by Monye Ebelechukwu Gloria
Road trips have always been my ‘thing’. I love the fact that one gets to create a million images in one’s mind, just by sitting at a spot. Pictures of nature (good, bad or ugly), of humans-the motorists, hawkers and fellow passengers, of roads covered in so much mud, that they seem like they never felt the hotness of coal tar, are beautifully created in one’s mind. The act of zooming past trees and dusty highways while joggling the many thoughts that baffle me always has a way of calming me down.
One might think of it as an unlikely hobby. One might even question how someone could possibly like taking road trips in Nigeria, where the state of the roads are very deadly. But for me, road trips keep me in check.
Our bus almost ran into a herd of cattle yesterday. If anyone from my family hears this, they would probably have a mini-heart attack, so I have decided to keep it to myself. At that point, what kept going through my mind were thoughts; thoughts of ideas that never saw the light of day because of procrastination, things I wanted earnestly to achieve, but couldn’t, because I promised my inner man that I would do them, ‘tomorrow’.
There wasn’t much screaming. As usual, people seemed confused as to whether shouting ‘blood of Jesus’ would do a more effective work than shouting just ‘Jesus’ would. I was among the group of people who just sat, mesmerized, stifled to the last marrow and unable to utter even the simplest of words. Something from within told me that Jesus could hear the voices in my head scream repeatedly. My heart pounded and its pace quickened. I tried to control myself from letting it beat any faster than it already was.
After what seemed like an eternity of screeching tyres and unending screams, the bus was once again in the control of the driver. His sleep-weakened eyes now shone. From where I sat a few seats behind him, I heard him make insulting remarks, something about ‘nnama’ (cows), to his conductor. They both laughed, both were by now, more agile than they were a few minutes before the incident.
I too was more agile, agile enough to know that each passing moment is a lost opportunity to do something, to start a new beginning, or give an event in your life a perfect closure. A road trip might seem obscene to a lot of people, but to me, it’s a reminder. Yesterday, I was reminded, amidst screeching of tyres and the most unmelodic screams to live. LIVE, every moment, every day, every breath… Just live!
This entry was submitted as part of the Nigerian Voices competition organized by YNaija.com.
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