Even at six o'clock in the morning, the lorry park was already buzzing with activity. The shouts of the drivers' mates, the beggars, the hurrying passengers, and even the early morning fights of the ticket sellers all served to make the lorry park noisy. The nearby kiosks were already open and traders were displaying their goods. The early morning hawkers were already screaming on the top of their voices selling their wares like fruits, meat pies, okpa, video CDs, and even inspirational books on how to get rich quick.
It had rained the previous night and there was a lot of mud and puddles of water here and there. Occasionally, a lorry driver or a wheel pusher would splash water on someone and a new wave of quarrels would begin.
I stood under a wooden shed, next to the tickets office, guarding my luggage jealousy while trying to shew off enthusiastic wheel pushers.
I looked at my wrist watch for the umpteenth time. "Where were the others?". Just then, I heard someone shout my name. I looked up and waved to the girls. They skipped right over.
"My God! You're carrying so much" Ruth exclaimed seeing my luggage.
I ignored the remark by hugging her immediately and saying, "Your perfume smells good and I love your hair."
"Stop lying to her" Sola said. "She's talked about nothing but her hair all morning."
"Where's Chime?"
"Not here yet." I said.
Chime is my eldest cousin and he was coming with us because my parents were not ready to let me and my friends travel without someone with the "experience" of the north.
"How about tickets?"
"I already bought them. That's our lorry."
I pointed to a lorry about fifty yards away from us.
"Let's start boarding."
"No, we've got to wait for Chime." I said.
"Hope we'll get good seats by the time he arrives." Ruth said.
Sola opened her purse and took out a powder case and began to powder her face.
"It's a cold morning and you are not sweating. What's the powder for?" Ruth asked.
"It's none of your business." Sola replied.
Ten minutes later, Chime arrived. Dressed in a stripped long sleeves shirt and baggy jeans trousers, he looked fatter than he actually was. His light skin glowed with oil. Chime is older than all of us and he was already studying History in the University of Calabar. He came over to where we stood and smiled widely,
"So, who's ready to storm Northern Nigeria?"
We laughed amongst the loud "I am"s.
He looked at me, "Mmachi, it's finally a dream come true, right?"
I nodded. Travelling to the north had been my dream since I started reading English textbooks.
We boarded our lorry. Our lorry spent time before we moved. Ruth did not have to worry. Not many people were going to the north this morning.
We left the park at about half past seven with our lorry comprising me and my friends, some traders, school boys and girls going home for the long vacation, and a newly married couple. We had a scraggly driver's mate called Ego. Our lorry was not fully loaded.
My heart fluttered with excitement as our lorry turned out of the park. This was going to be the best vacation ever. We soon reached the express way, our lorry picked up speed and we were on our way to Borno State.
