ABEL YAHAYA A.
U14MM1127
On 26th August 2018, the day I'll live never to forget, the memory is still fresh in my head like it was just a moment ago. A journey of 6hous took over 19hours. Those who travelled that day would know what happened on the way. Haven been home for a week, it was time to go back for Prof Arokoyo’s test
On that faithful day, I was about to embark on a journey from Kogi State to Zaria , I had left home since 8am unknown to me that I was about to have an almost unending trip. Just within the Lokoja Abuja high way, the car developed a gear problem and couldn’t move further. We spent hours trying to fix the car with roadside mechanics. Until it was a few minutes to 11. Finally it was fixed and was able to manage the vehicle to Zuba, a car that was meant for Zaria. I boarded another, at a Zuba motor pack, there I met my course mate who was at the pack before me. We decided to take the same vehicle since we were heading to the same destination. It was a Sunday trip and the road was choked up with travelers and students returning back from the Sallah break. We spent quality time at the motor pack and finally got a Sharon vehicle. Just 20minutes away from the pack, Low and behold, the car broke down in courtesy of electrical problem from the bonnet. To make matters even worst, it was a push-and-start car. Driver said he couldn't continue the journey again and refunded us some part of our transport not even enough to take us to our destination. After waiting for so long, we manage to see a taxi that drove us down to Jaray. The time was ticking 6:15pm. By then I was beginning to get scared, I looked straight ahead of the highway, I realize it was a long journey before me. But here I am, around a bushy farm, in a middle of nowhere, no network, my phone battery dead. No car was willing to stop by. Then I suggested to my friend, maybe we go by those villages to spend the night and continue first thing tomorrow morning. He looked at me in disagreement, I knew it would be a suicide mission to take that route. I checked my pocket I was having some few change not big enough to……,I had a school bag and a bag of heavy foodstuff in the other hand, my eyes became red. The location wasn’t safe, different thoughts pop in my mind, like we could be harassed by Area boys living in that community, I looked up the sky, it was beginning to be cloudy, and I said to God, please do not send down the rain Lord, not now, not like this, not here. At that time it was getting to 7, the vehicles on the highway are beginning to turn on their headlight, the place is becoming dark, I knew I was in a deep mess, because we had God watching over us, a taxi finally stopped by to drop a farmer and his wife, then I quickly turned to my friend, here is the golden opportunity, lets dive on it. After like 2mins drive, we got to Jaray and still met a crowd of people on a junction. I was a bit happy at least I could see people in the same situation as we were. Time was already hitting 9pm. After much struggle, a vehicle came and we rushed and fought to get in, it was strictly a survival of the fittest. I managed to get the middle seat while my friend got the boot, yes, the boot. Then it was already 10pm, Imagine seating in the boot for a 2hours drive to Kaduna, yet we were charged double amount of the initial transport fare. But did we have a choice? The answer is No.
We have to stop at every given Army checkpoint and at every time, we got torch lights pointing at our innocent faces. It was really rough until we got to Kaduna at around 12pm. I thought of home, in my back of my mind, my friends and family would be extremely worried about me.
Little did I know that I was about to experience more trouble. Finally we arrived Kaduna and took another vehicle down to Zaria. Again, just in d middle of the journey, we got a flat tire. Then my friend altered a word “which kain devil be this’’, I couldn’t help but smile, even though we were in the same mess. No spare tire, no tools. Just a stupid option, which is driving without tires but just wheel. Yes, we drove on just the front wheel. That day I developed a praying tongue. It is something you would never wish to experience.
Anyone with worse experience? Please share.
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