Fools rush in: a witness account

Somewhere in the Bible, there’s a verse that says one of the most puzzling things in the world is how a man and a woman fall in love. How many times have you heard the incredulous question “what on earth did he see in her?”

 But I saw it this week on the ride I’d hitched to Entebbe. (Aside: More travellers are abandoning the park or, in the words of Moses Isegawa, the ‘bowl’ where most of the city’s taxis or minibuses converge before they extract blood and money from the hapless passengers. Lately, some rich men have realized that the buses cannot be held at bay any longer and they’ve started a war on the taxis. Right now, on Entebbe Road, there are five buses and there are others on other roads. More people are waiting for the buses where they pay just Shs1000. This is a big break from the headache of the taxis which charged Shs2500 to the last stage in Kitooro. Reportedly, the taxis have revised their fares and it’s now Shs2000 but that’s not good enough).

the madness. Photo by Stephen Wandera

So all these strangers meet at Conrad Plaza and wait for the bus. It’s the good old days all over again. Anything can happen; like falling in love with a complete stranger. I doubt these two knew each other before they met at the stage.

But I couldn’t mistake what was going on at 9 O’clock (because I was observing the proceedings on my right with slit eyes). “swiureuree, hee hee hee, swuiauw,” Loverboy said to Ihuoma. “Hee hee heee heeeee,” she replied.

I am paraphrasing here because love is best expressed in low tones and these two were sticking to the rule. Nothing wrong with all this. Only that I was genuinely surprised. It’s not every day that a youngish man in his late twenties finds love with a late-forties-looking madam on the trip back home. And she was surprised too. But she played along and even gave him her digits. Never walk out on a winning streak.

Maybe I am just hating.

In other reports, the President is really playing to the gallery, don’t you think?