I had a huge smile all over my face as I drove to work in Lagos with no daring traffic to encounter or numerous cars to battle the road with. I was nodding my head to Asa's music playing from the cd player in my car.
Ogbeni off this song jor, this babe sounds depressed that was my friend.
Ogberun shut up you dont know good music I replied as I switched to radio. I tuned to my favourite radio station, the discussion for the day was on Nigeria’s 5years of uninterrupted power supply.
“Omo na wa oo. Like joke like joke Nigeria is celebrating 5 years of uninterrupted power supply” my friend said. My friend had just moved back to Nigeria from the UK barely 2 months ago. In the last 4 years the influx of Nigerians back home had increased drastically. A lot of Nigerians who had run away looking for greener pastures were now hurrying back home as Nigeria had become a haven for anyone who chose to live here. Even citizens of other countries were now trying to move into the country, and due to the increase in the number of visa applications, strict measures had been placed on issuing visas hence day-by-day getting a visa into Nigeria had become more difficult.
“To think that there was a time when we would have no power for almost 6months”. I said to my friend. We both smiled as we continued our journey to work. The road was different we could drive normally without having to look out for pot holes. The traffic lights were working properly and Nigerians now obeyed the traffic laws. As I waited for the traffic light to pass us, I saw a couple of police officers try to quickly attend to an accident scene and before we could say anything an ambulance had appeared from the other side of the road, the neatly dressed nurses stepped out to quickly attend to the accident victims. The light signaled for me to move
O boy I need to buy gas o” that was me talking to my friend, I drove into one of the gas stations along the road, one of the attendants ushered me to a free pump, while another one quickly cleaned the dirt of my windscreen and the body of the car.
“how much do you want ma” I replied with 50 litres please. he tapped on my window a few seconds later and said “oga your money” I brought out N500 and paid him. With a smile he said “thank you for your patronage, please drive safely”. My friend looked at me and said “men Nigeria has really changed o’.
I would drop you off at the subway and you can take the train from there to work okay” that was me talking to my friend. The Nigerian railway services had been ranked the best in the world following 3 years of service. The trains were fully air conditioned, passengers were treated like royalties as a matter of fact so many Nigerians preferred the train to driving as it was faster and more convenient.
As I dropped my friend off I signaled to the paper vendor by the subway “oga bring me punch, guardian and vanguard” the front page of punch read “Nigerian government celebrates 5 years of uninterrupted power supply, 4 years of free education and health care and 90% decrease in unemployment rate, On guardian was the inscription “Nigerian rated first richest oil producing country in the world”. There was a picture of the president and his vice a beautiful lady who had spent the last one year in office attending to youth empowerment, free health care system, free education and poverty alleviation. Under their picture was a line that said “Nigeria 2nd richest country in the world to live in”.
As I dropped my friend off I signaled to the paper vendor by the subway “oga bring me punch, guardian and vanguard” the front page of punch read “Nigerian government celebrates 5 years of uninterrupted power supply, 4 years of free education and health care and 90% decrease in unemployment rate, On guardian was the inscription “Nigerian rated first richest oil producing country in the world”. There was a picture of the president and his vice a beautiful lady who had spent the last one year in office attending to youth empowerment, free health care system, free education and poverty alleviation. Under their picture was a line that said “Nigeria 2nd richest country in the world to live in”.
I drove into the car park of my office “welcome ma, how was your weekend” that was the security man of the company talking as he gave me my gate pass “fine thank you”
I walked into my office and tuned my tv from CNN to NTA, which recently just won best News channel in the world. The news was showcasing Nigeria’s success from the last 5 years. A documentary on the new infrastructures were been displayed, the roads that were built, the 4th mainland bridge, the refineries, new schools new hospitals etc. A couple of civil servants were interviewed and they were full of praises and appreciation. I had smiles all over my face until I suddenly heard my name.
“Funmi! Funmi ooo. I jumped up only to see my cousin whose school had been on strike for more than 6 months due to the government’s inability to pay the minimum wage, squeezing her face. “why are you smiling in your sleep ehn, I have been shouting your name since, mumsie is calling you jor”.
I wiped off the sweat from my face as I got up from my bed, my room was really hot, following 4 weeks without power supply or petrol to fuel the generator.
My aunty was fanning her self with a hand fan when I walked into the parlour to answer her. She turned to me and said Oya fummi you and your cousin should go and try the fuel station on the other side of the express someone told me they just brought in some fuel, you people should hurry up ooo”.
There was a lot of traffic on the express, me and my cousin crossed to the other side as there was no use taking the pedestrian bridge which had become a death trap for anyone who dared to use it. I saw two drivers fighting in the middle of the express beside a car accident and I could see some police officers under a shade drinking alomo acting like they could not see the mayhem in the middle of the road, the little scene had however caused a huge traffic on the road yet that didn’t bother the police officers.
There was a lot of traffic on the express, me and my cousin crossed to the other side as there was no use taking the pedestrian bridge which had become a death trap for anyone who dared to use it. I saw two drivers fighting in the middle of the express beside a car accident and I could see some police officers under a shade drinking alomo acting like they could not see the mayhem in the middle of the road, the little scene had however caused a huge traffic on the road yet that didn’t bother the police officers.
“Didn’t you see me try to dodge this pothole before you came and ran into me” that was one of the drivers speaking before the other quickly replied in anger “how was I suppose to know you were dodging a pot hole eh I'm I a wizard mscheew”
I could see the pot hole that had caused the fight , it was almost big enough to swallow an entire bus. I walked into the petrol station to see a long queue of jerry cans. I sighted one of the attendants who happened to be my friend and walked towards him “oga how far now, I fit see petrol buy”
Funmi petrol dey but na small quantity dem bring so na man no man we fit take buy am,but come this side. He pulled me to a corner where other attendants where selling fuel. How much I asked , omo na N200 per litre he replied “2 wetin shoo” I screamed
Omo for pump sef na N190, u no dey look news ni. My friend the attendant said. I gave him N1000 and bought 5litres.
As we walked home my cousin tried to start a conversation to end the silence. “how far with that job interview you went for” she asked
As we walked home my cousin tried to start a conversation to end the silence. “how far with that job interview you went for” she asked
They haven’t called” I replied
Na wa o, atleast your own is better you have just being at home for just 6 months. Paul and that other girl that lives down the street have been looking for work for almost 2 years now” she said
I smiled at her and said nothing. The rest of the journey home was quiet. I looked around before whispering to myself “how I wish my cousin hadn’t woken me up from my dream, how I wish I could live in that dream or better still bring that dream to reality”
When I heard of change this wasn't what I had in mind. But I guess we have no choice but to have faith that change is around the corner.
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What you said is so true, there is more things to explore about dreams but I'm not sure what are dreams that comes in the minds of people while living in this world.
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