Sweet behaviour, sour experience

SOME years ago I read in a newspaper how a visitor to Harare, waiting for a taxi on a main road, was pleasantly surprised when a brand new limousine stopped by and the driver offered to give him a ride. The lone driver, who was the owner as well, was very polite and helpful.

When it was time for the visitor to alight, the good Samaritan demanded an amount that was far more than the normal taxi fare. When the visitor showed surprise and shock, the good Samaritan asked him after all, was he not driven in comfort and style? Besides, as he had taken the trouble to buy an expensive car, he had to make up the money somehow. And more than that it was a waste of petrol and resources to be driving a big car all alone. When asked why he did not say all this at the commencement of the journey, the good Samaritan expressed surprise, even irritation, saying that he thought he would have known all this himself! The visitor was left confounded, wondering whether to feel obliged or annoyed.

Back home, in Tanzania, a friend was bringing an old, ailing aunt from Arusha by road to Dar es Salaam. They had to catch the next day’s flight to London. On the way, the car broke down and despite frantic efforts, the car could not be revived to continue the journey.

After some time a van with only two people in it came along. On seeing their predicament, the owner very kindly offered to give them a ride as he was going to Dar es salaam as well. But he ordained that the steel trunk, which contained the ailing aunt's effects, not be placed on the body of his brand new van but on their own laps. They agreed to do so but wondered why the otherwise polite driver made such a request, especially when they had an ailing aunt with them ---reminds one of the adage that beggars cannot be choosers!

The driver of the van was good enough to drop them just outside the gate of their intended destination in Dar es salaam and also offered to take them to a contact who would be able to arrange for their broken down car to be brought to Dar es Salaam. As they got out feeling deeply obliged at this great gesture of help, he demanded Shs. 100,000/- as his fee. Shocked, they said that he should have told them before, for then they would not have come with him. But he insisted that seeing them in such a dire state of helplessness he could not have avoided being of service to them. He was, after all, not such a heartless person that he would not help an old, ailing woman. They had to pay up within the darkness of the car. Paradoxically, it was a sour experience from sweet behaviour just serving to remind us all that the deeds of many sweet talkers do not match up to their words.