Save for the rainy day they say. What if the rain actually started, and you have exhausted your savings, but the rain did not stop? This was my experience on a beautiful day in October 2024 when my car caught fire.
All hope is not lost in Nigeria. As
much as cost of living is now a threat to the living, there are still many
Nigerians who have not lost their steeze in the face of the economic hardship.
On 21st October 2024, having had a
long day, which threatened my attendance of an important meeting, I made frantic
efforts to ensure I made it there even if it were to join in the benediction.
Driving out of Apo Resettlement
Area of Abuja, on getting to Dan Kogi Junction, I noticed a motorcycle (okada)
rider approach me from the driver’s side and tapped the car. He did this twice
before I discovered there was an uprising of smoke from the right side of the
bonnet of the car.
I quickly indicated and parked to
my right. I lifted the levers of the bonnet and boot simultaneously, knowing
that I had a fire extinguisher at the boot. I had someone sit with me in front.
He held on to the opened bonnet while I ran to the boot to pick up the fire
extinguisher. Up to this moment, I had never used the fire extinguisher before.
I successfully activated the fire
extinguisher and unleashed same on the burning part of the car. The fire
extinguisher was exhausted, but THE FIRE DID NOT STOP.
I immediately held on the empty
cylinder and waved it up for drivers who drove by to see. Under 60 seconds, a
Nigerian parked in front of my car, opened his boot, brought out his fire
extinguisher and unleashed it all on the burning area of my car. As soon as he
did that, there was 90% victory over the fire. He immediately ran back to his
boot and brought out two empty water bottles. As God
would have it, there was water on the ground, right in front of where I parked.
He used the water bottle freely by scooping water from the ground and pouring
same on the burning part of the car. At this time, we had some other Nigerians who ran towards us and started they using their bare hands to pour sand on the fire.
THEN WE OVERCAME THE FIRE.
Before I could move closer to the
man who emptied his fire extinguisher and used his water bottles to save my
car, he drove away. Right there, I knew an Angel had just appeared to me.
My Editor-At-Large was the only
person I could call for immediate help. He brought his own car for me to use
and ensured that I got to my meeting – the monthly meeting of the Christian
Lawyers’ Fellowship of Nigeria, Abuja Branch (CLASFON). I left my car with him
and only him knew how he moved the car back to his house. I got home after my
meeting before we spoke in other details. That man has done so much for me
since our first meeting in February 2017.
I still believe in Nigerians; I
still believe in angels.
The following day, my Editor-At-Large
and I moved the car to the mechanic workshop, where an investigation was
conducted to unravel the cause of the fire. One of the bulbs in the headlight
had given way, leading to a melting of wires, which eventually caused the fire.
We changed the entire headlight, bulbs and sockets. The car got back on its
wheels in good time.
“I exhausted my savings, the rain
did not stop, but God sent me an angel.”
Seyi
Arowosebe,
Associate/Online
editor
countdownmag.com.ng
Abuja
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