Four fingers

            "one finger pointed at me; when four are pointing back at you..."

On my way to work this morning, I happened to sit next to this lady carrying a child. Late, groggy and with earphones blaring music to drown the world and my thoughts in one fell swoop, I was just fixated on getting to my workplace.

But lo and behold, I was drawn to the conversation that began immediately I sat down, between the lady beside me and the two people behind.

Apparently, unbeknownst to me, they were complaining that I was “uncomfortably sitted”. Yeah really. “This is interesting” I mused; and only when the lady beside me asked how she was expected to carry two kids, did it hit me that there was one other kid sitted next to her, shielded. 

I wondered to myself what the hullabaloo was all about but I didn’t recall saying anything or acting in a manner that betrayed disclosure.

But the two people behind just would not let it go! They kept nagging her until she finally asked me if I was ok with the sitting arrangement; I nodded and smiled to dispel any fears that she may have had. In fact, I nodded so strongly to send a silent albeit strong message to the back benchers that they needed to leave this woman alone. To me it was a simple case of mind over matter, I didn’t mind and thus it didn’t matter

Fifteen or so minutes to out journey, the lady “tapped” the “matatu” to signal she wanted to alight, and off she went with her two lovely girls.

But here I was, confounded by this saga of sorts. I found it rather bewildering that an elderly woman would berate a younger one for a simple matter as this, instead of offering a solution. If she was not willing to pay for a seat for those kids to sit on, and wasn’t willing to help her carry one of the daughters, what business did she have complaining?

I placed myself in her shoes; she probably couldn’t afford to pay for two seats, or she was just being frugal. Naive old me; maybe she was just being selfish but even I choose to see the glass as half full some days.

Second, it would have been outrageous in the least for her to ask me to carry one of those kids. Many people me included tend to trust people that look friendly, its human nature, and that, validated by statistics has proved time and again to be the bane our existence. If people get robbed, taken advantage and even raped by people they trust, how much more strangers?

I’m not saying I’m a paedophile, but you get my drift. I was just being empathetic, it didn’t seem necessary to cause a “scene” when there was no reason to; pointless drama is so titanic era!

It’s saddening that everyday, people are quick to judge others, point out their faults, and march them with pitchforks to the stake to burn without placing themselves in these people’s shoes. We criticize, antagonize,mock, as if we are any better, when in fact we are more scum for acting all sanctimonious.

She went her merry way, and my day was not affected in the least bit, actually I was in own little world, salving the guilt that was swirling inside of me.

I hope the next time I try to point fingers when it’s not in my place to play God, that I’’ remember this occurrence, and stop myself in my tracks. People just really need to mind their own business; the world would be that much more hospitable if they did.

Real talk

Kibali