ROAD TRIP (New Childhood Experience)

"Mummy let's go o".
I said as I gleefully came out of the bathroom.
Wiping my frail body wit the orange and white striped towel while fantasizing about the journey we would soon embark upon.

Even though it was 'asiko oye'(Harmmatan period) when the bath water feels like ice on the body and the chilly winds seemed to freeze anyone within ten minutes, little kosi was not going to be deterred.

Beeni.

Mummy will definitely buy me dodo at Ikire.
The 'wara' and 'beske', to be bought at Ikirun, too will suffer in my mouth.
While the cup of fried puff puff and egg - roll, to be bought at Benin, would not pass me by that day.

Nay.
I would partake of the fullness of the journey treats because I had fully earned it.

Who could blame me?

Apparently Daddy had to keep to his promise since I had come first in the previous terms results.

A result that drove mommy into the market in other to buy me ready made shirts and shorts plus the white canvass that kept flashing red lights everytime I marched the floor.

A result that caused a little rivalry between myself and Emmanuel.

My lanky little friend who stopped sharing his breaktime bread and butter with me.

My lanky little friend who also forced Doyin and Khalilat to stop playing 'tinko-tinko', 'who is in the garden' and 'breadi and butter o dun pupo maje..' with me.

My little lanky friend who also convinced the pri 4A boys not to allow me play football on the pitch the next term

Yep.
That result, like other results in life, brought its good and bad fortunes.

__________

Mummy was in the kitchen that early morning;
Cooking rice spiced up with the best 'erojas (varieties)' while I dressed up in my special traveling clothes;

Dishing the steaming food in two big coolers as Nnamdi kept himself busy by giving me a dirty slap for mistakenly splashing water on his brand new favourite Kito sandals;

And mummy was busy telling 'nna Chinedu (Chinedu's father)' to quickly go and take his bath with the hot water she had put inside the flask, while Chinedu kept his head buried in the Physics textbook as he prepared for the WAEC exams.

Within two hours, we were ready.

Mummy shouted at Nnamdi to go and 'kpochie uzor uno osiso (lock the house door)'

Mummy shouted on Chinedu to ' je ga mepu gate osiso(go and open the compound gate)'

Mummy shouted on kosi to 'go and sweep that veranda which she could still spot out dust despite being about 500 steps away.

Mummy gently told nna Chinedu to 'try and change this style of trousers and haircut because it did not fit him'

Mummy kept on seating comfortably in the car while she said issued these words.

With daddy firmly planted behind the steering wheel,
Mummy checking out her makeup while looking at the sunshine glass, at daddy's side in the front,
Chinedu and Nnamdi seated at the far left and right respectively.
And Kosi being squeezed in their middle,
The journey began in earnest.

With hands clasped together I wished.
Not a good wish I must confess.
As I wished that I could transform into Samurai Jack and displace Nnamdi.
As I wished that I could transform into the red power ranger and kick Nnamdi's butt out of the car.
As I wished I could transform Nnamdi into a stone like Isakaba boys transformed Ibudu into one in Isakaba 2

Who could blame me for such wishes?

Apparently I loved staying close to the side window.
For I loved to wind down the glass and feel the breeze brush against my face.
For I loved to watch the sun move as fast as the car moved even though nurse Adeloju told me that the sun was static.

__________
The Mercedes Benz 190 kept on moving.
Hitting the 220 km/h speed while the trees and houses continued to blur and fade away quickly.

Mummy kept on singing.

Thanking Chineke for the wonderful school term which just ended and the successful wedding of Aunty Yemisi who had married an 'Omo Ibo'.

Giving glory to Olisabinigwe for the wonderful village experience which awaited her in the two weeks break ahead.
For she was one who had left the village but the village had never left her.
A sweet mother who could never quite understand why one will use fork and knife to eat eba while the hands remain unused.

Chinedu kept on reading.

Flipping through each page while thinking of the wondrous opportunities which awaited him in the life after secondary school.
A thought which focused more on the perks of university life.

A life of freedom.
A time he would spread his wings and fly without any fear of any whipping.
A place where no one would dare wake him by 5am for prayers.
A place where no matron would keep watch over his actions like a hawk whose eyes are fixed on a chick after undergoing ten days of fasting.

That kind of life awaited him.

Kosi kept on dreaming
His head bouncing comically every time the car hit bumps that littered the Benin-ore road.
His dreams were superb to say the least.

For he dreamed he was the superman that came just in time to lift the sinking Titanic ship out of the water and save the film from its tearful ending.

For he dreamed he was part of the Isakaba boys, a red bandana on his head, and a little live tortoise bouncing on his six pack chest as he undergoes drills with Sam Dede's men.

For he dreamed that he was the lead character in the State of Emergency. The new Saint Obi who was going to take down J T Tom West at the very end.

For he dreamed he was the new Dagunro alakija ogun. The fearful herbalist who could single handedly destroy 30 billion eleye (witches) with one incantation and one shot from his dane gun.

For he dreamt he was that smiling baby sun that always woke the teletubies up,
At least that would make little Ayo always smile anytime she saw him because she loved Teletubies.

To be continued in later posts.
#BASHORUN

Okontas.com

taking me back to mermory lane. Keep it up