The Soulful Driver // Kilimanjaro 2020.
One hand on the wheel
One hand on the wheel, driving through the blue hour on the Kilimanjaro highway.
The sun was calling it a day and we are simply millenial nocturnals who effortlessly turn night into day.
The soulful driver was barely 25, he was able to drive 25km in less than 25 minutes.
For obvious reasons, this upcountry road is usually the busiest during December, I remember.
I still dwell on the memories of the conversation I had with the driver in his Isuzu pickup truck, the destination was certain but his destiny, not so much.
This moment, as vague as it is, provides clarity in the most abstract way possible.
The driver knew the destination very well, I didn’t. I put my trust in him to drive us safely.
When I was capturing this moment, he had no idea of the vision I had but he trusted me to capture the moment vividly.
Another hand on the gear
So far from self-driving cars, this old pickup is a manual transmission truck that solicits the driver’s attention to the engine’s rhythm.
The driver reminisced his failed romances as he overspeeds hoping to leave that part of history behind him as fast he can.
The soulful driver wishes to travel back in time, not to change a thing but to feel some things just one more time.
He reached for his last remaining cigarette in his shirt’s pocket just to help him relax, can’t have both the car and his mind racing at the same damn time.
The car eventually slowed down as he tried to feel the thrill of smoking and driving, peacefully.
Puff after puff knowingly both smoking and driving can kill a man but just not collaboratively.
The cigarette got tossed out the window halfway smoked and started to slow down as we approached Mgagao, a small town known for its local liquor and lamb BBQ spots.
Pulled up, and hopped out!