When a close friend learnt that I recently crisscrossed several European countries in just about three weeks, he remarked that he thought my hectic traveling days went with The PUNCH. He was right in a way. I did some crazy travels back in the days. But I was young then, and even the worst of them wasn’t as bad as this. The only reprieve this time was that I didn’t have to take notes or seek interviews as there was no assignment to report on and no sponsor to satisfy. There was, therefore, no compunction to do a travelogue. I was just an indulgent, self-sponsored traveler whose most difficult assignment was to make the different airports on time; something I didn’t quite succeed at. The hectic schedule took its toll on the old body however. I came back home with a bad cold which knocked me out for the better part of two weeks – some friends actually feared it could be something else (like Covid-19 maybe) seeing I was coming from Europe.

Travelling is an experience. It is an education. No two trips are the same even if you are travelling to familiar haunts. If you open your eyes wide enough and put your ears to the ground, there is something new to see, to hear and to learn from. On the other hand, there are always things that are very familiar even if you are a first time visitor to a place, things that remind you of other places, other people. The most notable similarity is about human beings. No matter the part of the globe you are visiting, you are going to meet the good, the bad and the ugly. You are going to meet bigots. You are going to meet people who will be curt and rude because of your race, your intonation, the colour of your skin; because they have had a hard day, or are simply wired that way. You are also going to meet some decent, caring people who see humanity in distress first before they see colour or race. I want to celebrate one of them today.

My family and I got to Croatia from Greece in the day time. On hindsight, it was something we have every cause to thank God for. Apart from affording us the opportunities to see some picturesque sights from the airport, it also gave us ample time to find our accommodation in daylight and in the process, discover a good Samaritan. Our visit was to Dubrovnik, an ancient city famous for its well preserved ‘old town’ as well as being the place the popular series ‘Game Of Thrones’ were filmed. It is a hilly city with houses built along the slopes of undulating rocks. It was fun at first as the vehicle we were in climbed winding roads which seemed chiseled off the rocks and could barely take two cars. As we went up, I started feeling uneasy. It didn’t look like a place where tourists would want to spend time because they obviously would not be able to roam around. The Uber driver also started looking at his phone to be sure he got the address right. Then the chatter in the car ceased. It was a sign that we were all getting worried. My daughter who had done the booking from her base in the UK started making calls. Just then, the Uber driver pulled over and indicated we had reached our destination. There were a couple of houses no doubt, but they didn’t look like hotels or short-lets. More importantly, they didn’t seem approachable from where we were dropped. The driver hesitated awhile then zoomed off, leaving us to our predicament. Convinced there was something wrong with the numbering and we were at the wrong place, my daughter decided to go back down. Her sister opted to follow her. My wife and I were left with nowhere to sit except on suitcases for what seemed an interminable wait. Apart from the wait, we were also worried and could only pray that two ladies going down the slope on foot alone were safe in the place. But we didn’t need to worry. They found an angel. He was the person God directed them to ask for directions as they got down. He looked at the address, said the place wasn’t too far away and volunteered to take them there. He was dropping his wife at work, but when he realized that we were up the hill, decided to come pick us first. Unfortunately, the car couldn’t take all of us because of the luggage. He said he would drop my wife and I at the short-let, drop his wife at her place of work for which she was already late, and come back for the girls. Rather than wait on the hillside, my daughters decided to walk down again so as to meet him at the foot of the slope. As soon as we located the building, I left my wife with the suitcases and decided to go back for the girls. I had done about 15 minutes’ walk when I saw them at a distance. I was relieved and decided to wait for them to meet up. Just as they did, the angel pulled up. He had come back for the girls as he promised. On the way back, I thanked him profusely. His comment was short but remarkable. His conscience, he said, would not allow him to see obvious strangers stranded – there are not too many black people in Dubrovnik – and walk away. My conscience would also not allow me to let this act of kindness go unacknowledged and unappreciated – publicly. Thank you. You were God sent.

In the UK, on our way back to Nigeria, we went to spend time in the different homes of two close friends who had become immobilized due to what I call old-age freaks because they could happen to anyone who has reached a particular age bracket. I went to school with one and once shared an apartment with the other. We had done so many things together in the past including foreign travels. So I am close enough to know how restless and strong willed they both could be. It was heartbreaking to see them homebound and dependent. It was heartwarming however to see them handle their situation so stoically, so bravely. My special appreciation however goes to their wives of well over four decades who had left virtually everything at home to take care of their ailing husbands in the UK where there is hardly any domestic assistance. These women are highly successful professionals in their own right. They also have to cope with the occasional irritations and frustrations of their once very active men. I wish I could mention them by name, but this is thanking them publicly for their devotion and love. And also for their humanity and humaneness. When love wanes as it usually does in long relationships, what could be left is a sense of duty and love of humanity. They score on both counts.

•Muyiwa Adetiba is a veteran journalist and publisher. He can be reached via titbits2012@yahoo.com

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