The First Time

ution. He had taken the usual long but treacherous journey due to poor road network from his domiciliary city of Aba to Onitsha. It was mid-year of 2000. It was a four-hour trip that ended witho

oss well-known rivers that had left their landmarks

es for some political states in the southeast region. These states are Anambra State, Ebonyi State, and Imo State. These States g

passengers to their destination. These have been the usual trends each time the bus enters any major town or city during its many stopovers. This was either for some of the passengers to alert from the bus. To refill its tanks with petrol. To pick up some more passengers, the list goes

thoughts when someone sitting beside him perceived the inviting aroma of a freshly peeled banana. The aroma must have come from another passenger sitting in the front seat. His co-passenger inquired of the cost of that particular size of the banana bun

opovers, the shouts of “Driver plea

When such cries were not heard or ignored by the driver. A chain reaction of action follows. Other passengers will lend a helping hand to bring the attention of the driver to the need of the particular passenger. When that fails, they will come loud bangs on the metal or the glass partition panel of the vehicle. This panel separates the passenger's section from

havior of either taking too much time bargaining on the price for an item. They are always at this as if it was their convenient time, they were buying such commodities especially edible fruits. When a price is finally reached, they would take a longer time fumbling with their bags. When that is not enough, they would squeeze out the money which is usually of high denomination. This is a habitual thing with people. Most prefer to present highe

ad happened. Some passengers soon continue on their conversations before the outburst. Others would strike up new topics of interest. Most times a whole total political debate could arise and factions would take sides. Especially was the case when no preacher-man or drug market

ip. This is with the sole purpose of gaining the undivided attention of their would-be clients. The procedure follows a more personal undertone. It leverages on the perceived passengers’ bottled-up problems. These sets of people are well crafted

roducts and services offered loo

nterest. His procedure would start

thoughts are as usual dispelled with the “Blood of Jesus” chants by the passengers. This line of thoughts forces every passenger riddled with the fear of death to fell in line with the preacher man’s message. At this point, the air would be aural of spiritual charge. And on the fringes of fanaticism; the devil must, without doubt, be in trouble in his kingdom. All his works are cast out on the spot. His

rm with the sharing of envelopes. The other way comes in the selling of religious wares and articles such as stickers and banners. These i

ng the faces and reactions

uyers of such are assured to receive permanent and miraculous healings and immunity from all their what might have been respon

se claims are common by a greater number of the so-called “men―of―God or drug marketers.” They are only after the lining

n or the drug marketer. And sometimes too, he would meet a sti

d be visible to everyone who cares to notice. Kelvin never wishes to miss this part. He had observed to his amusement that he gets glued to the drug marketer’s tones of disappointment. He prefers him to th

give up. They are not sentimental when compared to most of the preacher men's approach. They are flexible to adapt and are more likely to adjust and find a quicker way of breaking the ic

ring remarks. Every obvious discomfit of any passenger of his interest becomes his marketing target. That skillful action of finding a solution among his goods to the obvious problem turned his sales around. He would redisplay each of his products that fells in line to solve the problem raised. The loud humorous response from the passengers made many people uncomfortable. A greater number of the passengers began

stination. On an ordinary good day, he would have volunteered to be a passive observer but today was not an ordinary day. He had made several unsuccessful attempts to gain admission into institutions of higher learning. The results were all disappointing in the end. Now he could see the ligh

tive response he got emboldened him. He headed to yet another motor park at the other side of the four cardinals looking networked flyover bridge. This flyover bridge demarcated the center of the city into four equal diagonal sides. Eac

s of the famous River Niger. This river crisscrossed the length and breadth of West Africa from Guinea to Nigeria. History has it that River Niger became known after the British explorer, Mongo Park discovered it. The other end of t

wer lust man who only wants all that her bounteous bootylicious body offers. No wonder, by the time the skirmishes were over; she had become barren. A widow and empty without adequate care of what was to become of all her fatherless children and future endeavors. On her streets laid frustrated and hopeless youths who took to crimes and other vices as an alternative relief to their bleak future. Many turned to men of ill-gotten wealth in glorification as mentors. Soon a large dro

t of the other end of it, he could sight with delight his point of destination as he turned. Next to the foot of the bridg

much more for humans. There was no much difference between a vehicle for goods and one for human cargo. All received the same treatment as far as they were all paid for. And woe betides

discomfort the poor state of the roads that these less comfortable buses ply. A plausible reason why most bus operators and their hired miscreants would take on any complaining passenger. They are more likely to make life a nightmare throughout the duration of the

ulobia then was less desirable. They would have to wait until that particular bus gets repaired. The situation was atrocious under the torrid weather of the rainy season

s using the name of their town unions as a company name. The two different transport companies all have their different loading and disembarking terminals. Among the two transport companies, Ekwulobia mass transit happens to be the mo

acity. It takes yet another precious time with the usual bureaucratic haggling between the bus operators, the touts, and the park management. This further delay results as the bus operators attempt to settle their financial obligations.

s that he knew the journey was going to be an unforgettable experience in his life. Without a doubt, it was an uncomfortable one indeed. His only solace was that he was sitting in his favorite position. He took his first lookout through the side windscreen. It was his favorite sitting position; sitting close to the window. He noted a signpost depict

of one’s life during wartime. The thoughts were swarming in his mind. Being under constant heavy aerial bombardments, artillery shells, ambushes of enemy military convoys. The heavy battles that took place between the warring sworn foes. Life to an ordinary civilian could have been nothing other than a pitiable one indeed. He recoiled at the thought of how many times he had read about how Nkpor turned into a battlefiel

er of their youths on both sides. The mournful tones of the defeated as well as the victorious army. In war, there’s No victor, No Vanquish as the then head of state General Gowon coined it. All are casualties according to the literary icon and poet J.P Clark. The impressi

never forget it. It has become a checkered history of a country. It was not a war that should have taken place in the first place nor should it repeat itself ever in the future. With that final note, he shifted his attention to the beautiful landscape of the towns. How the lush floral had buried underneath it the

e-filled d

ness were briefly forced back to his immediate

lthy speed. The terrible impact told the unsuccessful story. Kelvin saw himself in mid-air. He found himself hurled out of his rather tight sitting position into mid-air. Only his hands held on firmly onto the bare metal frame of the front seat. It provided an equal and opposite force. This prevented him fr

cupying the attachment seats blocking the gangway had crashed to the bare and dirty floor of the bus. Some passengers were scrambling to keep

placed in the gangway between each of the two original seats. This actio

would punish you,” sho

ver are you?” yelle

en the way you’re driving us?” cried a

to a halt. Not even the driver nor his assistant had a soft word for anyone who dared c

one seems to be at fault but always on their rights. In some cases, one would observe drivers engaging their passengers in a brawl over money. Incidents of reckless driving and poor human relatio

er once again hammered on the throttle of the bus. The driver was not in any mood to soft-ped

caught each other in the eye as he glanced up to look at him for the first time during the journey. They said apologies simultaneously to each o

t experience were still fresh in their memory. It soon became quite obvious to everyone why he had started driving less recklessly. The driver had entered a narrow strip of road in a new town called Nimo.

the glaring truth on the menace of these ecological disasters. And as well man’s engineered economic activities geared by sheer greed. This is especially the case with the unregulated and illegal mining and excavations of the earth for major construction matters. To counteract the effects of gully erosions, he noted there was never-ending forestr

scription “Jehova Rules,” was inscribed on the uppermost section of the signpost. This is followed by the name of the town “Ekwulobia” below the inscription. They were in bold letters and in clear view. The roundabout was the point at which the major roads leading into and out of it transverses. The major roads forming a four diagon

. Soon he was on the queue of passengers alerting from the bus. Once with his feet on the wet brown earth, he felt his head hurt a little from

ves brought him face-to-face with the main gate of the school building. Federal Polytechnic Oko was the name of the institution. A few inquirie

ful day to sleep in the house of fellow Christian Brother