Well, I never thought helping could even be more dangerous than being left alone. Yeah. You know, the experience I had made me really have a rethink about helping and receiving help.
It was on a Monday morning, and I have somewhere important I need to be. We've not been having light for a while, so that Monday morning I was having very little battery on my phone. My power bank got stolen where I had gone to charge a few days ago. The frustration of how bad electricity is has made people also turn to stealing power banks and all. That morning, I missed my power bank more than ever before. Though I still have time to be where I wanted to be, but I knew it's best to leave home early.
So, I picked up my phone and dropped a message for the person I'm to meet and to confirm the location once again. He responded and said the time remains the same but the venue has changed. The person I'm to meet together with him has a busy schedule and would like the venue be changed to a place closer place to him. I couldn't hasten him to drop the new venue because this person I'm meeting is the one who wants to help me, and if things go as planned, then my life story can take a good turn around in a few hours' time.
I put off my data after dropping him another message that I would call him in an hour's time since I might not be able to come back online due to the level of my battery. An hour later, I put a call across to him to confirm the location and time. Immediately he told me it's still the same time and was about to tell me where we're meeting; my phone went off. I'm not sure words can describe how I felt at that moment. It was a mixture of anger, sadness, frustration, and everything.
All of my neighbors had gone to work already. I quickly dressed up, made my way out, and thought I could at least see someone who could be of help. To make matters worse, I had very little money with me, so I know I will have to walk a few distances before taking a bike to wherever the new meeting point is. I stood by the roadside wondering what to do; the street as well was unusually scanty that day.
A few minutes later, someone I knew passed by. The way I responded to his greeting made it obvious that I wasn't in the right frame of mind, so he asked me...
"Hope you're good?"
It's almost as if I've been waiting for someone I could pour my frustrations out to. I told him every single thing.
"Ohh, okay. And time is going already; can you call the person on my phone." He said.
That was where I made another mistake. I had forgotten to write out his number.
"If you don't mind following me, then. My wife took out the child to the hospital, and they need my attention. But she's with a power bank."
I didn't even give it a rethink before agreeing to follow him. I just needed to turn my phone on even if it's just for a minute. So, I followed him. He suggested that we take a shortcut to save time. I didn't mind, all what I was thinking about was to get to on my phone, and meet this man.
And for a while, everything seems to be going on very well. Not until it started to look somehow. I asked him if we're actually going the right way, and he nodded. After a few minutes, we discovered that the road was actually the right and wrong one. It was the right road as it really led to the hospital; it was wrong because it was now blocked. We just stood there looking at the roof of the hospital just a few blocks away, but there was no way to get there.
"When, how, and why did they block this road."
We had no option but to turn back and follow another route. My phone that will always turn on after being left in a dead state for a while has refused to turn back on. It didn't even vibrate to signal any sign of life in it. The help I had received or was about to receive has obviously taken another bad turn.
I didn't know what to do. Should I just find my way and look for help somewhere else? I was just so angry with myself for trusting that plan blindly. Also, I was angry at the guy who had offered to help me even though I knew he meant well. Long story short, we found another way. I was so frustrated that I began asking every single person I met on the way if they had a power bank to just boost my phone for a minute. I couldn't get any; if only I had written out his phone number.
We finally got to where his wife was. I greeted her, and he quickly collected the power bank for me. Guess what? The power bank was already blinking its last bar.
I just laughed. I didn't know what else to do, so I plugged it into my phone. After a minute it turned on, and I quickly made a call.
"What's up? How far, please?" I said it immediately he picked it up.
"I already dropped a message for you on WhatsApp." He responded.
"Just tell me where first." I replied.
"Same location, hope you're..." He said.
Well, that was what I heard last. I thought it was a network issue, only to find out that the phone has gone off again. I checked the power bank and saw that it has stopped blinking too. Furthermore, I just smiled. At least now I know it is not the same location. I returned the power bank and thanked them as I made my way out.
The money I have with me won't be enough to get me there, let alone return home. I began to jog; I couldn't help but smile as I did that. Not because anything was funny but because there are times you get so frustrated that you don't know what to do.
I don't know who to blame. The guy who said there would be a change of location, the man who wanted to change location, the guy that offered to help me, the government that's refused to give us electricity, myself, or whoever it was that stole my power bank. Who exactly should I blame?
Obviously, the guy really wanted to be of help. I was the one who didn't give it a second thought, because I was just so desperate to find a solution.
I was already in the frying pan when help came; I thought it was going to rescue me, only for me to reach out to the hand without thinking twice. And just like that, I got pulled out straight into the fire.
It was that day I knew that good intentions won't always produce good results. Not as if it's bad to help or extend a helping hand. But we need to think twice, open our eyes, and count the cost.
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Images are AI generated.
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