7:12am. Wednesday, 12th
If Winn didn't hold tightly unto his bag, he was hundred percent sure he would have lost it. The bus park was clustered with people going to different states from Lagos. His mum chose Wednesday as the day he would travel because his exam was two days away, giving him enough time to read and Tigey was the best road transport in Lagos, well, according to his mum. As for Winn, he had heard a lot of stories from those who travelled in their buses. He shouldn't be thinking like that, the Pastor had prayed for the journey so there was no need to get scary thoughts.
"Winner have you used the toilet?"
He turned to look at his mum beside him. "No, mummy. I don't need to." She had to look up to talk to him. It was weird how tall he had grown since his father's death three years ago. Not that his dad dying had anything to do with his growth but after the burial, Winn started going to the gym and the once skinny boy turned to the big tall handsome man. It was all he could do to take care of his mum and baby sister.
"Better use the toilet now o, it's a long journey."
Typical of his mum. Even though she ordered him not to take any kind of liquid the day before and this morning too, she was still emphasizing the use of toilet. She was a cautious woman and unfortunately, Winn did not take the trait from her.
"Mummy, I don't need to use the toilet o."
"Are you with your ticket?" He produced from his back pocket.
"Hold it in your hand let someone not take it from your pocket."
He was about telling her that she worried too much when a man walked into the building and said, "Port Harcourt, your bus is ready."
Immediately, ten to twelve people marched out of the building towards the bus. Winn's mother wasn't one to delay. She picked up his other bag that lay on the floor and practically ran out.
After everyone's load had been safely placed in the boot, they filed to the bus door and as usual, Lagosians pushed against each other for who would get the front seat even though everyone with a ticket had a seat number.
"I thought they were following seat numbers. Why are they rushing?" Winn's mother voiced to no one in particular. He shrugged as a man beside them laughed and turned.
"Everybody has seat number but this is the Lagos mentality." Winn's mother laughed at that. Winn saw two other teens like him standing next to their parents and wondered if they were going to write the same exam as him. Hmm, what were the odds?
His mum nudged him. "What is your seat number?"
"B6." Winn said as he glanced at the ticket in his hand.
"Ok, that's close to the window." His mum said as she peeked into the bus.
The driver came to the bus door and started calling out the numbers.
"B1" A man came forward with his ticket. The bus driver cut a line through and returned it to him.
"Winner you carried your books?" Winn's mum asked. "Read really well o."
"Yes mummy." Winn answered.
The driver finally got to B6 and called out the ticket number. Winn ran forward and showed it to the driver.
After Winn got his ticket stamped, he hauled himself into the bus and navigated his was to the seat with the number B6, it was next to the window. His mum went to it and knocked on it. He turned and smiled.
"Call me at intervals, okay?" His mum mouthed since the window was rolled up.
"Yes, mummy." Winn replied.
"Don't run your phone down!"
"Ha! Yes I know."
"Don't eat too much on the road." She held her ear while saying that and Winn laughed as he nodded. He would miss her. He hadn't been away from home for as much as a day talk less of a whole week. His mum was a strong woman, she could take care of herself. Whitney, his junior sister wasn't a baby anymore so she could help their mum around the house.
Winn wasn't overly worried about this journey because he was still coming back. It was the journey he would take when university resumed that he was worried about. The journey that would keep him in PH for close to a year. That was the journey he was worried about. He would not be able to fend and care for his mum and sister again. He became angry. Not at the journey or the fact that he would be away for a long time but his anger came from the memory of his dad's death. The Abraham family was barely surviving the bad government with the inflation of goods when his dad just died. Without warning. No sickness, nothing. His mum could barely fund the burial process. If not for his Uncle's wealth, his dad's body would probably have still been in the mortuary.
The bus door closing jolted him from his thoughts. The driver for into his seat and put the gear to drive.
Winn turned to the window beside him and saw his mum standing with two other adults. The man from earlier that made the joke of Lagos mentality and another woman. They were talking and laughing. When the bus jerked, they looked towards the bus. His mum waved at him and he returned it just as the bus moved.
Winn sighed, blocked his ear with his headphones and rested back in his seat. It was going to be a very long journey.
7:30am. Wednesday, 12th
"Babes just relax, okay? It's not so bad. Hello? Phina?"
Seraphina's eyes were vacant as she stared at the concrete ground and pressed her phone to her ear. Gloria didn't know anything. She was just giving empty comfort.
"Phina."
"Hmm?" She finally answered.
"Were you even listening to what I was saying?"
"Gloria, I don't want to miss the bus."
"Phina, you're standing in the park, there's no way you're going to miss the bus. I'm just calling to check up on you. Yesterday you were not acting okay." When Phina didn't reply, Gloria scoffed. "You're just trying to avoid this conversation."
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing! I don't want to talk about it. I don't know why you keep asking. I have not even told my parents and you're here telling me — telling me…" She broke down. She couldn't complete the sentence and just bowed her head where she sat. Her shoulders shook as she recalled what happened the day before. She was a disgrace to her family. Would they even speak to her when she told them?
"Phina don't cry. Hello? Phina. Stop crying, please."
Seraphina sniffed and said in a shaky voice.
"Gloria what should I do?"
"Just tell them." Seraphina managed a chuckle.
"I'm serious. They're your parents, what are they going to do? And besides, there's always next year."
"Next year?" She shook her head. "No, there is no next year. This was supposed to be my year. I promised them…I even prayed."
"Don't be so hard yourself. I wrote post utme three times before gaining admission."
"This is my fourth try and I didn't even pass the cut off."
"A lot can happen. You might get the admission."
"'Might'. You're not even sure."
"That's not what I meant. I —"
"Lagos!!" The driver's voice interrupted. "Your bus is ready." Everyone going to Lagos stood up and trailed out of the building to where the buses were parked.
"Gloria, our bus is about to go. They've called the passengers." Seraphina said getting up and wiping her face with her hoody sleeve.
"Oh ok. We'll talk later. Love you. Bye."
"Bye."
She ended the call and trailed out of the building with her luggage. After placing her travelling bag in the boot, she went to the bus door like the rest of the passengers. The driver called out the first ticket number.
"A1." She stepped forward, he stamped on her ticket and cleared her. She climbed up to the passenger's seat and relaxed her head on the head rest. Then a fleeting thought ran through her mind 'WHAT IF THEY ARE DISAPPOINTED?'