Securing The Bag (The Lagos Hustle)

Journey Of A Thousand Miles

Chapter 16

FUOYO

As early as 6am Kanaku and I were at the motor park, I purchased 3 tickets to Nassarawa and was told the bus was scheduled to leave by 7:30. The next bus wouldn't leave till 10. It was a 5 hour drive at most so we really had to make the first bus. I smiled sweetly at the cute attendant and rejoined Kanaku outside the ticket booth where he stood away from the small crowd of travelers, smoking a cigaret.

"I hope Jessy comes on time, the bus leaves by 7:30" I said

"she'll be here" he took a deep drag and raised his shirt collar. "This weather is really cold"

"That stuff will kill your lungs you know," I told him

"Please shut up, I smoke less that 5 sticks a day, you should preach to people who finish two packets before noon"

we fell silent, looking around for any sign of Jessy. After a while I asked him, "why do they call you Kanaku?"

He crushed his ciggaret stump with his boot and looked up at me, "I picked up the habit of smoking weed with paper in prison"

"now using paper would even kill you faster than....wait, you went to prison?"

He nodded

"What for?"

He shrugged, "I'm a criminal remember"

"no you're not...."

He scoffed, "you don't know me. I'm a terrible person, I've done horrible things kid"

I didn't know what to say. He was right. This time last week I didn't know him.

"what'd you get locked up for?" I asked

He looked over my shoulder, "Jessy's here"

I turned around and waved, about to call her name but Kanaku put a restraining hand on my shoulder. "shhh....she's with that man.."

True enough, she was accompanied by an older man, I could see a little resemblance, they both had the same eyes and the way he looked round the park reminded me of how she also looked around when arriving someplace new.

"I think that's her dad.."

"yeah me too"

She had a big rolling box and she stood to the side while the man went to the ticket booth with 'Abuja' on the window.

She looked around and our eyes met, she didn't show any flicker of recognition and Kanaku and I watched on as the man returned to her and handed her the ticket. They spent some minutes talking, he seemed to be sternly instructing her and she nodded morosly every now and then. Finally he gave her a hug and turned to leave. He looked at Kanaku and I before turning and we quickly looked away. I feared he would approach us and demand to know why we were staring at his daughter and I continued to look away until I heard Kanaku say, "what's with the big bag?"

Her dad was gone and she had come to stand with us.

"my mom insisted on packing food items and other stuffs....I'll just waybill it to Lagos instead, Hi"

"no don't do that, we'll take it with us, you never can tell what and when we could need emergency supplies"

She shrugged uncertainly. This is fried meats and cereal and some spices....how on earth woud we......hmmm okay I think i see your point"

"good, don't worry I'll select the most essential items." Kanaku took the bag from her and dug in

"what did you tell your parents?" I asked as we watched Kanaku select wrapped packages of fried fish and meat

"that something came up at work, and Mr D and I would reschedule our visit..." she replied

"but later on are you going to tell them..." I couldn't bring myself to say it

"tell them what?" Kanaku asked

But she knew what I meant, "I don't know...i'll like to focus on staying alive first"

"yeah you're right"

"that Lagos ticket, you won't be needing it... can I have it?" Kanaku asked, straightening up

"sure," she handed it to him, "what you gonna do with it"

"I'll sell it cheaper to someone else" he walked away whistling and we laughed

"he's not serious...always looking out to make quick money" she observed

"he'll say he's from the street so what do you expect" I laughed

We watched him negotiate with a traveller and I looked at her, "how're you feeling?"

She glanced at me, "honestly I don't know...I keep trying to stay positive..."

"Everything'll be alright, as long as we have our backs"

She nodded but she didn't look convinced and I suddenly began to have a bad feeling about the journey we were about to embark on. Not the 5 hour journey to another state, but the journey through time to find the ancient treasure.

We finally boarded the bus and exactly 20 minutes after 7, the driver pulled out of the bus park.

"Make una no vex, I wan buy fuel" he apologized as he turned into a filling station close to the park.

"no wahala driver," Kanaku called out. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with fuel in the tank"