Her Rise from The Slums

The journey, If it isn't Lagos where else

"Abisola wake up ooo" my Mum called tapping me just once and leaving the room. I was not a deep sleeper which my mum is aware of  and was the reason she only called me once.
I knew it was five in the morning because she had said we would be waking up by five so as to meet up with a six o'clock bus at the park.

I had arranged the few clothings I would be taking with me to Lagos in a small traveling bag  the previous day so I just had to take my bath dress up and go out to meet my mum and dad who would be taking us to the park.

We had only a toilet although two spaces for toilet was built only one was ready for use. And we all shared it. When I got to the toilet outside my room it was empty which meant my mum and dad already had their bath.

I dressed up after putting the sponge I tied in a black nylon because it was still wet and the  brush I just used into a small part in the bag.

Coming into the parlor with my bad my brothers were already in the parlor. The twins had been sent back home because Dami could not take care of the both of them alongside Bolanle.

We prayed for 20 minutes and I hugged Bolanle and Dami. Bolanle was tearing up which was funny.
" I am not going to school yet nao I just want to write an exam I would be back before one week. Wait self how am I sure you want to cry because you will miss me?"  I said holding his left shoulder. " it's mummy jawe he is going to miss not you" Dami said in between laughs

We finally entered the car leaving the boys alone at home.
It was not everyday I go out some minutes to six. There were only few taxis and people on the road compared to the number of people you see on the roads of Sabon gari by seven and after seven upwards.

Seeing the number of people outside by six is a conclusion that the people of Zaria were not early risers due to the fact that the roads were free for users.
"  Kwangila park"
A woman with load on her head said after she waved for my dad to stop.
She entered after agreeing with the price my dad gave her. I shifted to the edge of the door because she was the second person to have entered the car which made us three at the back.

We finally got to the park after dropping the other man.
There were already buses filled with passengers.
The Kwangila park is a very popular one although there was a place called Sama Gada on the highway were people enter buses at a cheaper price though it was safe few years ago but not anymore.

My dad drove us into the park and paid for the trip he left after having a short private discussion with my mum and waving me bye.
" mummy how much did he pay for the trip"
" twenty thousand"  my mum said with heaviness in her voice. The heaviness in her voice explained it all it was either he borrowed the money because I knew he couldn't have afforded that amount within a couple of days.

I wondered how they did cope. I knew my brothers will be affected. They have never prepared any type of swallow which made rice the only option for them and now twenty thousand naira have been spent for a trip.

I picked a seat by the window side with my mum beside me and the woman we picked on the way beside us.
It happened that she was going to Ibadan which placed us on the same route.

The driver had taken the Kaduna-Abuja-Lokoja route due to the banditry in The Ilorin route.
We had gotten to the famous Lokoja bridge that was placed above the river Niger.
It looked strange and fascinating.
Although I had passed the river Niger but I was still little and knew nothing.

Sitting at the window side made me get a nice view of the big river and even the place it meets with the river Benue where they call confluence.

We got to a place my mum called Ibilo where we bought fried yam which was the first thing I would eat since we embarked on the journey.
The woman beside my mum had been chatting non stop like they had known each other for years.

The journey continued smoothly until we got to Ibadan. It was six o'clock already the woman sitting beside us had dropped after wishing me good luck in my exams and giving me a five hundred Naira note which amazed me. She had not met me or any of my family member before but she displayed so much kindness towards us.

Our bus had broken down due to over heating along Iwo road.
"Mummy what will happen now" I said after about thirty minutes of standing outside waiting for the driver to do something.
"I think he wants to go and look for a mechanic" she said in Yoruba
" I pray so ooo" I said already getting frustrated. We were in the middle of a serious traffic though the driver had parked at the side of the road the smoke and all coming from different vehicles were disturbing me.

It was until around eight we got back on the road to continue the journey that seems like it wouldn't end to Lagos.
I was very scared when we got to a place filled with bushes.
I couldn't look outside because it was dark.
Every coming vehicle looked like a threat to our lives. I had heard of how accidents happen mostly in the night due to the fact that either of the drivers of the vehicles involved in the clash could not see well.

I had also heard of how bandits choose places like this to operate and I closed my window. The name bandits made me remember a place called Okene in Kogi state we had passed that was known for its banditry.
Funnily enough in front of every house in the town was one or two burial ground.

It was around ten that we got to a place Berger that I opened the window again.
In this place I saw people on foot I think waiting for vehicles. I looked at each thing or person that caught my attention with great interest.

About thirty minutes later we got to a place where the driver stopped. It was a park and my mum asked me to come down. While she went to the driver to ask questions I secured our load and moved closer.

" please sir is this Ketu Ojota" she asked in Yoruba and the man nodded his head while saying yes in Yoruba too
"How can we get a bus going to Kpako" she said again in Yoruba.

After the driver explained to her he got us a bus going to Obanikoro where we boarded a bus going to Bariga local government.
It was almost eleven but the streets of Lagos was still bustling with people everywhere.

The bus driver dropped us at Bariga junction and my mum looked for a calm looking okada rider to take us to our final destination. She finally got one who was the calmest. The calmest looked like he had just smoked I guess those working late in Lagos were wild people.
"Number nine Emily Akinola street" my mum said

"Is it two of you" He asked in Yoruba and my mum nodded a yes "okay na four hundred because night dan over come" he said in pidgin
"Ehn haba it's not far nao" my mum answered as if she knew where she was going to adding the Hausa language to it. " madam if you no they go go find another okada wey go carry you" he said acting impatient.
"Okay let me pay three fifty" my mum said and he agreed.

He dropped us at the gate of a place saying it was the street that he would not be allowed to enter because it was past seven in the night.
We finally got to number nine and it turned out to be a Two storey building. My mum called her cousin and informed him we were at the gate. Although he had been keeping in touch with us and knew we were near it took him time to come outside and open the gate.

I greeted him with my two knees on the floor.
And after all and we finally entered his house which was a three bedroom apartment.
I learnt that he had two kids who were twins and were my mate. They were also applying for the school as I.
His wife was welcoming and I was glad. I saw the twins but I was shocked because my mum did not mention that they were both girls and very identical.

They greeted my mum and smiled at me.
It was around after twelve we settled down to rest after eating the meal prepared for us.
I slept reminiscing about the experience today especially the ones on the street of Lagos.

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