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The birth pains of my new life grew intense the further I got away from the town I had known as home. I sat in silence, my feelings an awkward blend of anxiety and excitement. My mind wandered off. I imagined what life in a new place would be like. Jinja is a small town, famously known for harbouring the source of the Nile. Its streets are littered with tourists who come in to indulge in water sport activities. It was a rainy Friday morning when the bus came to a stop, spewing its passengers into the calm streets. I quickly headed to the construction site where I would be working for the next couple of months. I met with the project manager who gave me the weekend off to settle in. Pressure on site was too much and most of my weekends were snatched just like that. The only time I got a chance to rub shoulders with the locals was during the morning and evening rush hours, when I was bargaining for a ride either to work or home with the motorcyclists locally known as "Boda bodas". It was like the boda bodas had inbuilt eye sensors that could detect locals and visitors. The visitors were always charged higher fares. One particular morning, I squeezed my way through the crowded vegetable market lane, ducking when necessary to avoid bumping into vendors with baskets full of fruits and vegetables balancing on their heads. I made my way to the boda boda stage. Ignoring calls from different cyclists, I walked straight up to one guy that calmly sat on his motorcycle. There was something homely about him. When I asked how much it would cost to take me to work, his price was fair enough. For the next two days I boarded the same motorcycle. We exchanged contacts and from then on, he became "my boda guy". We usually journeyed in silence except on rare occasions when we indulged in small talk or brief inquiries about each other's families, and that was about it. On moonless nights when I left site late, he was always a phone call away. From our brief conversations, I learned that he also did food business and he always gave me a few tips here and there. Time wheeled and the holidays came. Though I was not in position to travel back home, I did not feel so homesick as Cosma invited me to spend Christmas with his family. To me, Cosma is not just my boda guy. He is my walking directory, advisor, and above all a friend.