Journal Entry 42: Some People Never Change, Even in Ghana!

I’ve learned that some people, including my mother, will be the same regardless of what continent they happen to be in. One night as my mother and I were trying to get back to the hotel, a cab driver offered us a price of 5 cedis, which we accepted. Halfway to our destination, the cab driver starts mumbling to me in the front seat, “Oh, I can’t go straight to the hotel, I have to go around so I can’t take just five cedis. I have to charge you an extra two. We make it seven”, he said in a hesitant tone, stuttering when I asked him to repeat himself. “But you said five cedis” I said. “I know but I thought you wanted to go to the mall” “No I said the hotel by the mall. That’s your fault that you misunderstood”. He continued to try to reason with me. “But I didn’t realize that I’d have to drive all the way around to get to the hotel” he said, referring to the fact that there are roundabouts in the road that prohibit you from making certain turns, forcing you to drive around. I began to get frustrated with the taxi driver and raised my voice “No—don’t you play with me. You said five cedis. If you can't take five you need to pull over and let us get another cab”. My mom, who didn’t  understand the cab driver, heard the tone of my voice and asked me what he was saying. Mistake number one: I shouldn’t have told her.

The cab driver pulled over and pointed to the hotel, gesturing for us to walk. My mother wasn’t having it. She began screaming at the cab driver at the top of her lungs. “LOOK! You better drive this damn cab, now! DRIVE!”. Of course she said a lot more, but due to the intensity of the situation, I could only pick up on so much. I suddenly felt bad for the poor cab driver who then raised both of his hands in a surrendering gesture saying “Please, mum, I don’t want to fight, please”. After my mother’s screaming scared him enough, he drove us to the hotel and continued to try to explain to us the change in price as we got out the car. I gave him five cedis and he looked at the money in his hand, nervously laughed and pulled away. “Woo—Zakiyyah! I was about to punch him in the back of his head!” my mother said. Yes mother, I know you would, even in Ghana.