Priscilla's Blog

We often say we would never do some things, but you can’t really be sure of what you can or can’t do until you are in a situation that demands an urgent response.

I took a road trip from Suleja, Niger State to Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria. On arriving at Gusau which had been my residency a fortnight ago, I discovered I was stranded with no mobile network, no one I could turn to physically and I barely had enough to get a lodge.

Flashback to two weeks ago, mobile connection had been cut off and the whole state was out of touch. It felt like living in the days where you sent letters and you had to travel to visit loved ones. I actually felt it because I became a nomad, not in search of adventure or quiet but in search of network to call my loved ones.

The initial mindset was to travel to the next state to make that call then go back (to Gusau) but the thrill of finally seeing mobile connection was enormous that even as the network connection was being cut off in the neighbouring state, I went to the next and the next till i resorted to visiting my friend’s family in Suleja, Niger State.

It was so much fun. I went from Gusau, Zamfara to Katsina then Kebbi, Kaduna and then I finally took the long trip to Niger State. I visited the Khardashian states excluding Kano. I loved the thrill of seeing people in their cultural set up, it was beautiful and weird at the same time. I recall a woman who bought boiled corn; she cut it into two halves then extended the other half to me. That’s how nice most Northerners are.

After two weeks, I finally got the response I needed to leave the North so I headed back to Gusau. On getting back, nothing had changed. No network and my host, just like me left the lodge – the keys weren’t dropped.

The day turned dark and I kept asking God if I would sleep on the streets or better still in front of the apartment. I kept my faith and just trusted something would happen for me. Laslas, I would find a family house or sleep at a cheap hotel.

It was dark already and I kept waiting for a miracle. A car drove in and it was a neighbour. ‘Oh, thank God. My host would have given him the key’ I thought. I greeted him and explained myself then he said nothing was dropped for me. In my head, I had fainted already. ‘Ah! What will I do o?’ I thought again.

The man started making his way in then turned back and said “you can come and spend the night in my apartment”. I jumped up without thinking twice then he stated that he had a wife who would take care of me. I wasn’t really bothered at that point, I was just happy I wouldn’t be left in the cold outside.

I was beyond excited. I slept on a very big bed under fan. The hospitality was beyond what I could think. They made me feel at home and I wasn’t in any way made uncomfortable. Please, say a prayer for them on my behalf.

Kindness is a virtue that cannot be bought even when money is involved and it has nothing to do with tribe. it ‘s definitely something everyone should imbibe. I hope you are spurred to extend kindness to someone – known and unknown.

Thank you for reading.