Thud

  You know that kind of sickening feeling you get when you feel something thud against the underside of your car?  You quickly check your mirrors, look around.  Perhaps you catch a glimpse of some antlers or fur on the side of the road, or maybe a whiff of skunk in the air.  You drive on, and the sickening feeling subsides.  When you get home, you might check the car for leaks or other damage; it's all soon forgotten.

That's what happened to Dr. Y yesterday, that sickening feeling.  But it didn't subside as she kept driving.  It got worse and worse.  So bad that she couldn't sleep.  So bad that she left all the lights on in the house and called a friend to come stay with her.  You see, when Dr. Y looked around, she didn't see antlers or fur.  She saw legs, wearing pants and shoes.

It was on the expressway in Abuja, just after dark.  Rushing cars ahead of Dr. Y were swerving, so she followed suit and swerved with them.  It wasn't until she was passing that she saw why they were swerving, those legs with the pants.  And then she felt that sickening thud.  She kept going.  She had to.

You see, as Dr. Y explained it, if you stop, the police hold you responsible.  They arrest you.  They take you to the police station and charge you with the accident.  So no one stops.  And no one did.  They just kept swerving.  For who knows how long.

 

[image from: http://www.hobbiesplus.com.au/signspotters/freeway_signs.htm]