“…It happened on the day I first entered secondary school. It repeated on the day I entered the university and it’s happening again.
It’s the early morning advice and prayers from my parents.
My mother prayed and bound every spirit of Boko Haram, Bandits and Fulani Herdsmen waiting for me on the road.
She destroyed every spirit of accident on the way from Nsukka to Gombe and put them into the abyss where they will never wake up again.
She drenched me in the blood of Jesus and poured half a bottle of Goya oil on me.
My father gave me series of advice and urged me to go forth and represent the family well and make him proud.
I left my family house very early with the hope that I would catch the first direct bus to Gombe.
I eventually did, as I arrived by 7:00am, only to see that I was the first person. I stayed there till about 12 noon when we got about 7 other passengers. With that number, we set sail for Gombe.
I noticed a very clear distinction between the roads in Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria.
While the roads in Southern Nigeria were dilapidated, busy with people living very close to the roads and several checkpoints, the roads in Northern Nigeria were relatively good, a few potholes here and there, washed away roads, then very dry and sparsely populated, with few military checkpoints and local vigilantes.
At night, we slept at one the motor parks of Peace Mass Transit.
After a night of horror with dignified mosquitoes, we resumed our journey, stopping at intervals to eat.
Around 11pm that night, we arrived at Gombe. Then it was time for everyone to answer his father’s name.
The people who lived in Gombe entered bike to their houses. One of them, her husband came and picked up.
In less than 20 minutes, we were remaining just 3. Myself, one guy who was coming to Gombe for the first time for one paramilitary training and then my fellow prospective Corp member whom I had played lovey dovey with in the bus for the last 2 days.
As we just sat down on the bench in the park and the driver left, Mma received a call to come closer to the gate, then a Toyota Corolla pulled up and she entered.
Oh, I didn’t tell you about Mma and what happened in the bus.
Don’t worry, I will narrate my travel experience in the next episode.
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(SERVING MY FATHERLAND, Season 4; Episode 3) was brought to you by Ugwuagbo Emmanuel Chizoba Daniel (Zoba De Great)