I go to sleep with expectations that I will start the next day energized and poised to possess my possessions in this land of dreams. And so, this Lagosian usually wakes up at 4.30am to hit the road by 5am in order to beat traffic.
However, today took a different turn as I decided to stay in bed for a while longer. ‘’I cannot kill myself, let me rest small,’’ I said to my weak self as I lay in bed.
‘’Jeez!’’ This was the only word I could exclaim as I saw the time was already 5.00am. A five minute snooze had turned into thirty minutes. I dashed out of the bed with my bedsheet wrapped around my naked self. I panicked as my thoughts hovered around every possibility of being caught in traffic.
‘’My soap, my sponge, my toothpaste o!’’ I muttered as I made my way to the bathroom. How I made it out of the bathroom after just seven minutes is quite commendable. I applaud my time management skills as I dressed up for work.
Make-up bag shoved into my big handbag, wallet checked in, and wig properly tied into a black plastic bag before it gained entrance into my bag.
The daily commute of the Lagosian
I set out after saying a short prayer and reading Psalm 23 from my Bible which is carefully placed by my bed side. I may not be as faithful as Father Abraham, or blameless as Enoch, strong as Samson, or courageous as Deborah. However, I have the spirit of perseverance to excel and achieve my goals on earth.
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I struggled to board a bus. The crowd at the bus stop was quite intimidating. This is one of many reasons why the average Lagosian says authoritatively that ‘Lagos is not for the faint hearted’.
I finally got onto one danfo where passengers were instructed to sit four on a row. I screeched as I remembered Covid-19 is still around. “Oga conductor, what of social distancing na? Shey you no know say corona virus dey ni?” I voiced out to the bus conductor who wore patched trousers and a grey shirt.
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‘’Na you sabi o. Four on a seat o. Na my business I dey do, and na me be de boss for here. When you reach una office, make you go do oga for your people there. You hear? And hope say you no carry one thousand Naira note o. I no get change o’’, the bus conductor replied me in crisp pidgin.
I looked askance as I wished I had my own car. ‘’Madam no worry, corona virus no fit kill any Nigerian. If de many problems for the country no kill us, wetin be corona for where we dey? Na the virus go tire run,’’ a co-passenger assured me with the confidence of a typical Lagosian.
I heaved a sigh of relief as I recalled that I had committed my journey into the hands of God. We were only ten minutes into our journey when a man started singing praises to God. Apparently, he is preparing to preach the gospel to the passengers. This is a common trend on buses.
I checked my wrist watch and it was 7am. I began to worry about getting to work late. At CMS, I alighted from the bus and made my way to Ajah park.
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The ever busy road had hawkers, roadside traders, and agberos engaging in banter as usual. I wished I didn’t have to work so hard in order to make a living for myself. I suppressed the tears that almost rolled down my cheeks.
Lagos – land of lessons & opportunities
It is not easy to be an adult striving for financial independence. However, I am proud of the level I have attained so far. Being a Lagosian is a mammoth task. It is the survival of the fittest.
Lagos is a land of many opportunities and here I have learnt patience. Perseverance has become my motto and determination, my watch word. Also, I have made being happy a duty to myself.
I do not forget the place of prayer, however short. Above all, I have come to understand that if God is all I have, then I have all that I need.
Let’s just hope that my wig stays on my head as I dash around trying to manoeuvre the roads, while trying to avoid the crazy driving in a sea of danfo drivers.
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