Clown Car

A couple weeks ago I went to church with Blessing. I've told you about the bike situation (the motorbikes) and how I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole. Right, so with that said, Blessing said we could take a cab to church. A cab I thought, now that seems reasonable, I can get behind that. Okay, so where do we find such a thing? We just look for one she says. Hm. Okay, let's go look for one. So there we are standing on the side of the road in our Sunday best 'looking' for a cab. What exactly are we looking for, I asked her. She looked at me and smiled, um, I don't know, one will just stop. Finding all this very interesting, I stood faithfully at her side waiting for one to "just stop". Every once and a while she would stick her hand out at her side, a signal of sorts to cab passing by? After about five or so minutes of this clunker of a car pulls over. She negotiates the price of the drop through the window and motions for me to get in. Now, I don't quite know how to describe this said 'vehicle' that we entered, but I'm going to give it my best. First of all of the paneling on the inside of the door was missing, the inside wreaked of gasoline, and the area where the controls would normally be for radio, heat, air etc. was totally gone. Just a big hole showing straight through to metal. There were noises coming from places I'm sure they shouldn't be and other smells that were unidentifiable. I seriously didn't think this thing was going to make it three blocks, let alone three miles. But sure enough, old Bessy got us there, all in one piece. Hallelujah.
After church we went through the same process: standing on the side of the road waving down cars that look like they may be a cab. The best I can tell, you look for the oldest, junkiest, most beat up thing on the road and wave it down. So again, after about 5-10 minutes a car pulls over. Now mind you, the car is full, three in the back, one in the front, and Blessing is negotiating with him as if we're actually going be be getting in. Standing beside her I said, "Um, Blessing, there's no room in this car." She laughed and said, yes, we can fit. Are you serious? Where?! I didn't say that, but that's what I was thinking. So Blessing got in the front, half sitting on a random man's lap and I got in the back, one cheek half wedged between the seat and the door, the other riding up the side of the window, bracing myself for dear life. We went on like that for a mile or so, hit some traffic, which was awesome, and then arrived at our dropping point. I'm guessing most, if not all of the people ridding in the car were estranged to one another, but let me tell you, by the end of it they might as well have been family. Heaven knows I've never been that close to complete strangers before.