Relief And Distractions

Oh Lord, please help me, my bladder is about to burst!

I start moving uncomfortably in my seat.

I can't hold it much longer. At this point, I feel hopeless.

As I gaze out the window, I marvel at the bushes I could use.

If the bus driver could just stop the bus, I'll run into one and do the needful.

I feel the bus starting to slow down, my heart rate drops, finally. I raise my head up to see the cause - it's traffic.

"Open the door, let's get some fresh air, please!" a woman in the front seat says.

"Open it, I need to pee!" another man boldly stands up.

"Are you sure?" the driver asks.

At this point, I could shout "yes," but I think that's crazy.

"Open it, open it, let people get some fresh air!" a woman says.

The bus driver gets out and walks around to open the right part of the door. I feel breeze, like fresh air coming in.

People start getting down, men and women. The boy behind me doesn't seem like he wants to get down, that's extremely cool, doesn't he feel the need to pee? It would be really easy for him.

This is my chance to go now, but I'm feeling really nervous. There are cars with people in them, there's even one right beside us. Where do I go to pee now?

"Excuse me?" the man beside me says, getting up from his seat.

"Oh," I turn to the other side so he can pass.

"Thank you," he says as he passes and walks out of the bus.

I tap my mom, doesn't she also need to go? Like, I don't see any female wanting to pee. Am I the only one?

She's pressing her phone, tapping on the screen.

"Mom," I tap her again.

"Yes?" she says, still on her phone.

"Do you want to pee?"

"Not really, I can hold it till we get to a suitable place." she says. "Why do you ask? Do you need to pee?"

"Uhm, I think so, like right now," I say.

She places her phone in her purse and turns her head to me. "Let's get down, I'll find a suitable place for you."

"Everybody get back on, the bus is moving!" the driver shouts.

"Can you hold it a little longer?" my mom asks me.

Uhm, I really can't, that's the truth. But I don't think the bus driver would wait for me because the traffic situation is clear, and if we don't move, we might end up in another one.

Everybody gets back on, and the bus starts moving again.

"Just hold it in, I'll find a place for you," my mom says.

I'm really glad I have a mom like her, she's caring, understanding, and has a kind heart.

As we drive, the wind howls in my ear, making it hard to hear, but the beautiful landscape outside captivates me. The trees, rivers, and rocky terrain look stunning, and I feel inexplicably happy. I just love scenic views!

"Please stop, bus driver, I want to buy garri," a woman requests.

There's a wooden table with yellow sacks and small bottles of palm oil by the roadside, and I think that's what she's after.

"Quick, no wasting time!" The bus driver gets down and opens the door.

"Who else wants to buy? Come down fast!"

People start stepping out.

"Let's go," my mom says, finally!

I stand up, careful not to hit my head, and follow her out.

"Oh heavens, where can I do it?" I ask, walking with her.

The road still looks bushy, but there are a few houses nearby.

She leads me to a bush with a house far behind it, and no one's outside. What if someone's peeping? They'll see me!

"Be quick," she says.

She stands behind me, shielding me from any prying eyes.

I quickly unzip my jeans and pull them down, the bush covers me, so no one can see.

I squat, letting everything out.

"Finally!" I say.

It's a long one, since I've been holding it for too long.

I make sure every last drop comes out, and when I finish, I stand up and zip back up.

If I were home, I would have used water to rinse off, but that's not an option now. You have to take every chance you get to pee!

"I'm done," I tell my mom. "Don't you need to go too?"

"Nope, I'm not pressed," she says.

"Are you sure? You better do it while you have the opportunity," I say, ensuring my phone is safely in my pocket.

"I'm sure, let's go," she says.

I follow her back, and people are still outside. Thank God I finally got to relieve myself!

"Everybody, get in, let's go!" the driver shouts.

People start getting on the bus. I climb in, and my gaze lands on him, the boy behind my seat. I can clearly see his face now.

He's incredibly handsome! His smooth, spotless golden-brown skin is radiant. I can't see his hair because it's covered, but the shape of his eyes as he stares at the back of my seat, pointy nose, and pink lips, combined with his nicely sculpted face and sharp jawline, make him a 10/10.What is he doing on a bus?

I sit down, feeling extremely shy. Did he see my face? What does he think of me? He's right behind me, I could just turn around, and we'd make eye contact, but I don't think I can do that. This is just admiration, nothing more.

The driver closes the door and returns to his seat, slamming it shut and continuing our journey. Oh heavens, I can't help but think about the beauty I just saw!

I notice two girls around my age in the second row by the right, smiling and turning to look, not at me, but at the boy behind me. I don't blame them, he's stunning!

"Here, eat," my mom says, turning to face me and handing me a white nylon bag.

This must be the food my dad prepared.

"Thanks," I take it, the sound of the nylon attracting attention.

I open the bag and find a flask and a plastic Fanta inside. I feel a bit weird eating this with people around, but who cares? I haven't had anything since morning.

I open the flask and take out the fork, and the aroma is amazing!

I savor each bite of my meal, delighting in the flavors.

Reaching for my Fanta, I'm aware that opening it will make a distinct sound, but I'm not concerned - I'm seemingly the only one eating, and my fellow passengers are absorbed in their own worlds, including the man beside me.

Unable to finish my meal, I pass the remains to my mom, but I keep the Fanta close, relishing the refreshing drink.

With my hunger and thirst satiated, I feel a deep sense of comfort and relief sweep over me, especially now that my earlier discomfort has subsided.

I pull out my phone from my pocket, my headache is gone. I'll continue listening to some music, some Faouzia this time.

I really love not just her music but also her as an artist. Her voice is everything I need to listen to, I just can't get enough of her songs.

"I'll dance

I'll dance like a puppet on your string..." The song begins, and it's so beautiful.

I stare outside, enjoying the stunning view of trees while listening to such amazing music with earbuds. It's extremely wonderful for someone like me.

Hours passed, and I pull off my earbuds, I'm feeling sleepy. Where are we anyway? It's already 9:45.

I reach out to my mom and tap her shoulder. She's still awake, while some people are already asleep.

"Where are we?" I ask her.

"Ore," she replies.

"Are we almost there yet?"

"Not even close."

I rest my back against the seat, thinking, "we're not close?" Maybe if I sleep and wake up, we'll finally be somewhere.

I rest my head on the seat's headrest and safely place my phone in my pocket, hoping we'll arrive early. I feel my eyes growing heavy, and I let sleep take over.

Suddenly, I feel a tap on my shoulder. "Get up, let's go get something," the voice sounds a lot like my mom.

I instantly open my eyes and sit up straight. The bus is empty, and the sun is shining hot. I hear music and notice many people outside.

"Are we there yet?"

"We haven't even gotten anywhere," she replies. "Let's go get food and drinks. You can use the toilet there."

"Wait, how long have I been sleeping?" 

"Just a few minutes," she responds.

"Minutes? Not even hours? Like, where are we now?" I ask, confused.

"Still in Ore. There was a lot of traffic," she explains.

"Still in Ore?" I stand up, feeling my pockets to ensure all my belongings are still intact. I pull out my phone and check the time, it's 10:51. I thought we'd have gotten somewhere by now.

I follow my mom out of the bus, and we're surrounded by many people and buses. Is this a common stop for travelers to rest and eat?

There's a restaurant right there, and many people are walking about. I also hear loud Igbo music playing.

"Do you need to use the toilet?" my mom asks me.

"Not really, but I'll go again. I can't trust my bladder."

"Let's go," she says, leading me into the restaurant.

Inside, people are seated at tables or ordering at the counter. I follow my mom, wondering where she's taking me.

We enter a passage, and it smells terrible, like urine. I think this is a public toilet area, with many stalls.

I cover my nose as I follow my mom further in. "This smells awful!"

We enter another passage with doors on the left, and they don't smell as bad as the previous ones.

"Is someone there?" a woman asks from the door beside me.

"I'll use this one," I tell my mom, stepping into the toilet in front of me.

It doesn't look that bad, and I'll finally get a chance to rinse off.

After I'm done, my mom is already waiting outside.

"Let's go," she says, and I follow her.

"Are you hungry?" she asks me.

"Not really, I just want snacks," I reply.

"Alright, let's go out and get something," she insists, and I follow her.

As we walk, people are advertising their goods.

"Suya!"

"Ice cream, buy your ice cream!"

"Plantain chips here, buy your plantain chips!"

My mom suggests buying suya, and I agree, it looks tempting, and I really want to try it.

"I want to buy chips too for your sisters," she says.

"Okay, I want chips too," I reply.

As we draw near, the suya seller, clad in a bright blue top and sporting a warm smile, approaches us.

His sun-kissed skin glows with a deep, rich tone, and his teeth sparkle like diamonds as he greets us.

He hands me a succulent piece of suya on a toothpick, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiles.

"Suya, very sweet," he says.

I hesitate for a moment, he kinda looks creepy, but then I take a bite. It tastes really good and spicy, I like it!

"Let's buy it!"

"Okay," she says, and we follow the man to his stand.

There's a big pile of charcoal where they roast the suya. My mom speaks to the man, and he slices the meat and hands it to us on a newspaper.

"How much is it?" I ask my mom.

"I bought the one for two thousand," she replies.

"Wow, that's a lot, l'll pay," I offer, but she insists, "Don't worry, I'll pay." I feel really grateful.

She pays the man and hands me the suya packed in a nylon bag.

"I'll go buy some other things, wait for me," she says and walks away.

I hold the suya in my hand, my arms folded, as I observe the people around me.

I notice they sell drinks behind me, next to the suya stand, so I decide to buy one more drink.

I walk in, and there are a few people inside.

"How much do you sell Fanta for?" I ask.

"Four hundred naira," a lady replies.

Wow, it's kind of expensive here.

"Okay, I'll take one," I tell her, and she opens the freezer and pulls out the cold drink I wanted. I collect it and pay, then step out.

I see my mom holding a bag, picking some chinchin and placing it into a big polythene bag. She's buying a lot!

I wait for her, and when she finishes buying, she walks towards me.

"That's a lot," I comment.

"We have to eat," she replies, handing me the bag.

I collect it, and she says, "Let's go."

As we walk, a man shouts, "Ice cream!" pushing his ice cream cart.

"I want to buy ice cream," I tell my mom.

"It might be expensive here," she warns.

"It's been a long time since I had it, iust this once," I say, walking towards the man.

"How much do you sell Fan Vanilla ice cream?" I ask the man.

"It's the big one that's available, and it's three hundred," he replies.

"Eh? Three hundred? Wow!"

Back at home, it was just two hundred.

"Bring it," I tell him, and he hands it to me in a small white nylon bag.

I pay him and walk away, back to my mom. "Let's see if the bus is ready," she says, and I follow her.

Which one is our bus, anyway? There are three white buses of the same color, which one could be ours?.

"Hey," I hear a thick voice say to me.

I turn to see it's the boy from behind my seat. He still has his hoodie on, doesn't he feel the heat?

Now, I can see the color of his eyes, they're a light brown and really visible thanks to the sunlight. He looks Blasian, and I can tell from his eyes, perhaps he's of mixed Black and Asian heritage.

"You're from the bus, right?" he asks me.

I'm feeling nervous, his diction is on point. Is he even from here?

"Uhm, yeah, yeah," I respond.

"Cool," he replies, resting his back against the wall behind us with his arms folded.

I look over at my mom, she doesn't say anything. She's simply looking for our bus.

I'm feeling really nervous. I wish my mom could just say something, anything!

"Are you also going for the exam at IMSU?" I hear him ask.

I turn to face him. "Uhm, me?" I want to make sure he means me.

"Yeah."

His gaze is gentle as he looks at me, but it makes me feel all fluttery.

"Yes, I am," I reply. "What about you?"

If I had just said yes, I'm sure we would have ended the conversation, but why did I ask about him? Ah, Lord!

"Me too," he replies.

"Let's go, that's our bus, and it looks like we're ready to leave," my mom says. Thank goodness!

"We should get in," the boy says, walking towards our bus.

People are already getting in.

"Let's go," my mom tells me, and I follow her.

I still can't get over his looks and voice. He'll make any girl fall for him, I know it.

My mom gets in, and I follow behind her, walking carefully to my seat. I notice the boy staring at me as I come in, and I instantly look away, focusing only on my seat.

The man next to me is already seated.

I take my seat, resting the bag properly on the floor, and wait for the rest to come in.

I can't help but replay those moments in my head with the guy next to me, those eyes and lips, and his voice, gosh!

If I were the outgoing type, I'm sure I'd have a long, informal conversation with him. I just can't believe he's sitting right behind me.

I feel the bus beginning to move. I think everyone is in now, and we continue on the main road.

I'm trying to focus on the journey ahead, but my mind keeps wandering back to the boy behind me.