Listen To Me

Chapter 22

"Damilare is waiting for you." Unique announced before walking away.

Hope hastily put on her sneakers and examined herself in the mirror. She was putting on a black hoodie and baggy trousers. She nodded in satisfaction at her outfit.

Hope walked into the sitting room to see her mother serving Damilare a glass of juice. Damilare was squirming in his seat nervously since he was not used to this type of treatment from Mama Unique.

Ever since Hope got back from the hospital two weeks ago, she noticed a change in her mother's temperament. The evening she returned from the hospital, her mother did not leave her room until she fell asleep.

Every other night she would hover around Hope's door, checking in regularly. Hope was freaked out by this.

Mama Unique also stopped snapping at her neither did she send her on errands. Her chores had also reduced. She was not sure what happened to her mother but she was glad. At least she had time for herself now. Probably her injury was a silver lining.

"Damilare, let's go." She beckoned to him. Damilare wasted no time and ran out of the house as if it were on fire.

"You guys should return early o!" Mama Unique yelled after them but they had already run off.

"Where are we going?" Hope inquired when they had walked a certain distance.

Damilare smiled at her, "Somewhere fun."

"Let us order a cab. Why are we trekking?"

"We are going to the bus park. We are taking a public bus."

Hope paused in her tracks, "Public bus? Why?" She looked disgusted, "Those buses are always extremely full. I don't want people's sweat rubbing off on me."

Damilare rolled his eyes, pulling her along with him, "So, what if they rub off on you? It won't kill you. Always look at the bright side of things."

"There is no bright side in riding a public bus."

Damilare chuckled, "Have you rode one before?" Hope shook her head, "It is fun, you will see. It's a different experience. You get to view people from another perspective."

Although Hope disagreed with him, she still went along. They got to the park and boarded a bus, "Redemption Avenue." Damilare told the shirtless conductor.

"Fine boy, enter, enter. Na there we dey go." The conductor answered with a grin before he continued to holler, "Ring road, ring road."

Hope settled next to the window with Damilare sitting next to her. She looked out and saw children hawking drinks, women advertising their wares, and conductors pulling passersby, who were on their way to work, into their bus. It was a sight she was not used to.

Gradually, the bus filled up and the driver drove away. Man around Town news was playing on the radio and some passengers were listening attentively, commenting along, "This Nigeria sef. Can't the government construct new roads? Now see a whole family is dead." The passenger who looked like a university student said, shaking his head in sorrow.

"Do not blame everything on the government. It is our sin. The sins of Nigerians are too much, and that is why people are dying. God is punishing us." The woman wearing a bright red head turban retorted. The band on her wrist said DEEPER LIFE BIBLE CHURCH.

"Thank you, my sister." A passenger from the back exclaimed. He was dressed in a suit, probably heading to work, "We don't know what that family did before leaving their house. For all we know, they might have killed somebody and were running away. That is probably why they did not see the obvious porthole on the road."