The Variable Life of Sam

6. 9-1-1, Emergency!!!

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Fast forward to the bus trip, I had not recovered from the embarrassment, my cheeks were still red. Temi had given up pretense and was releasing muffled laughs, she would look from where she was seating, chuckle and turn back, Jenny did not behave as though a mother petting her 16 years old son in S.S1 was anything related to Old Uncle Weird, she just kept on smiling...as before.

The bus lined up like a convoy starting from S.S.2 down to J.S.S.1(the S.S.3 and J.S.S 3 weren't around being that they had finished with their external exams before the school closed)

There were also different buses for art and science classes too, our Principal sure spared no expense--well, that's the official version; the unofficial, he's a chronic showoff.

All the drivers were maintaining a pace as instructed by the school each filing up behind the other, we were probably gonna contribute a tally to the overwhelming traffic.

I was seating at the second to the last seat by the right, particularly by the window side.

Since we were assigned seats, Temi got the front seat. The buses were 6-seater classic coaster buses, we weren't many in my class, we are about 20 in number.

I looked at the left, Chuma, one of the school team footballers was narrating one of his long tales of how he single handedly took the ball from our team's side of the field to the opponent's, dribbling all and scored from outside-18 to whomever cared to listen, he did get some attention mostly from girls-obviously not because they believed him but because he's cute and popular.

I looked away to Alfred, he was picking his nose as usual, I turned away in disgust to avoid seeing the next thing that would happen. But sadly, my strong imaginative ability wasn't a FBI agent on sabbatical leave after solving the big case that took down the biggest drug lord in Alabama.

Osmosis was also on the left, and he has been sleeping since we started, he would sleep, sitting up straight, his head would fall to the shoulders of a girl, Ini sitting close to him. The girl had clearly suffered, she would lift his head, only for him to regain composure and in few minutes, fall back again.

I turned away to Kingsley, Leonard and Sokei playing "Mini Militia", a multiplayer shooter game, they all connected in.

"Guy, no dey do this kind thing naah, I was just appearing and you have shot me already", one of them shouted in Pidgin English.

"Everybody cannot be preaching love, I'm not a preacher of love, I am the Fight, I am the War, I am...", another said and was stopped midway as our bus halted quickly plunging us forward a little.

He was mimicking a trending pastor in Nigeria as of 2020.

The Police had stopped our buses as we got to the Police checkpoint on Lekki-Epe Expressway and were going from bus to bus asking the drivers for particulars .

I looked forward to where Jenny was sitting, with Mary Ann, the most quiet girl in class, sometimes I do wonder whether she is charged for each word she uses, I had imagined her slotting in, coins to buy a concise sentence from a "Word Machine". Jenny had her earphones plugged in while Mary Ann was reading a book.

Beside me was Anna; a half-caste- half-Pakistan, half-Nigerian. She was absorbed in the Scrabble game she was playing with her phone.

Only two teachers came with us, one to handle the Junior Section, another to coordinate the Senior section. Guess Mr. Ozogbo did get the rest he "wanted" and that was bad news for Osmosis coz his father won't there to protect him anymore from the troubles he stirs up.