you hardly know them, let them be the first to eat, sleep, drink, sit or use the rest room. WHY? Because that is who we are as a people (please remind me to put were for those who may believe it's anciently uncouth culture). It was natural instinct in the days I was growing up (Oh, yea, I'm still growing up though) to respect and obey elders even if what they say or do are/were wrong.

And so, here sat my young friend (I don't know him) refusing to oblige his natural instinct of allowing the old lady to sit on his seat, after all they both paid the same bus fare and  since she didn't come in early, that fault was on her and she should just stand all through the journey; and did I say she had loads of load with her too?

So, I had to tap her gently and courteously ask her "Would you kindly have my seat?". Oh, you need to see the glee in her eyes and the ceaseless prayers that came out from her weary soul through her mouth (Ok, I used that speech for poetic effect...hahahaha, I don't know how are heart really was).

There I stood, proudly representing the true African that I am. It suddenly seemed like the whole passenger in the bus patted me in the back saying "Well done SON" "Omo rere to gba eko lati ile" (I wanted to translate that to English but I feel it will be much fun to leave it hanging *wicked me*)

It feels good to be courteous and nice to the elderly. It feels cool to be the dude who remembers those instinctive good deeds that makes the society humane again. It certainly feels awesome to stand in the bus all through a journey and when you are about to alight, another passenger stands and ask you to take her seat *oblyme*.

Let the real African please stand UP!

N:B:

I am really tired because I stood all through the journey. I guess it's worth it after all?