ONIZE's PLAGUE

Chapter 2

The journey to Abuja

Three days later, after a bonfire night that was very illustrious and filled with different performances, the corps members from different parts of the country started exiting the camp. Bike men trooped to the camp to convey them to the car park and with two boxes and a backpack each, Amir and Chukwudi exited the Jigawa NYSC camp in a complete clad of their ironed Khaki trousers, and a white polo top to match the white sneakers they both had on.

Amir's cap was a customized light green P cap that had on the NYSC logo but looked far more expensive and exquisite than the official cap issued to them but Chukwudi's cap was rumpled and gradually turning grey as it hung and dangled from the right belt space on his trouser.

Amir paid the bike men extra as they arrived at the front of the park and this didn't go well with Chukwudi, "You just de waste money anyhow." Chukwudi complained but Amir was already used to his nagging whenever he pays extra for something and so he said nothing in return.

The car park was lively and bustling with different activities going on simultaneously as they got there, Agberos were shouting different names of places, "Jigawa to Kaduna by car; Lokoja direct; Abuja! Abuja! Abuja!" - The Agberos chanted energetically as they both headed to the busses going to Abuja.

Amir who's never travelled in a public transport before was enchanted by the whole scenario as he stopped to look at anything that fascinated him in the park and this bewildered Chukwudi.
He was like a baby in an amusement park at that moment.

"Give me your money," Chukwudi demanded after one of the many frequent enchantment that the park held on him.

At first he was puzzled as to why Chukwudi was asking for his money, then he smiled almost immediately, remembering the many stories Chukwudi told a day before, of how people's purse and wallets including money had been stolen on numerous occasions in motor parks when the victims least expected it.

He handed his wallet and the reserved money he had in his back pocket to Chukwudi who went to secure four seat tickets for them, while he continued to marvel at the life in the park.

***
A day before they left Jigawa, Chukwudi had suggested they pay for more seats because of Amir who is not used to the tight spaces public transportation conforms with regularly and Amir had promptly agreed but instead of the three seat spaces that Chukwudi suggested, Amir had implied that they pay for the whole seats for convenience but after much explanation from Chukwudi, he eventually agreed to four seat spaces instead of the whole seats.

***
There were different foods on sale in the park as Amir wandered around, majority of which were sold by children and most of which he had neither seen nor tasted before.
And Amir wanted to know and taste them all.

He asked about their names and wanted to try them all but Chukwudi strongly advised against it because it might upset his stomach.

"Let me just taste this goro-goro (a rice sold separately with groundnut oil, pepper and slices of onion) please, I promise it won't upset my stomach."

"Wait o," Chukwudi's expression changed into surprise "do you mean you have never tasted goro-goro before?"

"No, this is the first I'm hearing of it and seeing it."

"Chaii!" Chukwudi exclaimed. "What kind of primary school did you attend?"

Amir was about answering but Chukwudi interrupted him.

"Sometimes, to dey rich self na curse, person go de miss the small sweet sweet things for this life. Don't worry ehn, when we get home you'll eat a posh goro-goro and not this thing." He pointed at the basins covered with transparent leathers showing the goro-goro.