The good, the bad.... and the unbelievable!

While at the Accra Global Shapers meeting earlier tonight, the idea of doing things everyday and now to create impact came up. I remembered the #IMGBT - "I Made Ghana Better Today" campaign. I haven't given it the push it deserves, partly because I am yet to figure out how to sustain it. Best believe, it will get the needed push soon. Better late than never. Anyway, after the meeting, I headed home thinking - "It's been a while since I gave free rides to people". So I resorted to stop somewhere on the way and pick some passengers as I was heading towards the old Shangri-La Hotel. Don't mind what is there now, that place will forever be Shangri-La to me. I have great memories of it. Tonight, another memory was born :-)

I missed stopping at Spanner junction but stopped at the Shaishie junction (the bend into East Legon). I asked a gentleman I had stopped by, "Worekɔ American House?" He was going towards American House. He took the passenger seat and after calling out to a few bystanders, an older gentleman took the back seat. I would normally wait to fill the car before I moved but no one was forthcoming. And there were no ladies too. Hmm. So off we went, not taking Lagos Avenue, but taking Shiashie Road. "I am trying to dodge the police check point", I told them. I started using some lungulungus which must have alerted my passengers. "I like to take the road without ramps". "Ahhh, ooookayy" they must have wondered. There is a little stop we had to make on the way, details of which I shall not mention but ultimately might prove very important in the near future.

The gentleman in the passenger seat alighted close to Ghana Link. I continued on, striking a conversation with the old man. I told him why I picked him up (especially) this night. "I used to do the same as well". Wow, so I had picked another man who also likes to give free rides. "I don't like driving alone. Even sometimes when I take taxis, I will pick up people too". Now that's another person who wishes to make Ghana better every day. :-D He talked about how his loved ones told him to stop, because he might pick up a dangerous man one day. I remembered when my own loved ones told me the same. I have taken measures to be safe about this though. We talked about a couple more things and he alighted whereby I turned back to go to my destination.

When I arrived at my destination, the same place I am now typing this blog post up, I reached to pick my bag from the back seat. Guess what I saw! You wouldn't believe it! A car key! The old man had left his car key in my car. Normally, I would take the numbers of some people I picked up, but I hadn't taken his contact.

I went back to American House, hoping I would see him standing by the roadside looking for another car. I walked by all taxi and trotro stops and couldn't see him. I struck up two chats with separate taxi drivers. The first guy thought it was a house key. "He might just break down his door and forget about the keys". The second guy looked closer and realised it was a Toyota car key. Now, I really needed to get this key to this man. But why would he have his car key but be taking public transport? I wondered. Cos if I was not using my car and it was with the mechanic, my mechanic would have the key. What if he was going to pick his car up from some place and then go home?

How do you know the key is for the old man? Well, who else has sat in the backseat of my car these last few days? Other than this old man, people I know, who could have called me to inquire. This old man doesn't have my number o! How are we going to get the key back to him? I didn't tell him the name of my blog. I only told him my first name was Ato. A Fante.



I guess, I am going to have to announce this on radio. Help me find this man. I've never needed to write a blog post soon enough. I am sure he might take to radio himself. I doubt he will take to Twitter or Facebook. We were all listening to YFM. Would he have known that was the station? I can't bet on that. I have to pick up someone so I have to end this blog post here. I am hoping there are no more unbelievable bad surprises for tonight.