In the down bound lift to the underground train, the 60 plus year old English chap, reminds you of what is slowly vanishing as we stroll towards mid 21st century. Public interaction, humour and casualness. “I just got a new job,” he says in typical London Cockney accent. Operating the buttons he lets the elevator’s doors stay open for longer while you shuffle in with your huge guitar pack. “Thanks,” you mutter, settling in. “No more employment these days, Al is taking over and this is the only one left.” Laughter. “I am a lucky sod.” He adds more fire to the joke. Of course, he is not the lift operator. This is one of remarkable things about typical English people, even when strangers. Casual, sarcastic, sense of humour. Nodding hasty goodbyes, you both rush to one of these quick moving London tubes, or metro, as they say in Paris or subway in New York.
Settling in the underground train you continue reading Yuval Noah Harari’s: “Sapiens- A brief History of Humankind”, published by Vintage Books in 2015. Our earth is 4.5 billion years old, the book says. Train rumbles on, while you (surreptitiously) watch fellow passengers, equally reading something. Phones, mostly the young; books and newspapers, elderly. Headlines during this particular weekend are about the King’s infamous brother, Andrew Mountbatten -Windsor; arrested Thursday 19th February in connection with the Epstein Files fiasco (narrated here last week)-and that now infamous picture of his blasted across global front page news. Prince Andrew slumped at the back of a car; half-open mouth, looking aghast, and forsaken, after being questioned by police. Yes, he is one of several international bigwigs and politicians involved in the ongoing, endless Jeffrey Epstein bombshell. Alleged paedophilia, sex trafficking, etc.
Train stops. You have to change connections. As you barge in to next, there are three people blabbering loudly on phones. No passenger needs to concentrate keenly to follow the gist of their private conversation. Worse is one of them speaking in his mother tongue and Woow! Here is the current world we live in. On with your book, Yoval Harari says: “Our language evolved as a way of gossiping. According to this theory, homo sapiens is primarily a social animal. Social co- operation is our key for survival and reproduction. It is not enough for individual men and women to know the whereabouts of lions and bison. Its much more important for them to know who in their bands hates whom, who is sleeping with whom, who is honest, and who is a cheat.”
Your final train home shall only be few stops. You are now strumming your guitar and chatting to a happy, beautiful young couple. The pair requested Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You are…” A great song from the mid 1970s. In East Africa we were fond of the Barry White’s version of this amazingly written ballad. “I do not want clever conversation. I never want to work that hard…mmm just want someone, I could talk to. I want you just the way you are.” The two hold shoulders, cheek to cheek, enjoying the melodic tune with a vibe of genuine romantic filled expressions. At such moments, we forget where we are. Birds fly, cars, aeroplanes and wind speeds up, while music keeps us tranquil and peaceful.
Lo and behold, in that momentary stillness, out of nowhere, the lady suddenly unclasps her partner’s arms. Storms out of the carriage rushing, to the next carriage. You continue playing, while your nose picks up an intense scent. A mixture of beer, tomato ketch-up, meat, pizza and wine. The partner stands up, his face frowning and concocted as if about to say something. Hesitates, politely. Nods towards his right. Down. You follow his gaze. A smartly well dressed female is vomiting on the train seat and floor. Vomit is formidable. When we eat food. Or drink. Wonderful. Everything else afterwards, nevertheless, becomes uncomfortable. Toilets. Careless, loud belching. Loud fart. Vomit.
Minutes later walking, home, you encounter folks smoking cigarettes or marijuana, singing, talking, laughing, nursing bottles of alcohol or staggering. Usual weekend vibe. One of the biggest jigs and snags in London is folks boozing without eating properly. Spending a week dashing through work; come Friday and Saturday evenings, letting everything loose and free. Yoruba people of Nigeria have a proverb. “The person who runs in a thorn-infested forest is running after something or something is running after him.” May we have a happier times. Airoroki, if you speak Kima’asai.
