Joy Eugene-Okorie

SoI ' m onmywayt oKadunabyt r ai n.Thi si smyf i r stt r ai nj our neyev erorr at herj shoul dsay secondbecauseIr ecal l goi ngonanexcur si oni nj uni orsecondar yschool . I ' m of ft odel i v erapar cel t ooneofmycust omer si nKaduna.Thi smywakanogetpar t2.That ' s howIwassupposedt ot aket hef i r stt r ai nbuti tr ai nedheav i l yi nMar abaandt hatsl eepwas sweedt h.Iwokeupar ound4: 35am andshor t l yaf t er , i tst ar t edr ai ni ng.Ij ustt ol dmy sel ft he honest t oGodt r ut h; t hi s5am j our neyt oKubwai saf ai l .Ij ej el ycl osedmyey es, wr appedmy sel f upi nChi me' sgr eenbl anketandof fIwentt oLal al and. Iwokeupat7: 30somet hi ngandst ar t edt opr epar ef ort het r i p.Byt het i meIwasdone, i twas al r eadyal i t t l et o9.Mehn, Iwasanxi ous.Igotami ni v angoi ngt oDei Dei becauseChi met ol d met hat ' st hev ehi cl egoi ngt oKubwa.Iwast ot el l t hem Kubwaexpr essandi nsi ston250.That ' s howIent er edand3mi nsr i del at er , t hedr i v ersai d, " Kubwa300" .Ir epl i ed, " 250"butBaba i nsi st edon300.Icheckedi t : i fIal i ghther e, Imaynotl i kel yseeanot herv ehi cl ei mmedi at el y .I wasn' taboutt or i ski tbecauseof50nai r adi f f er ence.SoIst ay edqui et , mysi l encewasan af f i r mat i onandmyaccept anceoft he300. Lucki l yf orme, someot herl adyi nt hev ehi cl ewasgoi ngt ot het r ai nst at i onsowebot hal i ght ed atNNPCpet r ol st at i onatKubwaexpr ess.It houghtt oaskheri fwecoul dent eroneokadat ot he t r ai nst at i onbutIt houghti twi senott o.Thi si sn' tLagos.I ' ml ear ni ngf astt hatl i t er al l yev er y t hi ng her ei sdi f f er ent .Whatt hepeopl eher econsi derasheav yt r af f i ci snor mal t r af f i ci nLagos.You canl i t er al l yent erat axi f ora50mi nsj our neyi nAbuj af or300nai r a.I t ' scr azy .Nor ush.They t akel i f esoeasi l yher e. Igotanokadat ot het r ai nst at i onf or100nai r a.Wewer egoi ngst eadi l ybutIwassoanxi ousnot t omi sst het r ai nasi twoul dbel eav i ngat10: 02andappar ent l y , i ti ssai dt hatt heydon' tdo Af r i cant i me.Tel l mewhyasI ' m pani cki ngt ogett ot her eont i me, t heokadast opsont hebr i dge, l i t er al l yami nut eawayf ort het r ai nst at i on.Iaskedt hebi kemanwhatwaswr ongandBabasai d ov er heat i ng.Ov er gi ni ? ? ? ?Idon' twantt omi sst het r ai noooo.Whi chki ndofmadnessi swr ong wi t hy ourbi ke?Hewasabl et ost ar ti tandwegott her e. Remembert hatl adyt hatwasi nt hemi ni v anwi t hme?Yeah, shewasi nf r ontonme.Asashar p gi r l t hatIi s, Ideci dedt of ol l owherbumpert obumper .Idon' tknowmywaysowedi eher e t oget her .Ij oi nedt hequeueandst oodbehi ndher e.Wheni tgott omyt ur n, IshowedmyVot er ' s car d, pai d1, 400f or1300t i cketbecauset heat t endantdi dn' thav echange.Andguesswhat ?The t i cketwasnowst andi ng.Kukukeemena.Thi smyI y anaI paj at oOshodi Mol uest andi ngspi r i t f i nal l yf ol l owedmet oAbuj a. Weshawai t edf ort het r ai nt oar r i v e.I twasal r eady10: 15att hi spoi nt .Somuchf or" NoAf r i can Ti me"butIdi dn' tdar et ocompl ai nbecausei twast omyownbenef i t .Ist i l l f ol l owedt hel adyt o ent ert hecabi nbecausei t ' snotmet heywi l l embar r assf orent er i ngexecut i v ecl asswhenIpai d f oreconomyandst andi ngf ort hatmat t er .AsIdon' tknowmywayar oundandIcan' texposemy i nexper i encel ol . Shewasl uckyenought ogetanempt yseati nt hecabi nandIwasl uckyenought ost andnextt o t wowonder f ul l adi eswhomakeal i t t l espacef ormet osi tonwi t ht hem.I sn' tGodgr aci ous?I ' m gr at ef ul f ort hesel i t t l ebl essi ngs. Thet r ai ni scl eanandcomf or t abl e.TheACi schi l l i ng.Ther ear enoscr eami ngbabi esor t oddl er s.Ther i dei ssmoot h.That ' swher eIam r i ghtnow.I ' l l cont i nuei fany t hi ngi nt er est i ng happensnext .