EPISODE 9
1057 Words
I returned back to school after the yuletide period met my girlfriend and other friends in school, we exchanged pleasantries, i went to James's house to tell him am back and ready for the new year business, i also called Chuks to notify him i was around, Chuks told me i will be going for a delivery soon but that i should be patient. Two days later early in the morning as i was preparing for lectures my phone rang and i picked the call it was James, he told me that he has a delivery that i should endeavor to be in his house soon, i said OK then dropped the call, called my girlfriend told her to help me submit my assignments and and copy notes for me that am going on a "business trip" i locked my apartment and left for James's house.
When i got to James's house he sat me down and told me that the trip i was about to embark on was different from all other trips i have done before, i asked why, he said that i am heading to the North, far North for that matter, i asked the state he said Zamfara state. I have never been to the North before except for when i went to abuja, i sat down thought about the whole thing, James came around and patted my shoulder,and told me that the trio will fetch me a huge sum of money if i succeed, i asked how much we are talking about, and he said 1.5 million naira, when he mentioned the money i turned around called him and told him to tell me the dangers associated with the trip, he sat down and told me the reason why it's that way is because the police in the North is too stringent and tough, i said okay and began to plan my way in case something came up.
I got into a vehicle with my knapsack on my back, i went to the park got a bus going to the North, after i got in, two other people joined and the bus got filled up, our driver started the engine and zoomed off, the road was quite busy as passengers were busy traveling back to their base, i thought of my adoptive parents, the twins, my sisters, what will they say if something happened to me while on this journey, i felt the urge to call my people immediately and tell the where am going to, i called my adoptive father and after a few pleasantries i told him where i was going to he prayed for me and wished me safe journey but told he he is feeling somehow about the journey i am embarking on but that God will lead me, i said Amen and dropped the call, we stopped at a village in the west and everyone hopped out to get fresh air and some fruits and food, i came down, got some suya [ beef meat, roasted on fire and sold by the road side, mostly by Northerners. i bought some and soft drinks, after 30 minutes our bus continued the journey,we continued till around 8pm at night almost everyone was feeling sleepy, i could not sleep that was when i noticed that the man sitting next to me was from, the North, he spoke something i could not understand, i told him i can't understand his language the he spoke english, we continued to discuss so many things as i could not sleep and he too was not feeling sleepy.
Early in the morning around 5am, our bus stopped we brushed our teeth, washed our faces and i called James to brief him on the situation of things, he told me we have passed some police hot spots but that there was still two ahead of us, that once we pass that two that i won't have any other problem till i get to my destination, i began to sweat after the call,cos i have seen the Nigerian police brutalize innocent people not to talk of one that is guilty, i came back to my seat, that was when the man sitting beside me felt the uneasiness in me and asked me what the problem was and i told him i was feeling pressed, he told me that was not a sign of being pressed but of tension and fear. I turned and looked at him asking myself who this guy really was and if he was a spy or someone who wants to set me up, he told me he used to feel this way anytime he was carrying banned goods across to the north, i kept mute, he tapped me and told me to calm down that i should not be afraid that nothing will happen.
i looked at him and laughed, if only this man knew i was on a hot seat and what i was carrying he won't tell me to calm down, i looked out of the window and found out we were just a stone throw away from the next police check point, we got there after some minutes it got to our turn to be searched, i started shaking the man tapped me again and asked me not to be afraid, the police man on duty asked all of us to step down from the vehicle, i nearly urinated on myself, i quickly put my knapsack into one of the luggage's belonging to the man seating beside me and covered it with the stock fish he was carrying, i came down they searched me and when they got to the man sitting beside me he said something to the police man, the police man screamed and gave him a big hug and they started exchanging pleasantries, after that they asked all of us to enter into our vehicle and move, i felt relieved and at peace, but i still had one more hurdle to pass before i can say i have achieved success.
immediately we entered the vehicle the man asked me if i was still afraid i said no but that i was still skeptical of the other checkpoint. he told me i should not panic, i felt a bit relieved and happy, brought out my bag and smiled to myself. ONE MORE HURDLE
- Writer
