Courage at the Crossroads: Unraveling the Threads of Fate.

A Fateful Encounter

It was a warm evening in Accra central, and the year was 2018, I was immersed in my duties at the Royal Bank ( now CBG), I was working then as a  National Service Personnel (NSP) . As the clock struck the end of the workday, the thought of finally going back home and getting some rest could be seen all over my face.

My senior colleague as he often does, offered me a ride home. We usually pick up his wife from her office near by, then they drop me off in front of my house, as that was their daily route.
Little did I know that this seemingly routine act of generosity would set the stage for a life-changing event.

The sun began its descent as we made our way through the bustling streets of Accra. We bashed to hit songs being played on the radio while debated a few useless topics ( like who's a better musician between person A and B, it's kinda like the unending debate: which is better Ghana jollof or Nigeria Jollof, but hey it was fun tho, we had the time )

I should mention this as well , the sunsets in Accra are amazing. While gazing at the sunset I penned this short poem :

~ Sunset Glow

The sun sets low,
Colors in the sky start to show.
Orange and red, they gently flow,
As the night says, "hello."

A peaceful moment, calm and slow,
In the sunset's gentle glow.

Now the stars begin to grow,
The night arrives, stars in a row.
But memories of the sunset, I'll stow,
Until tomorrow's evening show.

Also reminded me of something my favorite writer: Paulo Coelho, said in his book " Manuscript found in Accra"

~ " A sunset is always more beautiful when it is covered with irregularly shaped clouds, because only then can it reflect the many colors out of which dreams and poetry are made."

Back to the story

The traffic flowed steadily until we reached my junction, a familiar landmark near Latebiokorshie - Radio Gold. And there, at the traffic light, I witnessed a scene that would for a long time  be engraved in my memory.

I witnessed two figures ( in masks) stood locked in a confrontation. One of the  men was on a bike, displayed a face of aggression, the other, standing by a car, holding a menacing machete.
Inside the vehicle, a white man ( He's actually of an Indian ethnicity ) sat trapped, I could tell scared for his life, it was apparent fear etched across his face. The atmosphere crackled with tension, and as I looked around, I noticed a handful of onlookers, paralyzed by fear or indifference ( people don't care, I thought to myself )
An overwhelming surge of empathy welled up within me, overpowering any rational thought, ( the normal me would probably be scared to take action ) Without a moment's hesitation, I made the split-second decision to step out of the car, leaving the safety of its confines behind. My heart pounding ( knowing that is was probably a very very bad idea ) Heart pounding, I sprinted back toward the unfolding chaos, my adrenaline fueling my determination.

By the time I reached the scene, it was too late. The attackers had successfully robbed the man off of his valuables, leaving him butchered and flowing all over his body is  his own blood ( Yes, after robbing him, they cut him using their machetes as if taking his belongings wasn't enough ), the price he paid for resisting their vile intentions. ( no one deserves what they did to him )
The sight before me resembled a chilling scene ripped from the pages of a crime novel. ( and I'm really not a fan of crime novels) Yet, my focus shifted immediately to the injured man, his life hanging in the balance.

Standing tall in-front of the victim, (let's call him Vikram), I dropped the log of wood I had instinctively grabbed during my hasty sprint.

- let me explain;
While I got off my colleague's car, running back to the crime scene, I quickly realized I was entering some sort of a "battle zone" without a weapon to protect my self. So I quickly looked around and all I could find was a sizable log, it wasn't bad I thought so then I picked it up and run off to the " battle zone"