I Survived (Barely)

_{Traveling by road has never been my thing and it makes me really uncomfortable. I haven't tried traveling by other means of transportation and can't say if I am the problem or Nigeria roads just make me sick. It's so terrible to the point that even when I leave my home for a trip feeling excited, I barely arrive at my destination with the same excitement.}

"Where is this boy? Has he forgotten that we are leaving by 9 am?" I heard my mom's voice from the living room.

"He's yet to get out of bed," Bisi, my sibling replied.

"By this time?" she asked.

I heard her footsteps approaching my room and pretended to still be asleep.

Tomiwa! Tomiwa!! She called, and I could tell that she was angry.

Ma! I stuttered, wiping my eyes like I had just woken up.

"Have you forgotten we are traveling this morning, or do you not want to go with us?" She asked.

Ma! I stuttered again, pretending not to hear what she said.

"Where are the clothes you packed?" She asked.

"I haven't packed anything yet," I muttered, and she just shook her head before leaving my room.

"Why won't she just understand? I do fall ill after these trips, and she won't just put me into consideration," I muttered, dragging myself out of the bed.

Her silence meant a lot of things, so I started packing immediately because I didn't know what her plans were, but I knew what she was capable of doing.

---

I immediately packed my things, freshened up and went to join the rest of the family for breakfast some minutes later.

"I don't know what kind of child doesn't want to mingle with his distant family members. You are the first child and son of this family, and it's expected of you to keep a good relationship with your uncles, aunts, and others," my mom muttered while we were eating.

"The place is too far," I stuttered.

"Is there a place that is not too far for you?" She hissed and continued with her meal.

An hour later, we left the house for the motor park, and my siblings were very excited. We soon arrived there, and there were so many people traveling to different parts of the country for the holiday.

People were chatting loudly and there were so many activities happening at the park at once. Our details were taken at the point of payment for the bus fare, and we were soon on the road immediately after the bus was full.

---

Since the bus was going directly to my hometown, the majority of the commuters were from my hometown, and they just wouldn't stop chatting in our native language which I barely understand. I had my earphones plugged into my ear, so the noise wasn't an issue, and I just wanted to see the bus arrive at my hometown.

We had barely journeyed for an hour with the bus going at full speed when I noticed the bus was slowing down.
I raised my head to see what was happening, and guess what? It was my biggest fear on the road.

"What could be the cause of the traffic?" The passengers started murmuring, and the driver assured us that it would just be a small delay.

An hour turned to two, and we were still at the same spot. The passengers started complaining and I just looked at my mom from the back seat where I sat. She looked relaxed and wasn't even complaining like other passenger.

The sun was up already, and everywhere was hot despite the harmattan. I could barely breathe because of the smell of petrol that filled the air, but I tried to maintain my steeze.

At a point, the passengers started alighting from the bus to take some fresh air, and I didn't hesitate to join them too. The driver also went to check the cause of the traffic, and he came back with bad news.

"A trailer carrying condemned iron fell on the road, but they are currently clearing them off," he announced, and the passengers started murmuring again. Passengers from other buses alighted too, and in the twinkle of an eye, the road was filled with travellers chatting in groups.

Out of boredom, I decided to eat some of the snacks mom packed for the trip while hoping that the traffic thing gets resolved quickly.

Around 2 pm, we noticed the buses ahead warming up their engines, so people started returning to their respective buses. We did the same and waited patiently for the buses to move, but that didn't happen.

---

Information got to us after a while that a lot of the vehicles were trying to go through the wrong lane, therefore hindering movement even after the fallen trailer had been taken care of.

Male passengers from different buses took the responsibility to direct the vehicles so that everyone could continue with their trip. While our bus was going back and forth as directed, I felt an upset in my belly, and before I knew it, I started throwing up. Fortunately for me, I was sitting by the window side and didn't mess up the bus, but I surely made people uncomfortable.

I got water to rinse my mouth, but my stomach wouldn't stop the violence. I was in so much discomfort for the rest of the trip, and my mom couldn't take her eyes off me.

I tried sleeping but that wouldn't happen so I had face stuck by the window for fresh air. We encountered a few petty traffic but they didn't cause much delay.

The bus arrived in my hometown late in the evening, and as usual, I wasn't myself anymore. I wished I never left the comfort of my home for the holiday but somethings can't be avoided until a certain time.

_{All image are mine}

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