From the passenger’s seat: Everything that could go wrong last week, went wrong. My newly found love for bodaboda nearly cost me an arm.
A woman in a white 2004 Toyota Spacio decided on top of her bonnet is where I belonged. She must have seen the E Class on the opposite lane and thought, “emblem on the hood? I think I need one too.”
The only way she could beat that Mercedes was to have something bigger. Something unique, something dramatic, and something that would definitely attract attention.
She looked around, and picked me.
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Thus she rammed into the bodaboda I was on, sending me flying onto her bonnet. And just like that, she’d won. The Mercedes was left looking like that friend that still uses an iPhone 4. A human hood emblem? Beat that Mercedes!
Her victory was short-lived as I got off her bonnet almost immediately, and cursed her out; “What the fuck is wrong with you!?” I said standing in front of her slightly bust front grille.
I was looking at her like she was mad and needed to be in Butabika, not on our poor roads. She sat there ‘genuinely’ pretending to be really sorry. Hands on her mouth, eyes wide open and foot finally hard on the brakes. Something she could have done seconds before she gave me superpowers; sending me flying to land on my left arm.
Long story short; I broke my left arm. My bodaboda cyclists got multiple slaps on the head from a traffic police officer. This woman owes me a left arm, a new shirt (the fall ripped my tight shirt) and she owes my bodaboda guy someone to slap for those unwarranted slaps.
I helped my bodaboda guy pick up the bike (having almost died together, we were a team now), we hoped on again, and continued to town. Nakawa junction wasn’t going to be where my story ends. Moreover in front of my favorite car’s dealership (Spear Motors – Mercedes Benz). Not today!
Ignoring my broken arm, and as promised, Vivian delivered her big sister’s 2007 Toyota Mark X for a test drive for this review. When she called saying that she was downstairs, I thought she was making fun, so i ignored her. I’d sent her the pictures of my bandaged out of action arm earlier in the day, and she’d laughed like she’d sent the Spacio woman after me.
I went down stairs eventually and there she was. Graceful as always. With her outstanding big beautiful eyes and those undeniably great curves. Even right there, in the filth of Kampala streets, she was placed as one of the most spectacular sights you’ll ever stumble upon. The Mark X is truly one of Toyota’s most refined designs, ever!
… the ride is unbelievably comfortable and the interior is neat.It is the potential Toyota designers have always been capable of achieving. A gorgeous inexpensive mind range sedan. With a design that blends in quite comfortably parked next to an Audi A4 or BMW 3/5 Series and even, a C Class Mercedes.
Quite obviously it will not look as imposing, but you won’t feel like it’s the ugly step sister. It is the cute step sister that’s from the less flashy wife, but she is nurtured with the values and character traits that matter.
I got into the driver’s seat. Vivian seeing the bandage on my arm and how delicately i handled the arm, burst out and laughed like my bandage was telling jokes. When she was done with her shenanigans, we got to business.
It was at this point that we realized, my arm was still too frail to handle the wheel. Vivian in untimely laughter kept trying to poke it, asking me to be a man and brave the pain for the sake of the review. I wanted to insult her, but i remembered I’d have to write about it and you’d accuse me of being bad mannered. Am not about to have that, am considered a role model in some areas.
Vivian then suggested that for tonight, I should sit this one out and be a passenger. Which was fine by me. I slumped in the massive passenger seat as Vivian pulled out of the packing slot. The reversing camera so accurately showing her where it was safe to go.
I was feeling a little sad. The Mark X is my favorite car from Toyota. But I haven’t driven one yet. When my cousin Sheila had one, she kept it a secret like an unexpected pregnancy. I only found out when she was trying to sell it to me for a price I couldn’t afford.
From the passengers seat, the ride is unbelievably comfortable and the interior is neat. Just as I have always imagined. Despite always wishing that Vivian can go faster than her human jogging speed, tonight, it was alright.
From where I was seating, I was comfortable, the AC was just warm enough and we chatted away to Sanyu FM in the background as she drove.
When my arm is fully recovered, I’ll be back on these pages for a more dignified review. A review from the driver’s seat.
