Karma is a bitchh. Many people would argue. Yet, interestingly Ada would
hold slightly different curiosities as I would find out.
While we
were at the hospital, we saw someone being rushed into the emergency
where the little girl was being treated. It looked like there had been
an accident. And it looked serious. Those that helped bring the victim
had said it had happened nearby, the brakes had failed.
As we drove out of the hospital, Ada asked
"Are you in a hurry?"
"No. Not exactly"
"So you can get home maybe two hours later?"
"If the two hours are worth it, I won't complain"
"Then let's eat first"
She
went towards the post office and to MMIA two. Just at the forte-oil
refill station there had been a little traffic. As blue car was dented.
Looked like it had run into something. No occupants. Apparently, the
accident had happened not too long ago and Lagos State Traffic
Management Agency had managed the situation. They were preparing to tow
the vehicle away and as she drove past, we heard an official reporting
to his superior who had just arrived that the driver had been rushed to
the General Hospital at Ikeja.
Something about the car struck me but not able to place it yet, I shrugged. Until Ada asked
"Do you remember this car?"
"Isn't this the car that hit the little girl?" I asked as it suddenly hit me.
She gently nodded.
"Isn't Karma just a Dam?"
The
hit and run driver just got served! Hell yeah! Imagine the little girl
in the ER of the hospital with the driver that had hit her. Though
oblivious of it, its funny how things work. Doesn't that serve him
right? But is 'natural justice' another form of jungle justice?
She parked and called someone on the phone. She simply had said
"Hello? I'm around. Meet me there"
A
moment later, a mallam came up to her side of the car as she whined
down. He greeted her in a very familiar way and handed her an envelope. A
little weighty. I didn't need to be told that was some hell of money.
She brushed through the tip of the notes
"You sure say its complete?"
"Haba
madam, gaskia!" He replied in his very strong Hausa accent, raising his
two hands as he said the 'gaskia'. Gaskia means 'truly' or 'honestly'
in Hausa language.
Ada opened her bag and pulled out some Pounds notes and handed him.
"Are we okay?"
He briefly looked at it and smiled broadly.
"Haba madam, I can not doubt you madam"
He thanked her some more before going away. We came down and went into the KFC eatery there.
After taking what we'd have and sat to eat, she asked
"Do you really believe in Karma?"
"Do you have any different opinion?"
"Not really, I've just been very curious at that concept called Karma"
"How?" I asked
"Consider
this: many little girls are being raped everyday across the world. Is
karma supposed to make sure, the children of these rapists are also
raped? If this happens, is it being fair? For the father's sin to be
pushed, another innocent little girl must get raped?"
I was silent. Considering what she had just asked.
She continued
"Okay,
maybe that is far fetched. It satisfies our sensibility, our moral code
of conduct and acute perception of how justice should be meted out
especially when a weaker partner can not do anything about it. In this
case, it is plausible that Karma caught up with the driver for running
off after hitting a little girl hawking fruit to raise income for her
family"
I just looked on at her while I chewed.
"But other
principles could actually be responsible. If the driver was drunk while
driving, he may have been involved in an accident not necessarily
because the girl was hit. If someone did such horrible thing as to hit a
little girl and had no remorse to say sorry, maybe Karma may be right
afterall to get him involved in an accident almost immediately too.
Okay,
away from that, think of how many women get cheated on even when they.
Never cheated their partners. Some single ladies being disappointed by
their fiances just a week to their wedding, only to run away with
another and get married. Is this to mean she had also disappointed
another before? And getting paid back in her coin? Think about it Stag.
Karma seems like it exists. A universal superstition but like every
superstition, a little more enquiry into it will show its inconsistency.
Or maybe we need a 21st century Socrates to help with this
philosophical topic. Gravity is consistent the world over. Every morning
the sun doesn't disappoint, the seasons come and go with precision.
Basic universal laws. What happens to helpless people who get killed for
ritual reasons? The culprits are caught, arrested and jailed. Is this
justice for the dead? In prisons, some people are framed and in jail for
thirty years and counting, how does almighty Karma resolve their cases?
Does it remain an eye for an eye, what you sow you shall reap kind of
law that a husband beats his wife to death. He gets jail term but she
doesn't live anymore. Tell me Stag, I'm curious"
I couldn't talk.
I had no response. Even though some may call me Mr Poirot of Agatha
Christie's series or a Sherlock Holmes, I nor be Aristotle, Eryximacus
nor Plato.
Considering these things was beginning to make Karma look
just like an urban myth. Normally, a drunk driver is inclined to
accidents, if the driver hit someone and tried to run away, most likely
over-speeding to get away, over-speeding is accident prone. But because
we need justice for the little girl, our emotions would like to attach
the whole scenario to Karma. I remembered being robbed at gun point. I
remember my handset being lost. Why didn't Karma get the person to
return the handset like I would return other people's lost but found
items? Or does Karma intend to tell me I had robbed someone at gun point
too?
One thing I am sure of is this: any natural law remains
constant at all times, everywhere. I inclined to disagree with her
curiosity but I couldn't find an answer for the example of a man who
rapes a little child. If his own child gets raped years later, we can
definitely clap for Karma, but how do we classify his young daughter's
side of the experience? Hmmm... This Karma of a thing needs serious
debates o. Because across the world, there are examples to justify and
argue for. Yet, there are obvious loopholes in it. Or perhaps, if you
believe it, it works for you. If you don't, it doesn't.
"Some food for thoughts you are feeding me with" I said
"Not
really. I have always believed Karma as we all are made to believe by
convention. But somehow, the equation doesn't balance. So I'm seeking
answers too. I'm just as confused about it. I thought you could present
points in favour of it."
"Hardly a thing I can respond to with all conviction now. Maybe we may attend to it later"
But
the fervent way she put across her points told me few things. For one,
she must have been thinking long and hard about it. Today's definitely
not the first time such thought is crossing her mind.
A second thing
is that I could almost sense its something personal. Could a hurt be
smouldering and she hoping on Karma for justice too?
Well, for
the rest of the evening, the mood lightened up as we gradually shifted
the day's events behind. We had a meal together and she noted that we
had only spent thirty minutes of the two hours. Funny, but what else did
she have in mind?
We left and went to somewhere else in Ajao estate. A quiet place. We had drinks and chatted the evening away.
By
the end of the evening I had more questions about Ada than I have found
out about her. I also found out she stayed somewhere around her in Ajao
estate.
We talked more music, celebrities and movies. Ada was
really a very contemporary woman. Up to date in happenings and sound in
logical thoughts.
I had a very good conversation with her and by the
time we left, I had had a very good evening. Now, I didn't have any
reservations about taking her number and by the time I asked for it, it
sounded long overdue. I prefer it so. Patience.
Out, I hailed a taxi and got a fair bargain for N2,000 from there to my house.
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