I had
never driven a brand new car before. I was as excited as a small boy.
The company had just acquired 10 brand new Nissan Sunny N16s and I
was in line for a promotion. I got a shiny new metallic green one
code named “Omega”. It came complete with polythene wrappings on
the seats. My partner and I decided that since the wrappings were the
only proof that the car was new, we were not going to remove them –
at least not just yet. After three days however, we had to remove
them owing to the sweaty backs due to the hot Nairobi weather. Our
clients were also not too keen to sit on polythene just to please two
naive drivers.
I was
handed the new car the same month that my wife was due to deliver our
second child. It was a double blessing – A new car and a new baby.
The rest of my colleagues who also got the new cars were very
excited. We had just proved again that ours was the premier taxi
company in Nairobi and by extension, the whole of the country. The
cars were different from what we were used to however and despite
being Japanese, they had a European convention. Their wiper control
was on the right hand side of the steering column while their lights
switch was on the left. This led to embarrassing moments when a
driver would put on the wipers when he meant to flash the headlights
in a show-off.
New
car aside, I was anxious to get my new baby. I was going through the
toughest time of fatherhood. It was that time in the pregnancy where
everybody is at the mercy of the unborn child. Every day as I left
home for work, I would wonder whether today would be the day. I did
not have long to wait. The day came one week after I had been given
the new car. I was at work when I got the call from home that labor
pains had set in. I was informed that my wife had been taken to a
nearby hospital. I was tense but optimistic that everything would
turn out well. That was not to be as I received a terse call later in
the evening which completely changed the mood.
Apparently,
my wife had developed a condition known as cord prolapse. I was told
go to the hospital immediately and transfer her to a different
hospital since the one she was in did not have the required
facilities. She needed an immediate caesarian section operation. I
requested the manager to allow me to take the car to go and transfer
my wife and he agreed. I drove off and found her writhing in pain on
a bench. She was with a friend from home who assisted me to get her
into the one week old car. We drove the short distance to the better
equipped hospital and the doctor was called from his house nearby.
By the
time the doctor arrived, I was a bag of nerves and didn't know what
to expect. When the doctor was about to examine my wife, he gave me a
look that made me realize why African men are not allowed in delivery
rooms. He ordered me out and for once, I didn't mind another man
looking under my wife's skirt. I left the room and the next person I
saw was bringing me papers of indemnity to sign. In my state at the
time, I could have signed anything. My wife was wheeled to the
operating room and I was left to sweat the cold night away as I
waited. After what seemed like eternity, but was probably about three
hours, I was called to see my wife and my new daughter. My beautiful
daughter Hellen was sleeping peacefully and my wife was still
groggily coming back from anesthesia.
That
was the most important assignment I ever carried out in that car and
it was now ready to earn me some commission to buy pampers for my
baby. It did not disappoint for the few months that were remaining of
my life as a taxi driver. For my wife, the whole incident was an
extremely close call and I almost lost her. When I look at Hellen
today however, I tend to think it was worth it. She has filled our
lives with so much cheer.
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