Vasta N. Kamara

NO PRAYER IS TOO SMALL- The Uber experience

The dress was on point, hair in check, shoe perfectly fitting and make up mild and subtle. I was all set for the Friday 10^th November Top 100 Mid Sized company dinner that we had been invited to.

It was exciting because I had watched Nomad grow from the day of inception to now being nominated among the Top 100 midsized companies in the country. Nomad is a brand and advertising company that my husband co founded Jeremy Byemanzi our good friend and best man. Making it through the audits by KPMG and the scrutiny of numerous processes spoke volumes to me and was evidence that the discipline and hard work were paying off. I had to witness the moment.

When I was ready to leave for the venue and link up with my husband, I ordered an uber to pick me up from the office so that my husband does not get held up in the Friday traffic craze of the Central Business District picking me up. I get into the Uber and off we go through the traffic from Standard Chartered Bank headed for Hotel Africana.  As we drove down from The Crested Towers roundabout to the famous Garden City roundabout I hoped that the traffic officer would not stop the traffic flow before we drive through. Unfortunately, he stopped our car exactly and the rest in line with ours in the other lanes.    

Now the uber driver decides to turn off the engine for some reason which I didn’t give much attention to and after a few minutes, starts the car and vualar, the car won’t start. Chi chi chi chi chi X 4 Nothing. I then look at the dashboard and notice the car had no fuel.  Really? My mind started racing with thoughts and questions. Now all signs showed that the traffic policeman was about to release our line of cars to go.

The thought of the hooting, noise, comments from the taxi guys, stares and policeman engagement got me nervous.  I surely was not about to get out of the car and model across the roundabout or jump on a boda boda.

‘Oh God, Please help me and let this car just start’ I cried out. The driver starts the car again and it starts immediately with no chi chi chi sound. My cry out must have prompted him to try again for fear of looking like he is doing nothing. Thank you Lord, I said as we snailed through the roundabout fearing the thought of a jerk and sudden stop in the middle of the roundabout. The silence in the car said the feeling was mutual with the driver. With the nearest petrol station being Total on Wampewo avenue, I kept hoping for the best. Thankfully, we drove seamlessly, got to the Hotel Equatorial check in point and through to the drop off entrance.

‘Your God works’ was the first thing the driver said before he turned to look me in the face and apologize. I smiled realizing in that moment that God had answered my little prayer. I paid him ad tipped him and let him off with the assurance that he would get to the Petrol station with no issue.

God answered that random cry out, don’t despise your little prayer.