A lot of people have stopped being kind in the Lagos we live in today because many individuals have encountered challenges when attempting to perform acts of kindness. I do not blame them because I know what it feels like to become a victim of pickpocketing while trying to prove that humanity is not dead.
Before now, I was the type who couldn't overlook a lot of things until I was taught some lessons on the streets of Lagos. I was returning from school on that fateful day when I saw two teenagers fighting at Oshodi. Boys of their age and some older people were there but no one tried stopping the fight.
It was an horrible thing to watch and I couldn't stand the ugly show, I was so pissed because even the elders there were just laughing and would just let those boys hurt themselves.
"It's okay, it's okay" I screamed at the boy and they didn't even look at me for a second.
"What kind of evil is in these boys?" I asked myself because one of them looked injured but they wouldn't stop.
I eventually stepped out of the people gathered around them and tried to stop the fight. These boys still tried throwing punches at each other and finally, people joined me in making them stop completely.
"What were they thinking of before? If I hadn't stepped in, would they have watched those kids fight to death or something?" Numerous questions started popping in my head and when I accomplished my mission, I left the scene.
I went to board a bus going to Sango and it was a routine for the bus conductor to collect the fare before the bus left the park.
I dipped my hand into the side pocket of the native attire I wore to get my purse and it wasn't there.
"Did I put it in my bag?" I thought and quickly checked but it wasn't there either.
I started thinking where I could have misplaced the purse but I couldn't figure out anything. My money, ATM, school IDs and other stuff were in it so it made me sad. There was no how I could get money for my fare so I begged the people on the bus and the woman sitting next to me paid for me.
How the purse disappeared became a mystery until I got a job in Ikeja after I finished my program. I was part of the company promotion and activation team back then and we employed promoters almost every day because it was a quick money job for Agege boys. They work for three days just because they need urgent cash so we employ them from time to time.
One Monday morning, I arrived at work and there were lots of these guys at the gate hoping to get a spot for the week's work.
I recognized a few faces and just called them out because they had the experience and I wouldn't have to be explaining their duty from the beginning.
After the selection that morning, a fight broke out among these guys and immediately I wanted to intervene, one of the familiar faces I chose told me not to so I stayed back but was very uncomfortable.
One of the company drivers finally intervened and stopped them. Immediately after settling the fight, the driver realized his phone and purse were gone.
We didn't allow any of those guys to leave and we checked everyone but didn't find the phone. Everyone eventually went their way and while we were on the field later that day, the guy who prevented me from settling the fight told me that those guys who fought were friends and everything that happened was staged.
They do that to create distraction and rob people. I asked why he didn't expose them and he said they my come back for him if he said anything.
I couldn't stop thinking about the drama and was able to link it to my wallet that went missing after settling a fight in Oshodi. After I knew the secret of the stage fight thing, I became wicked as well.
Whenever I see people fighting, I just walk passed them. I was at the Ikorodu BRT bus terminal waiting for a bus some months ago when some guys started exchanging words and no one made an effort to stop them.
I couldn't stop laughing because it reminded me of those experiences. My fiancee was so concerned and she said to me, Humanity is lost.
I asked why and she said no one was even trying to stop them.
She definitely has not experienced what I and many Lagosians have gone through with settling quarrels.
"Humanity is not lost and people are just minding their business," I replied.