WHY SOME DEY SO?

THIS past Sunday, I went to the neighborhood gas filling station to have my gas cylinder filled. The gas decided to finish on a SUNDAY, when most commercial activities cease because God must be worshipped.

I woke up late with hunger pangs-thanks to eating ‘light’ supper as the doctors have been advising lately-healthy living (that whole light eating concept is something I’ve never understood). To the kitchen I went, put on the stove, and lighted the match but no flame rose. At first, I thought the gas knob was turned off. It wasn’t. I was confused for a moment.

My hood was (and still) experiencing dumsor-4 days straight-so there was no way to use the electric kettle to boil water for breakfast. I had to drink my tea with ordinary cold water. This was torture at play.

I took the gamble of getting to the gas station hoping for a miracle after all it is a Sunday. Luckily, they were operating so I got my cylinder filled. I entered into a conversation with the cab driver whom I met at the gas station to take me home. I would have carried the cylinder on my shoulder and trekked home in my younger years. Now, I won’t dare because man must spend his energies on more important things than carrying a cylinder.

I asked the driver if he operated within my locality to which he replied in the negative. According to him, he works at the gas station and only drives his taxi mostly on Sundays after 4pm and on weekdays if he closes early. He told me it is better to park the taxi for 6 days than give it to some driver to manhandle the car since the last two drivers he hired didn’t handle the car and sales as expected.

This is a very familiar concern; that some of the taxi drivers they employ ‘enjoy’ more than they the owners. They either don’t maintain the car very well or don’t turn in their daily sales. These frustrating encounters had led to many car owners choosing to park their cars than hand it out to a driver to misuse. One car owner told me he had to convert his taxi back to a private car and rent it out to visitors to a particular hotel in his area who wished to drive around.

I sat in a taxi once where I overhead the driver and a passenger (obviously a driver) discuss a colleague who has now lost his job. This now unemployed friend was in the habit of defrauding his ‘master’ by pocketing the money he takes to fix the car even if the car had no fault. He executed his plan in connivance with his mechanic who issued him with receipts.

His master happened to find out about his driver’s cheating ways and took his car. According to them, the daily sales their friend was supposed to tender to his master was the lowest anybody would wish for. He was also given the freedom to ply any route if necessary. In short, the master was a kind and considerate man.

So, the question to ask is: why do some drivers or persons take such actions? To prove they are smart or wise? Or it is part of their being to fail to think far and consequences of their actions?

This behavior is not only peculiar to drivers. Some in other professions do same. They steal from their employers and help in pulling the business down. And when the business collapses or they get fired, they turn to blame unknown enemies, impotent spirits and non-existent witches in their families. They forget how their (in) actions contributed to the overall collapse of the business and their new found status-unemployed person.

There is an Akan adage which translate as ‘do your best for others and others will in turn do same for you’. That should be the lesson in this life. Ironically, many know this but refuse to adhere to it. WHY WE DEY SO?