My Guardian Angel or a Friendly Acquaintance?

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It was the second time in five years that I had an encounter of timely help from a stranger. I wrote about the first one in my article titled, "Rescue by an Angel." This is the link https://pendoctor.blogspot.com/2023/02/rescue-by-angel.html

The second experience was in the year 2013. I had just finished a 30-hour shift in my hospital of postgraduate training in Lagos. Doctors who worked on such long shifts closed at 2 pm the following day when they resumed at 8 am.

The road was relatively free, so I rushed home to rest. While driving along Mobolaji Bank-Anthony way towards the bridge connecting the airport (MM2), I impulsively decided to turn at the Olowu junction to link Obafemi Awolowo way in Ikeja. It would allow me to escape the hold up that was often experienced along the Computer Village area in Ikeja. Perhaps I should not have turned at Olowu junction.

Less than two seconds after turning off the busy Mobolaji Bank-Anthony way, my car suddenly stopped. "Ha!" I exclaimed.

The rear of the car was almost on the busy expressway. It was an unsafe place to have a faulty vehicle.

I was helpless. My "mechanic," Gbenga, was more than 45 minutes drive away, even if he left his shop immediately. No other automobile technician was around at that moment. 

Less than two minutes into my predicament, vehicle parts dealers at the Olowu junction swarmed me and pitched their goods. They offered to sell to me car parts that I had already: side-view mirror, rear-view mirror, fire extinguisher, etc. I must have looked at them with an angry side eye because that was how I felt. None of them bothered about the problem that made the car stop suddenly. They were interested in selling their wares. I quickly removed my phone and wallet near the handbrake where I placed them so that fast and furious fingers would not keep them for me against my wish.

All the merchants left me and returned to their nearby shops when they realized I was not buying anything.

I began to panic a bit. The sight of the fast-moving vehicles on the expressway adjacent to the car caused a bit of fright. I considered hiring a towing vehicle to move the car to safety. There was none. I had exhausted all my amateur troubleshooting skills for starting an uncooperative car.

Then the man appeared. I was leaning on my car when a public shuttle stopped beside me. A stranger alighted and walked purposely towards me.

"Dr Orolu, what are you doing here?" he asked with concern.

Dr Orolu ke? I mused. How did this unfamiliar man know my name? Have I attended to you before in the hospital? Have we met anywhere? I asked myself a barrage of rhetorical questions.

The man noticed the worry on my face and asked if my car was okay.

I shook my head, still assessing him to know if he meant well. He appeared genuinely concerned, which made me relax a bit. 

He asked for the car key. I gave it to him. He turned the ignition. The stubborn car remained lifeless. He opened the bonnet and repeated all the steps I had taken; nothing happened.

"Doctor, e lo sinu moto (Doctor, go into the car)," he gave the key to me while he continued to tweak things in the engine area.

He did abrakadabra and asked me to start the car again. I turned the ignition and the car did "zoooooom!" I heaved a sigh of relief. He closed the bonnet and quickly went to board another shuttle within a twinkle of an eye. He didn't wait for me to thank him or show any form of appreciation. Off he went as swiftly as he had come. I just stared at the shuttle as it took my helper away.

I drove straight to Gbenga's shop to identify the problem that made the car embarrass me. The diagnosis was idiopathic.

In the past ten years, whenever I remember the incident, I ask myself, "Did I meet my Guardian Angel?"

Ademola Orolu


About the Author

Ademola is a Consultant Family Physician and writer. He founded the online health magazine, The Family Doctors, and was its Editor-in-Chief from 2017 to 2020, when he wounded up the magazine to concentrate on his full-time medical practice, Nathaniel Health Consulting, Matogbun, Ogun State. 

He is an author of many books including storybooks. He regularly writes on health-promoting topics and encourages positive behavioural change in his articles.

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