The road that leads to Abuja is arrayed with beautiful natural and artificial landscapes. The plateaus and hills all garnished with green vegetation were just a delight for an adventurer like Brandon to behold. Nostalgic feelings about the last time he visited this delightsome city began to erupt in his mind. He thought of the great connection he made with the city and its people during that time.
Even as they made their way past a few military checkpoints, he could see a few changes in the infrastructure of the city. The roads were smoother and wider than what was obtainable in Port Harcourt. The streetlights brightly highlight the beauty of this city. Brandon watched on as the driver went about fifty meters more to take a turn in order to avoid being arrested even though there were no law enforcement agents within sight. It is said that Abuja city is a place where every law is enforced to the letter every night and day. This is understandable since it is the nation’s capital.
They finally arrived at Jabi Park at about 3am. The driver explained that he opted for this park rather than the adjacent one for security reasons. This was at a time when the Boko Haram terrorist group was running rampage in the northern region of the country and Abuja has been hit also on a few occasions, with the most recent bombings coming about one month back. It happened in a car Park just as this one. However, the driver reassured the passengers that this Park is safer and the passengers can wait in the car or find somewhere within the Park premises to rest and wait until daylight. A few of the passengers waited behind but the others whose homes were not far from the Park left.
Brandon came down from the car and walked around the Park to find a place to relieve himself. He found a pay to use place in the park and did his ‘thing’. Thereafter he went back to the car and waited until it was 5:30am. Then he sets off to see his friend briefly in the city before he finally leaves for Jos the capital city of Plateau state. His friend’s house is quite distant from the park and he needed to take a taxi and then an okada to get to the place.
When he got to Mpape, a settlement in the outskirt of Abuja city, he saw his friend standing in the front of an Ecobank building. How delighted he was to finally see Donald, his friend from secondary school. It has been almost five years since they last saw each other. They were best of friends in their secondary school days until Donald’s family relocated to Abuja. The weeks following this development were really lonesome for Brandon. Donald has been his only real friend then, they did almost everything together. Brandon wished he could go to Abuja with Donald then. Thinking it about now, Donald being in Abuja is one of the reasons he felt consoled when he wasn’t able to get a direct bus to Jos and as result had to change his initial plan.
They hugged each other with sheer joy. Their friendship has stood the test of time and distance. ‘’My bro and friend, I am very happy to finally see you again” said Donald. “You can only imagine how much I have longed for this day” replied Brandon. So they went on and on talking for the next twenty minutes or so. They talked about everything from life, family to academics. Apparently they just can’t get enough of each other. A lot of time has passed since they last saw each other and they can’t recover all those times in just twenty but they did make the best of this moment.
Brandon looked up the time on his phone and it was already 6:30am and realized that it was time for him to go. They hugged again as they both said their goodbyes. Donald gave Brandon the direction to the nearest Park where he can get a bus to Jos where he will then connect to Bauchi. With a promise to see each other the next year, they parted as Brandon went on to take an okada to the Park.
Brandon arrived at the Park at 7:10am. The weather was cold and dry as was expected at this time of the year. However, the Abuja weather was slightly colder than that of Port Harcourt. Roadside cloth sellers were seen displaying thick clothes as this is what was required to cope with the cold. Brandon wore a light cloth and could feel the cold air easily make its way through to his skin. He was beginning to feel very cold so he went into his box and took out the thickest cloth he could lay his hand on and wore it.
The next line of action for him is to get his breakfast. Surprisingly for him at this time of the day no fast food joint was open for business. He felt so hungry and was very relieved when he saw a woman with a tray of akara and bread on her head. “That will do for breakfast” he thought. He bought two-hundred-naira worth of akara and bread and starts munching on it while he waited for the bus to get filled. While he yet waited he took time to assess the behavior of this people who just a few kilometers away from the seat of power in the nation. This area of Abuja is underdeveloped with shanties and poverty stricken people everywhere. This is a far cry from the fancy infrastructure he had seen from the main entrance to Abuja.
Apparently, the settlement is secluded. The place is a microcosm of Nigeria as one can see people from many tribes. There were Yorubas, Igbos, Hausas and few folks from the south too. But for the unevenly distributed infrastructural and developments; Abuja is very befitting for a nation’s capital. To while away the waiting time Brandon opted to read a book but found it hard to concentrate because of the noise, typical of bus Parks in Nigeria.
As the sun began to rise in the sky above, Brandon began to feel uncomfortable in the thick jacket he wore and so he took it off. The driver approached Brandon and tried to parley with him in order to calm him down as clearly Brandon and the other passengers who have been waiting for what seems like forever in the bus are beginning to get impatient. “The bus go soon comot abeg make una no vex” said the bus driver.
True to his words, the driver pulled the bus out of the Park few minutes later. He took them through a narrow and hilly path out that area. They arrived at another Park which is situated within Abuja city. It is the now famous Nyanya Park with a few renovation work done to cover the damage by the bombs of the notorious terrorist group boko haram. The Park was scanty, with a handful of buses parked here and there. Brandon was told to come down from the bus. He was taken aback by this development; he wanted to panic but restrained himself.
Here he was in a volatile, and unfamiliar area of town with very little money left and was now told to come down from the bus which he had fully paid for to take him to Jos. He prayed quietly that nothing bad should happen. And then the driver came to him and explained the situation to him that he will be transferred to another bus which will take him to his destination. Apparently his bus was acting as a ‘feeder’ to the other bus. “Phew! Thank God” said the now relieved Brandon.
He registered his name in a book and exchanged his old ticket for a new one, and then he was directed to the bus where he took the seat closest to the window so as to enjoy the view during the journey. It has become a habit of his to sit by the window as often as he gets the opportunity.
On their way to the New Nyanya Park, they took a narrow and crooked route in order to avoid the traffic at the city center. The heat has increased significantly by this time, so Brandon had to do away with his jacket. As they drove into the Park, the mayhem that it has suffered recently became vivid to Brandon. The blackened surrounding fences, wreckages of burnt cars were seen here and there. Brandon couldn’t wait to leave this place.
Contrary to what Brandon thought would be, he was asked to stepped down from the bus, and wait for another bus which is coming from Jos. The bus took another thirty minutes to arrive.
The sun as fully shown its presence with the attendant heat which has become unbearable for Brandon and his fellow passengers. Brandon sighed in relief as the bus pulled out of the New Nyanya Park, Abuja. This would be last experience of Abuja in as many months.