Stranded in the Night: A Journey of Punctures, Mist, and Unwavering Friendship

It was supposed to be a routine drive from Ndivisi to Nairobi, but that night turned into an unforgettable ordeal. I was driving alone when I reached Cheptiret, a dark, secluded area with dense forest cover. Out of nowhere, my car began to wobble- a puncture, and I was stranded deep in the night. With nothing but the eerie silence of the forest around me, I knew I needed help, fast.

I immediately called Daudi, my reliable friend in Eldoret. Without a moment's hesitation, he jumped into his car and headed out to rescue me. Meanwhile, I also reached out to Julie, my childhood friend, who was like a sister to me. Despite being all the way in Siaya and, as I later learned, ailing in a hospital ward, Julie called her friend in Eldoret. Her friend, Fredy, understanding the urgency, drove out to assist. In that dark, lonely spot, I suddenly had help from two friends, one of whom was selflessly aiding me from her hospital bed.

When Daudi arrived, we quickly discovered that his spare wheel didn’t fit my car. But before the situation could worsen, Julie’s friend arrived. He took my punctured tire back to Eldoret for repair. The night seemed to stretch on forever, it was drizzling, the thick forest around Cheptiret shrouded in darkness, but eventually, he returned with the fixed tire. With renewed hope, I set off for Nairobi once again, grateful for the help of my friends.

But my troubles were far from over. As I approached Mlango Moja, a mist-covered stretch deep within the forest, I got another puncture. The mist was so thick that I could barely see a hundred meters ahead. I parked by the roadside, turned on the hazard lights, and realized I was in an even more precarious situation. With no other option, I locked the car, took my sweater, and walked into the forest, hoping to stay out of sight and safe until morning.

The night was long and cold, but as dawn broke and the mist began to lift, I saw villagers emerging from the forest, heading to the dairy with their milk. I quickly made calls to find another tire. The closest available one was in Nakuru, so the vendor sent it by Bodaboda—a journey of approximately 68 kilometers. The tire arrived around 10 AM, and after it was fixed, I hit the road once more, determined to finally reach Nairobi.

However, just a few kilometers from Naivasha, near Karai, I noticed the same tire wobbling again. I pulled into the nearest petrol station, where I discovered the tire was slightly deflated, with a small opening visible. I called the vendor in Nakuru once more, and he sent the same Bodaboda rider who had helped me earlier. He arrived at 4 PM, and after yet another repair, I was back on the road. Exhausted and drained from the ordeal, I finally reached Nairobi, late the following day.

This journey was a true test of endurance and the strength of friendships. Despite all the challenges, the support from those close to you especially Julie, who helped despite her own struggles shows how powerful and selfless friendship can be.