₦airaland Forum

gaby:
The book is here and gone international, but still trying to fix a couple of issues on receiving payment for the international version though.

Locally you can find the book here : http://www.okadabooks.com/book/about/finding_europe_through_africas_deserts_and_seas_the_perilstriu/18141

If you are unable to make payment with your card, simply get in touch with me on whatsapp from my profile, so i can do the payment for you.

Thanks

Book is topped up, with images to boot..

gaby:
My daughter came on here to read my story,she was shocked and said she didn't know i could write lol...wahala

I told her not being a conventional University graduate couldnt stop me.

Just got a job to write a proposal all thanks to this story.

Thanks guys

gaby:
you too like amebo

gaby:
Fine thanks.Yeah we made i was mentioned to the fact thought you guys knew,would have mentioned you folks too.

gaby:
Hows you dexc?

DonPiiko:
Gaby come and answer, boss please we still need you here abeg no embark on journey of no return

gaby:
Yup three of those separated by a couple of metres in between with the razor coiled one at the top.

Still got some scars from those sharp shits.I was bloodied,alone and resorted to licking my wounds in dejection and agony.

gaby:
On one cool friday morning in August of 1999 at about 4 am i felt a nudge to wake up,grudgingly looked up to be sure i wasn't in a dream and no i wasn't.It was my dad urging me to wake up and get ready to wake up and get dressed.I wasn't feeling really up to going with him to his engineering work at Apapa as has come to be the norm sometimes,but i reluctantly stretchered up and got set so we headed out from our base in Oshodi en route Apapa to beat the rush hour traffic.

We got to the office and everyone was hailing,oga you bring smallie come work today? Dad answered in the affirmative,got into my dad's office and was about changing into my coverall when he stopped me in my track to hold on as we had go somewhere down the road first to which i complied.

We stepped out of the office complex and walked down about 500 metres and he made a detour in to a big complex where i saw written boldly "All States Trust Bank". We got in and my dad asked me to fill out a withdrawal form and told me to write one hundred and fifty thousand naira only and to boot he specifically mentioned he was clearing out his account. Wanted to ask him why but thought to keep mute until we got back to the office.

The idea about travelling was actually sold to me by my then Benin girlfriend seeing how things stood with me and the burden lurking around to be borne by me.She had told me her mum has helped a couple of people travel out and will put in a word for me to see how we can make it happen.I concurred and she informed a couple of days later that she had spoken to her mum and she was okay with it but i needed to go see her mum in Benin city.

When i got to benin i was well received and promised to be sorted out and the plan to get a visa began in earnest. She called one of her contacts who said he had a Russian or Bulgarian Visa but the amount he requested was on the up so we declined. After a while mummy came up with a plan seeing she wasn't financially liquid at that point in time to get my dad on the arrangement and see how much we can get from him.She said to go back to Lagos and tell dad about my travelling plans and to also make him call her so she can further convince and assure him if in doubt.

So i headed back to Lagos, met dad and briefed him on my plans. The idea was to tell him Mummy was assisting with some cash but he needs to support with some amount in the range of two hundred thousand.Mummy had come up with this plan seeing how securing a visa might be a problem owing to the lack of enough funds and hatched a plan B which was to make the journey on land through the desert europe-wards. She had a couple of confirmable successful voyeurs through same route as earlier as a week prior,people who had made the trip and gotten into Spain within a month.

Daddy and i got to the office and he told me my son,you saw i just cleared my account and this money is for your proposed trip. God will help me take care of your remaining nine siblings.I was to leave back to Benin the next day been saturday to deliver the money to mummy and dad thought it wise to accompany me for extra security and to also get to meet my new found helper.

We set out early the next morning,with just a back pack where i kept the Three bundles of 50# notes totalling a hundred and fifty thousand naira. Saw my bestie in front of his house and told him i was coming he couldn't have guessed what or where i was upto.You know how such moves and trips are supposed to be kept under wraps so the enemies wouldn't scuttle it..lol

Arrived benin safely while all through the trip i had to continuously answer in the affirmative to daddy's question of if i could feel the money in the bag which i was holding firmly to ( life-line).My dad met mummy they got acquainted and handed over the money,he headed back to Lagos while i stayed behind and that was the last time i would see my siblings,friends and entire family without a proper goodbye. (Just imagine if i had died.)

So i was with mummy for a couple of days and then she announced that one of her cousins was fed up with his furniture work and was planning on travelling by land so she'll link me up with him and we take it from there.

I was introduced to Osagie who revelled me on how most of his guys are already there and he had just gotten off the phone with some who left 3 weeks ago and i was like wow. He told me they have directed him on where to go get maps of the different routes which he showed me and we studied the maps together and we both settled for the Katsina-Niger route since that was the route the last guys travelled on instead of through Cotonou-Mali et al.

So we started prepping in anticipation.Mummy gave me some money to go change to dollars got about 500$ and some money for clothings. Osagie took me to forestry road ( for those familiar with benin) i selected some fine trainers and some top notch jeans and tops trying not to appear any lesser than those black American hip hop stars we used to see on posters adorning our rooms. ( for my mind europeans go know say person just land) got a nice body lotion with perfumes to boot (how i wan take know say dem no dey baff for desert fa).

All prepped and arranged and the next day was the D-day. Osagie said to lets step out and go have our last 9ja groove with his friends who were unaware of his planned check out.We had loads to drink and chow on with both of us trying to outdo each other spending our last miserable nairas that'll soon become useless to us.

Got back home drunk and wasted mummy saw my condition and understood what it was (euphoria plus excitement).

Woke up the next morning heavily hungover and messed up but still was able to get all my stuffs together arranged my 'sharp' hip hop wear for the trip with a "nigga raw" hoodie to compliment the latest european burger in town's outfit.

The evening came since we'll be travelling by night bus to Katsina,bade our farewells and unto Aduwawa we went. Paid for the bus waited until it was loaded and we set out. We had carefully hidden our dollars in different parts of our clothings,shoes and then i wrapped a couple up in a nylond and dropped into my lotion bottle for fear of bandits and been given out to police or immigrations as potential travellers which will mean serious "obtaining".

So we journeyed in between road blocks/ checkpoints and arrived Katsina the next day.

Thanks lalasticlala for the front page.

will update soon i dey go look for work.

gaby:
My first contact with my family came a whole three months after in December of '99.
This was before the advent of the gsm but i crammed a couple of landline nos especially my dad's office number.

So i called dad's office number..

ring ring...

Receptionist:Hello goodmorning welcome to Afro bla bla bla how may we help you
Me:My name is sir P Mr P the workshop manager's son i would love to speak with my dad.
Receptionist:hold on while being put through

At this time i don dey shiver my heart dey beat..

Dad picks up:
Dad: Hello who's this?
Me: Daddy good morning it's me sir p
Dad: after a long sigh and exasperation and probably relief-where are you and where have you been everybody has been worried about you,your mom has become a shadow of herself..plenty talk
Me: Daddy i'm in morocco.It's a long story but after i had flown out of nigeria i was denied entry at the airport,there was no way i could come back home to sit with you guys so i ventured on this journey when i heard some guys talking about it.I'm very sorry sir.
Dad: your younger brother is here,works with me now
Me: wow really? (excitedly) lemme speak with him
My kid brother: Hello bros
Me: Guy long time how far now
My younger bro:He cuts in abrubtly bros na wa oo,for how long now you travel make everybody dey panic here if na me i know wetin i for don do.

He didn't even allow me explain to him like i did my dad and dad was yet to brief him what i explained to him ( this is all retrospective thinking and me trynna make an excuse for my kid bro) i was hurt and touched at the same time but i still got love for my family because we are all we've got. After call dem seize me say i over talk and i no get shi shi to make up the difference na so i begin beg.

When i got off the phone,i had a long thought about what my kid bro just told me on the phone.There and then i took a vow and a decision and dropped it jejely at the top of my to-do list...

You'll find out subsequently if i visited my to do list or not..

cheers

joseid,nazarene,nairalane,badboyharmony,emerich,souloho,horlasunbosun

gaby:
No retreat no surrender..where you dey come from far pass where you dey go..now make a choice..

Wetin you wan go tell mama and papa wey think say their pikin don go europe?

gaby:
After the cemetry incident a whole lot happened but eventually found myself in Rabat my original destination where everyone on the route conerges in anticipation for the final strike or invasion of Espanyol.

When i got dropped off at the ghetto in Rabat (Tarkadoum) where you'll find people you thought were in Europe from Nigeria,i started wandering and thinking of what next to do do. Fair enough i was dropped off at the local market and asked to just hang around as i might see someone i know.

Not seeing anyone i know even though there were trickles of black African faces coming and going,i summoned some courage and walked up to a lady and told het i'm a jjc and know not where to go.She was like eeya see your hair and bia bia wait make i buy things finish.

That was how i helped her grocery shopping in my destitution and heavy stench. It is worth mentioning that i embarked on this journey in September of '99 and it was september of same year and i'd had a proper wash as in shower just once.

After her shopping she took me to the ghetto where she and her group were lodged,lo and behold there was one or two persons i had met along the way.
They were all like guy na you be this? welcome welcome...from afar oo every been stand offish...i wasn't even allowed into the living area yet. I was compelled to UnCloth right at the entrance to the compound where a bar soup was thrown at me and advised to hop in the shower right next to the entrance which i humbly did.
My dear brothers and sisters,it was while i was undressing in the courtyard to step in the shower i looked down and around my groin area in admiration and noticed this huge thick line around my waist region in the form of a belt. You wanna know what that was?
Body lice A.K.A Gendarme.. they gave me a heavy weight championship belt.

I picked them all out one after one with blood dripping all over me step in the shower,got a couple of dirhams to hit the barbers shop afterwards.Still haven't stepped in the room at this point o.

When i got to the barbers shop,Arabu man dey adk me which style i want i hiss tell am make e shave everything including my beards and i get big head o.

I proceeded to my new home after a visit to the barbers,knocked at the entrance door some guy looked out from a peep hole adking who are you? I answered bro na me the guy that came in today from down turn.Dude wouldnt let me in arguing with me told him bros it's me believe me there's a mix up because i just got rid of my hair and beards.The guy bursted out laughing say giy you don change now now.

That was how i was let in and a new phase started.

Will tell how i became an errand boy who would be sent grocery shopping and even to get maggi by some small girls been trafficked for prostitution.But what to do i had to do what i had to do to survive or else i'll be shelterless and not be able to feed.

Will update soon..wanna shayo and bazz some.

gaby:
Will answer your query just because na you nudge me on open my nyansh reach here but no laugh ooo..

gaby:
sure..

Lets see...okay can i get some questions from you guys

bayocanny:
Smsh, if I no mention you would you be here?
You can't even say a simple "thank u"

Is that how u use to do lol

bayocanny:
Okada oya park! Na the place be this

Bro fire on I dey your back like hunchback


emerich
SKYKEN001
junnyjake
Nazeren
Nairalane
dexcira
Joseid

This is the thread y'all craving for