A staring nation

A few weeks ago,as I walked home from work,a motorcycle knocked down a drunk man who was crossing the road.He summersaults and hits the tarmacked road with a hard slap to his face.I don’t think he will survive it.Surprisingly,he gets up like nothing happened.Dusts himself and continues to walk away.The accident just sobered him up.We stare at him for a while and in my head I think he should see a doctor incase he suffered any internal injuries.I walk home traumatized.A man could have died in my watch.

Days later,I am walking home again.I see a crowd of people staring at something.I wouldn’t normally be drawn to such crowds but this time,I got closer to see what was happening.Guys!I have never seen so much fresh blood coming out of someone’s body in my life.

A young man is laying in pain.His breath keeps disappearing.If he survives,I don’t know if he will ever walk again!

“Why aren’t you taking him to the hospital?”

Apparently, no taxi or motorcycle is willing to take him to hospital.They say it would be a police case and no one wants to be dragged into all that drama.His comrades look helpless and the rest of us don’t know what to do.We just stare as some keep guessing and explaining the cause of the accident.

There’s a police post less than 50m from the scene and I wonder why they aren’t at the scene.I walk there and ask them to help.

“Kuna mtu anakufa pale.Please take him to hospital.”

The policeman laughs sarcastically.He tells me that they have given a call to the Buruburu police post because they dont have a car.

“Madam,sasa unataka nifanyaje.Atasaidika tu wakati gari itafika.”

He continues to give me a long lecture on how we citizens, expect them to have superpowers.”We can’t help everyone.”It was the lack of empathy in his voice that broke my heart.

Buruburu to Donholm is not very far.But there’s mad traffic!That man doesn’t have all that time.I know that for sure.No wonder I get cold chills every time I hear an ambulance stuck in traffic and sadly,not many drivers understand what is at stake so that they can give proper way.

It starts to rain.I look back at the scene and no one is there.I hope he got help.I walked home feeling empty and helpless.I wished I could afford to even do a first aid on that man.I imagined myself in such a situation with only seconds to live.Would life accord me that mercy?

I walked home cursing.Again,traumatized as hell.Mercy drops are falling.Let it rain.