I chose to attempt this particular engagement because I was once a weekend stranger about six months ago when I travelled down to my home town for my sister's traditional wedding.
I was staying in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, and needed to travel to Enugu state for the wedding. A journey of more than nine hours. The wedding was to be held on a Saturday, so the plan was to travel home on Friday, and after the wedding, return the next day — which is on Sunday, as I was to resume work on Monday.
While traveling on Friday, our vehicle got bad when we had completed about half of the journey, in a remote village. It was in a place that there was nothing like a hotel where I could lodge — as it was getting dark, and continued the trip on Saturday. And sleeping in the vehicle wasn't an option due to the security challenges in the country.
While still contemplating on what to do, the driver suggested that we walk to the nearest village that's about 1.5 km from where we were. At that point, that was the best option left. So we decided to do just that.
On getting there, we explained our situation to a family and they agreed to accommodate us for the night, so we could continue our journey very early in the morning. The family was very welcoming and did their best for our comfort. Though the expectation wasn't high as all I needed was just a secured place to lay my head. But they really tried for us.
If I had to accommodate a weekend stranger through the weekend, sure, I would happily do that, as I would like to replicate the good act of that family. Though the security challenges of the country might be a barrier — one has to be careful.
But if I am well convinced, I would accept the stranger and treat it just like a friend.
About my weekend, my weekend is always fun — thanks to the Premier League. If the stranger is an outgoing type, then I would just take him out to see the matches while keeping the mouth busy — guess you know what I mean, hehehe.
