The Journey Begins

As we make our way to the bus stop, the sky begins to brighten. People are out and about, and we are still trying to catch a bus heading to Onitsha.

"Owerri, Owerri!" drivers kept shouting, advertising their destination.

"Anambra!"

"Lagos!"

"Delta!"

I continue walking, with my dad leading the way and my mom following behind.

"Owerri, Owerri!" a driver shouted as we walk by.

"Mommy, he's going to Owerri, why can't we go with him?" I asked, looking at my mom who is now walking beside me.

"It'll surely be expensive, it's a sienna. We'll use a bus instead," she replied.

"Okay."

Then, a man approach us, saying, "Owerri! Oga, bia Kai ga (owerri, sir let's go)"

We stop in front of his car, a Sienna.

"Egole? (How much??)" my dad asked him.

"Seventeen thousand mmadu ofu ( seventeen thousand per one person)" he replied, removing his cap.

"Seventeen thousand? Mbanu (no), that's too much!" my dad exclaimed.

"Kai ga (let's go)" he said to us, and we follow him.

We cross the road and continue searching for a bus to Onitsha.

"Oga, ebe ki na ga? ( Sir, where are you going?)" a man asked my dad.

"Onitsha. Mmadu abo (onitsha, two people)" my dad replied.

"Onitsha? Ná ga, iga fu bus e ne je onitsha (onitsha?, Keep going, you will see a bus that's going to onitsha)" the man said.

"Dalu (Thank you)" my dad replied, and we continue our journey.

There are many people out, which Isn't surprising, as some are likely going to work, the market, or traveling.

We keep walking forward, when a man suddenly approach us.

"Oga ebe ki ne je?, (Sir, where are you going?)" he asked my dad.

"Ayi ne je onitsha, (We are going to Onitsha)," my dad replied.

"Onitsha? Bia kai ga (onitsha?, Come let's go)" the man said, taking the bag my dad was carrying.

"kai pu, oge na ga, ( let's go, time is going)" he said, leading us to the bus.

We arrive at the bus, a big white bus with red, blue, and green stripes on each side. He gently places the bag on the ground.

"Banie (enter) " he said.

"Egole? (How much?)" my dad asked.

"Nine thousand naira, mmadu ofu (nine thousand naira per person)" the man replied, wiping his sweat with his handkerchief.

"Okay," my dad said, reaching for his pocket and pulling out some thousand-naira notes.

He counts the money, and I follow every moment as he swipes each currency with his fingers.

"Wé re (take)," he handed the man the money.

"Dalu (Thank you)" the man said, not even bothering to count the money himself.

He put the money in his pocket and raises his arm in the air, waving it.

"Hey!, Musa, come give them ticket! ( Hey Musa, come give them a ticket)" he yelled.

I see a man running towards us, looking to be in his early thirties.

"no dey shout my name jo, (stop shouting my name)," the musa said, pulling out a small book from his pocket.

"Write, no waste time (write and  don't waste time)," the man said to Musa.

"Sir, what is your name?" Musa asked my dad.

"My daughter name is Eze Amanda, and my wife's name is Ifeoma Eze," my dad replied.

"Okay, just the two of them right?" Musa asked, penning our names down on a small square book.

"Yes," my dad responded.

We collect our tickets, but my mom holds mine for me.

"Banie, ayi ga la obero ge (go in, we'll be leaving very soon)," the man told us.

"Mmadu ofu foro (one person is left)" He added.

I am tired of standing and I just want the bus to leave so we can get there early.

"Ga ni mé bus (go inside the bus)," the man told me, pointing to an empty seat I found comfortable.

"wepu akpa gi, kai load e ya na boot (Take off your bag, let's load it into the boot)." he said.

I pull off my bag off and hand it over to him.

"Mom, let's get in." I told my mom.

"Goodbye dad," I said to my dad.

"Chere (wait)" he stopped me, pulling out some money from his pocket and counting it.

He gives me the money, and I count it. It is three thousand naira.

"Thanks, Dad." I said, putting the money deep into my pocket where I had kept the ten thousand naira.

"Oyanu (come on)" my mom called me, already standing at the entrance of the bus.

I climb in, and there are people already sitted, women, little children, a few teenagers about my age, and some men. The bus has four rows, excluding the driver's seat. Two seats on each side, with a space to walk through in between.

I sit in the seat the man directed me to, on the third row by the left, next to a man by the window. I wish I could swap seats with him, but he seems to like it there.

My mom sits right in front of me, which makes me feel comfortable since I could easily talk to her.

I see my dad standing outside, watching us with his hands on his waist and lips folded.

"Dey don sign? (have they signed?)" someone shouted.

"No, bring book make dem sign, bus don full ( no, bring the book for them to sign. The bus is full.)" Another person responded.

The bus moves slightly. They are probably loading our bags into the boot.

It has been a while since I traveled, and I wonder how the village would look now. I hope I wouldn't get pressed and worry about how to tell the bus driver I needed to pee.

"Excuse me, it's your turn," the man next to me said, handing me a book and pen.

I look down, unsure what to do. "Take it, sign," he said.

I cautiously take it and see it is a page ruled with four lines, asking for my name, number, next of kin, next of kin phone number and signature.

My eyes scan the pages, it is obvious that some people has filled in their information, so I'm guessing I should do the same.

Name: Eze Amanda, number: 09.....86, next of kin: I am confused. Who should I put?

I search for my mom's name and see she had written my dad's name, Basil Eze.

I decide to write my dad's name and phone number too.

After signing, I turn to hand the book over to the person behind me.

He is wearing headphones and tapping on his phone. He looks rich and out of place on a bus.

I watch as he raises his head. I can't really see his features because the bus is a little bit dark and the sky isn't fully bright either.

He pulls down his headphones, and I struggle to maintain eye contact.

"Uhh...it's your turn," I said, feeling nervous.

"Oh," he replied.

My eyes widen at how thick his voice is as he takes the book and pen from me.

I quickly turn back to face the front, feeling even more nervous.

I press my back tightly against the seat's back rest, my hands on my laps as I try to maintain my composure.

"Boss don full, make we go (the bus is filled, let's go)" a man shouted.

The bus boot slams shut, meaning we are truly ready to leave, thank goodness.

I pull out my phone from my pocket, along with the earbuds, plugging them into the small circular hole and inserting the tips into my ears.

I switch on my phone, inputting my pin and scrolling straight to Spotify. Some Lana Del Rey is exactly what I need for this ride. And when I get tired, I'll play some games, and when I get tired of that too, I'll probably just feel sleepy, so I'll rest my head.

"Kiss me off before you go, summertime sadness...." The music begins, and I let myself sink in, my head resting on the seat backrest as my eyes remain wide open.

If I were at home, I'd probably be singing out loud, along to the music playing. But we're on the bus, and I can't do that. All eyes would be on me, and someone might even tell me to shut up, yikes.

The driver gets in, and I feel the slam of the door as he does. The bus begins to move, and I don't know why I'm suddenly feeling happy. I think it's weird, but I just like the feeling of the moving bus.

I close my eyes, enjoying the music.

"I got that summertime summertime sadness, s...s.. summertime summertime sadness..." I just love this song.

I feel the bus beginning to move faster. We're probably on the main road now.

The feeling of the bus moving and the music I'm listening to is really putting me at ease, and I'm enjoying it.

I open my eyes.

We're already on the bushy road, and I remember the last time I traveled on this route.

The road is divided into two lanes, with bushes on either side, one for incoming vehicles and the other for outgoing vehicles.

I wonder how drivers master all the routes leading to a state.

It's impressive to think about how long they've been driving and how familiar they must be with the roads. It's truly amazing.

I'm not sure if this happens to anyone else, but whenever I think about urinating, I suddenly feel the need to go.

I think I can hold it in, it's not urgent yet.

I'll just avoid drinking any liquids for now. But I'm starting to feel a headache, probably from listening to music or podcasts for too long.

I remove my earbuds and place them back in my pocket, adjusting my position a bit.

I'm thinking of playing some games, but I don't feel like it anymore. Like I haven't eaten anything and I'm already feeling the urge to pee.

Oh dear, I wish I could secretly teleport back home, relieve myself, and reappear on the bus. But I can't possibly ask the bus driver to stop because we haven't been on the road for long, and I'm too nervous to ask anyway.

What do I do now? Please help me, Lord, and let me hold it in until the bus stops.

"Fried plantain!" someone shouts - hawkers are selling snacks.

It's been a while since I had that, but the bus can't stop just for me to buy some.

Suddenly, I feel a push on my seat from behind.

I turn around to see the boy from earlier resting his head on the back of my seat, his black hood covering his head.

I turn back around, feeling a bit uncomfortable and nervous with him leaning on my seat. I can feel his presence right there. Should I complain or tell him to move away?"

It's best I ignore it. That's not the main problem now. I still have to find something to do about my bladder.

Oh Lord, please help me.

"Gimme" someone says. It sounds more like a child. I can't tell if it's a male or female, but it's clearly a child I know.

The phone of the man next to me suddenly rings.

"Hello," he says.

"You're asking why I was calling? Ogun wan kill your papa? ( don't you dare ask me why I was calling or you'll face the consequences)" He sounds annoyed, but it's kinda funny to me, lol.

Oh no. I feel my bladder growing heavier. Even if it's a bushy area, the bus should just stop and let me relieve myself.