Read the following passage and answer the questions on it
It was a cold windy Monday morning just before dawn. A frail old woman who could barely see beyond a few metres ahead of her – an early septuagenarian – braved all odds and stepped out onto the dirty road in the village of Koomla. For her, today’s duty had to be done even if it meant further risking her delicate health. “What would I not do for Koku to amount to something in this life that has given me nothing but woes?” Mma Koku thought to herself.
And so, despite the ominous signs from the sky, and wearing just a threadbare sweater over an equally aged wrapper, she forged ahead, daring the draught of air that was threatening to topple her. Luckily, the sand ground was still largely undisturbed owing to the dew, so she didn’t have to contend with fending off particles from her often rheumy eyes.
“Come what may” Mma Koku assured herself as her left foot planked into a muddy pothole she hadn’t seen in time, “today I shall see the pathfinder before he leaves for the city.” Her destination was still about nine kilometres away. At home, The Pathfinder, a middle-aged university teacher – the very first person to earn the highest postgraduate degree from the village of Koomla – had just roused himself from dreamland. In the dream,a figure in white had told him he owed an obligation to the old woman. She was on her way to give him a parcel for her son studying in the university in the city, about a thousand miles away.
The Pathfinder had come home for a two-day visit and the news had got to Mma Koku, who gladly took all her savings for the last three months, put it in a small envelope and tied it up in the edge of her wrapper. The duo were to meet at the junction where the village road led off to the city. “You know, Lord, this is all I have. Please let my son turn out well,” the old woman prayed. “No sacrifice is too much for one’s child,” she heaved, skipping over another muddy pothole, for it had rained the previous day.
By the time Mma Koku got about a mile from The Pathfinder’s home, the day was now bright enough for her to see with less strain. However, the sky suddenly became overcast and only seconds later, there was a torrent from the heavens. There was very little that the surprised old woman could do to stave off the watery onslaught, so she trudged on stoically. At the appointed place, The Pathfinder activated his wipers at top speed as he stayed on the lookout for the person he was expecting.
As drenched as Mma Koku came into view, The Pathfinder switched off the ignition and rushed out to meet up with her, guiding her into a nearby shed. After a few minutes of pleasantries, she handed over her widow’s mite. Mma, please wait here till the sky stops weeping,” he begged her. “I must run along now.”
“Ah, what can beat a mother’s love!” Dr Felix Adoka soliloquised pensively, shaking his head as he winked a left turn to an oncoming driver, prepared to confront the elements. “I shall ensure her son gets a teaching job once he is done,” he promised himself.
…before he leaves for the city…
What is its function?
Explanation
The function of the expression 'before he leaves for the city' in the passage is to indicate time. It shows when Mma Koku plans to see the Pathfinder. The action in the main clause, 'today I shall see the pathfinder', is expected to take place 'before he leaves for the city'.