I think I can, I think I can

The man has been tinkering with the engine for about 10 minutes before he decides to give it a try.

The truck does not start.

After a few more minutes, he is joined by three other middle-aged Beninese men who have decided to push the truck in an effort to use gravity to get the engine to take.

They first push the truck backward, then the driver turns the wheels as they push it back forward – a manual three-point turn.

The three men then push the truck down the hill, out of my line of vision.

The truck did not start.

The next thing I see is the rear of the truck moving back up the hill, followed by the three men now pushing on the hood. At the top, they try the same maneuver again.

The truck did not start.

By this time, the kids washing clothes in the courtyard in front of me have also noticed these failed efforts and suppress giggles as the rear of the truck appears once again backing up the hill.

Once again at the top of the hill, they try again.

The truck does not start.

This time, they don’t try to get the truck to the top of the hill, only back in the spot where it initially rested. They’ve given up on driving anywhere today.

“Good work!” I yell from the shade of the porch where I’ve been sitting during the spectacle.