Terrific Tales on Traffic - Episode 2 (For The Nation)

 

The country was filled with such misery. In the history of this magnificent country, conditions had never been so dire. When individuals complain about the terrible situation of their country, it is sometimes assumed that they are either hearing the stories of the impoverished or that another political party is trying to gain influence. But it was obvious that this was not the case because everyone could feel the sorrow and suffering in the nation. People were no longer certain of returning home alive because insurgency and banditry were at an all-time high. You either make sure there is a ransom someplace or you frantically beg for God's mercies if you have to travel by road or rail. People could no longer freely access their farms, therefore the available goods were sold at outrageous prices. Inflation was also on an all-time high. Any country where the bulk of the population cannot afford to feed themselves is happily sitting on a keg of gunpowder. In this country, nothing positive seemed to be happening.

There was a lot of moaning and weeping throughout the nation. They made the decision to pray to God since the anguish got worse every day and it didn't seem like there would be any relief any time soon. The truth is that the people were also somewhat to blame for their miserable plight; they had abandoned God's ways and adopted customs that were incompatible with what had fostered their country's growth and progress. The cry of the people was not because of the severe economic misery, but rather because there was no sign of any hope. They prayed to God once again as they raised their eyes to the heavens.

Every country's revolution began with a single, improbable hero. Of all, no one anticipated God would appear with a magic wand to fix their issues. They understood that if there was ever going to be a solution to the many issues plaguing their country, it would have to come from leadership demonstrated by a person or group of individuals. The populace was in need of salvation, but they never anticipated it would come in the form of a young man by the name Gideon. To begin with, Gideon was himself filled with so much fear and not even a member of the political elite or the biggest opposition party. If you were going to start a revolution, at least pick someone who had some experience or credentials. Gideon was a nobody, nothing else.

Everyone understood that their newly installed self-appointed leader would need much more than eloquence to turn the flow of events. You need fortitude and guts to fix a bad situation; well-written screenplays and words won't cut it. They all needed a significant dose of these drugs; the fortitude necessary wasn't just for their leader. It was time to battle because their nation was in danger of disappearing from the annals of time. They understood the importance of having a strong leader to save their country, but they also understood that the success of their leader depended on the support of the populace.

High stakes were involved; if the people didn't resist, much would be lost. Really, there wasn't much at risk; all that was at risk was their country's continued existence. A sizable portion of the population was terrified and believed they lacked the power to bring about the desired change, but the rest of the population refused to back down. They recalled the lovely tales they had read about how wonderful their country had once been. Yet, the reality was far different from those tales, and regrettably, there was no assurance that there would still be a country for them to tell their children about.

People were asked to put their plans on hold, just like in previous revolutions in human history. They were informed that their leader did not have the credentials or track record necessary to successfully lead a revolution. Even some of his critics referred to him as naive and stated the task at hand was overwhelming. There was a lot spoken, but the people were unyielding. Without a fight worth fighting, they would not give up. One thing brought them all together: their love for their nation. They desired genuine change because they were sick of the current situation. They didn't want to be cowards because they wanted a better country more than anything else. They could sense the advent of something new, much like a mother giving birth, thus it was only right to exert more intensity. They won’t go down without a fight.

Written by Friday Okwori