‘Driver ad3n’
‘One gallon! One gallon! Mo p3 saa’.
‘Enti anapa nso mu shortee’
The snide remarks continued till we realized the problem wasn’t getting solved by our rants. The driver apologized heavily and chastised the mate for not filling the tank the night before. This accusation did not sit too well with the mate who grumbled as he was handed the gallon to go get diesel from the nearest station. A few passengers who couldn’t stand waiting angrily trudged in the direction of the main road.
With this new development, I looked round to see if Ekuba had also decided not to wait. I saw her waiting patiently by the bus. I knew I had to get to work early but I just couldn’t let this opportunity pass by. I walked towards her and asked whether she wasn’t in a hurry to get to work. Apparently she wasn’t, ‘A fa’!
We started talking and i realized we had attended the same primary school and had at one point in time lived in the same area. What a small world. We shared a mutual love for soccer even though we were on opposing sides. While she supported Chelsea I was a diehard United fan. She was also a proud book worm who loved reading and hoped to publish her own book some day. I felt so at ease talking to her that I didn’t even realize when the mate returned with the fuel. He filled the tank and the driver started the engine.
As we boarded the bus I tried to assume my old position but the mate rudely shouted, ‘coat coat, empty seat dey for back; meaning I should move to the row at the back. I was in such a good mood so i wasn’t perturbed. It appeared that, he had seen me talking to Ekuba and had decided to thwart my plans; he managed to seat us apart but that was all he could do. Ekuba and I had exchanged numbers and had planned to watch the next FA cup fixture together. It looked like finally the fates had smiled on me. It was true that I was going to spend the valentine’s day alone but the future looked very bright.
By E.B.
qtalkgh@gmail.com
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