MY TEARS IN LAGOS
Naso I carry myself go Lagos o, invited for an occasion and boom Lagos here I come. Tired, famished and burned out from the crazy journey yet I was saddled with the yoke of dragging my baggage along my shoulder. Switching the load from one shoulder to another. The bag heavy eh! Girls with load! Ask me watin I carry sef? Only my makeup kit took like half of the bag before you talk of clothes and shoes and towel and all the other hodgepodge. I was literally dragging my own luggage as if I was carrying the sins of the whole wide world on my poor shoulders. Pity me!
So I moved with the text description of the venue on my phone which I showed to the taxi driver since It was an unfamiliar address. He then dropped me at a particular junction and pointed eastwards advising me to cross over and take a stroll down since my destination was just a stone’s throw. I heeded and walked down the road but discovered that I’ve still not gotten there. I stopped to ask someone else and he too responded with ‘E nor far na, just go front’.
And on and on i continued, don’t forget I was still carrying the “sins of the world” on my poor shoulders o, I continued trekking, my shoulders don almost dislocate. Stopped again for clarity sake and asked about two different passersby who also directed me to keep moving with the strong convictions that “the place nor far”, Haba! I was beginning to get pissed so I put a call through to my hosts who had a challenge in picking me up but gave directives on how I would find my way. So I continued my jaunting and what seemed like a stone’s throw became like the distance between 1918 to 2018. I don begin sweat, 🤧 traffic every where, keke was no where to be found neither was there bike. I trek trek trek soteeeeey… plus the heavy load wey i carry, I kon dey pant.
Finally I got to a shop along the street where my venue was, to be sure, I asked the shop owner for directions but her response broke me into pieces.
-You’ll have to go back to that junction where u came from, then go left, turn right and walk down straight, you’ll find the place. It’s not far o, you can actually walk down…
-Me: What! Sheeeeeezus!
After all the trekking, after all my long suffering? I should begin another episode?
Kukuma kee me! I’m going NO WHERE!
I requested for a seat and sat down in front of her shop by the roadside.
Though I had my sunglasses on, I didn’t know when tears 😭 burst down my cheeks, tears so hot! The lady noticed and asked me to relax. I explained that I was too tired to continue, painful part was that everyone I asked told me to just go ‘a little further’, ‘it’s not far’, ‘Its just aound the corner’. If I had known from the start I definitely would have taken a cab or something but they made me trek with false hopes.
I sat there looking for the reason why those people, different people beginning with the taxi driver, gave me a wrong description instead of simply saying they don’t know.
She saw my pain and locked up her shop, ‘twas twilight already, picked up her car keys and offered to drop me off at my destination even tho it wasn’t her direction. Chai I learned my lesson.
Don’t ask questions when you’re in Lagos!
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for coming!
Intriguing articles on Instagram @diaryofafemale9jakopa and @progressoberiko
Twitter @Oberiko_pro
Facebookpage @Progress Oberiko
Share your experiences with us via Progressoberikoblog@gmail.com
Author
Progress Oberiko
I am a people-centered Writer and Storyteller with over 12 years experience. I curate stories, articles and essays using lived experiences.
Unknown
Ehya doh welcome to Lagos. You are even lucky they answered you at times they won't even bother to look at your face or try to stop self.