Keke Chronicles: #Covid19, Fear of the Unknown

The coronavirus pandemic has changed a lot of things in our world today. It has exposed systems and sectors like a naked person stripped in public, in the full glare of everyone. Our systems and structures built over the years have been tried in the fire of a ravaging disease. Unfortunately, these systems and structures have not come out like fine gold after having passed through a crucible.

An adage has it, that knowledge is power, and this saying proves so even in times where there might be information overload on one hand, which can breed conspiracies; and ignorance on the other hand, which fear breeds on. Knowledge becomes power when the facts are known about any given thing or situation and put into good use. What use can the facts about the #coronavirus serve? Well, I sure know that it can help dispel fear and make you make the right decisions. The woman in the story I’m about to share took a decision, but was it the right one?

I had to go from my sister’s place to our family house to pick up some vegetables and other items that we needed, as we continue our ‘staying at home’ in a more comfortable area this period: comfortable in the sense of power supply and security. So, going to our family home meant commuting through some communities. Since I haven’t succeeded in making a nice nose mask, and I haven’t bought one thanks to social distancing, I decided to use a handkerchief to act as a nose mask. I also had my hand sanitizer with me, but noticed many people cared less. I can count on my fingers the number of persons who had either a handkerchief over their nose, or a surgical mask on. I was concerned. I was even more concerned when I got to the popular Rumuokoro junction, where there’s still an ongoing construction. One of the three flyovers promised by the state governor is still receiving attention as the place is a beehive of activities, with trucks, equipment and helmet-wearing engineers at work. Business around the site is also on in full gear – shops selling items that range from clothes, to groceries, household tools and appliances, hair and skin care products, medicine stores, all open. Street trading also in full gear around the site – fruit sellers, even fresh fish sellers. As I walked past one of the women selling fresh fish, one of the fish inside the bowl jumped, splashing some of the water in the bowl on my hand.

“Ah Ah! Na wa o!” I tried drawing the attention of the seller to what her fish had done, but she ignored me. So, I brought out another handkerchief I had in pocket and cleaned my hand while continuing my journey.

Alas, the most shocking thing at Rumuokoro were the women who had occupied one of the pathways created for pedestrians at the junction, displaying their vegetables, dry fish, okra, and other food items for people to buy. The place was rowdy and I wondered why the taskforce on street trading had not driven them away, not necessarily because they were selling there, but because there were no safety measures in place to curtail the spread of the virus we have been fighting to curtail. It baffled me because I have seen pictures online where in other countries, security officials ensure social distancing is maintained at places where markets are located, and that has not been the case in Nigeria.

Another shocking sight was at the makeshift motor park, where drivers and conductors kept shouting out names of the areas where they were carrying passengers to. It was noisy, but the noise wasn’t my concern. One of the ways this virus is said to spread is through droplets from the mouth or nose of an infected person. These men were shouting left, right, centre! I had to pause, survey the area and take a more secure path to get to the vehicle heading where I was going.

Now to the most hilarious part of my journey to our family home. After I got off the taxi, I had to board a tricycle popularly known as Keke in these parts. There were two of them stationed around the junction - one empty, the other with a lady in it. I entered the empty one which was the first from the junction itself. I love being logical sometimes, so I thought anyone coming from the main road would meet this particular Keke first, so it would get filled up first and leave first. But after sitting for about a minute or two, I decided to join the lady in the other one. Mind you, I still had my ‘nosekerchief’ on. I got into the Keke. The lady inside moved a little for me to sit properly. She looked at me as she moved. I sat down and looked at her (something I just learnt to start doing for security reasons). She was a lady, not a girl, was corporately and neatly dressed in a blue shirt tucked into a black skirt. I took my eyes off her, adjusted myself to a more comfortable position and looked forward. From the side of my eye, I could see her looking at me again. She started grumbling something to herself as she shifted further away from me. I couldn’t make out anything she was saying, but it was too late. She stepped down from the Keke and started walking away.

“Ah! Madam where you dey go nau? Wetin happen?” The Keke driver who had been looking for more passengers asked her.

She turned back to look at me but doesn’t say anything. She continued walking away. Meanwhile, I was laughing at the strange behavior because I knew she feared my ‘nosekerchief’. It was both puzzling and funny, so I called out to her and said,

“Madam na protect I dey protect myself o! Shuooo? Wetin happen?”

No one could understand her reason for alighting and walking away because she didn’t say anything. But I knew she was scared. Then I wondered to myself, what if I had an N95 mask on? I would have had more people avoiding me or running away from me. This also suggests the issue of #stigmatization. I remember how there was so much stigma that came with the scourge of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria. I believe that we would have to grapple with stigma, along with all the other challenges that have come with the coronavirus. Then again, if this lady was properly informed about the pandemic, would she have taken the decision to walk?