THE YOUNG ADVENTURER

CHAPTER FIVE

FINDING ALTERNATIVE. ROUTES

While in the vehicle going back to Djamena,. He started figuring out ways on how he was going to come out this dilemma.. "Is this how this adventure is going to end? ". He talked to himself. "If I go back home, What will I achieve? Will all not be shame , disgrace, mockery and squander mania? He.opened the atlas he was holding, reading and interpreting it in order to enable find an alternative route out of that country. He managed to enter the country's capital, but he could go back to the pastors house for fear of questioning. He looked tired and hungry with dust all over his body but he just decided to move on in order not to tarnish his reputation and image. After studying the map, he found that he could pass through the lake Chad basin and enter Niger Republic and from there he can cross to Europe so he decided to use that route for his the next phase of his movement.

He made some inquiries and boarded a car to some villages he does even know, even the language and culture.of the.people.. The arrived the community, everyone came to welcome their.loved ones but no one came for him. He had no one to associate with so he quietly went to a small provision store and pleaded with the owner to permit him to sit on a bench that was placed in front of the shop. While sitting there with his small bag, trying to get something to eat, he became the talk of the town and different people who heard about him came to the shop pretending as if they came to buy something. They looked at him with pity and gossipped with their local languages. Some who ere courageous approached him and had a brief chat with him. It didn't take long, a police came inviting him for investigation and questioning. However, he was able to answer all the questions convincingly and they fell in love with him. He had to wait for a couple of days for the next vehicle to leave to his next destination. When it was time, for the vehicle to move, he joined the passengers heading to another location as a strange stranger. The vehicle arrived late at night in the community and friends and family were coming to welcome and take their family members home, yet no one to speak to him. He even tried to talk to someone whether he could follow them pass the night but he was given deaf ears. A community with no street lights, cars parked and all passengers gone. Princewill standing with his bag at that point looked for a municipal council, saw a bench Infront of the council and sat there for a while and later fell asleep not minding the risk. Early in the morning, a police officer living in the municipality met him while still sleeping woke him up and showed him kindness by preparing chai - a local name for tea. In the afternoon, the municipal administrator came around and saw him. He talkeid kindly to Prince will and he was encouraged to find someone to have a discussion with him for hours, talking about politics in some African countries.

The administrator then informed him that the next vehicle will be leaving to the next community in the evening, so he left to go and secure his place. His journey had the same story. At the loading point, the policemen requested some money as tips, but he made them to understand that the municipal administrator sent him there so they refrained. When the vehicle kicked off, he wondered again "This time around how is it going to be with me? Will there be any favour from someone?". He is always the last person to come out of the vehicle since he doesn't know where to stop. When they finally stopped for all passengers, he hired a bike which took him to the riverside. It was already late at night and the had gone. He had to sleep in one of the huts there, heavily infested by mosquitoes. He got up the next day, wondering where he found himself. He tried to ask some.people how he can reach Niger. He was told there are boats available so he boarded one. Here he found favour that someone offered him a place to sleep. Yet he did not know the name of the community which was an island. No good drinking water there, because river Niger is their main source of water which they use for everything: cooking, washing, drinking and the rest. He was not comfortable when drinking this water but he had to manage because there was no other source. He could not even eat anything there because of the source of the water.