After trekking for about ten minutes to the junction of the estate where I live, I was surprised to see that activities for that day had already begun. The bus conductor on top of their voice shouting the route their buses are plying.
I held onto my traveling back tightly on my right hand having heard of dangerous folks who stroll the street looking for whom to devour and my water bottle, the only source of food I had with me. Then came a tricycle en route to Oshodi, where I had booked a space in a bus going to Enugu.
The tricycle rider put on the radio on the dashboard of the tricycle. A digital clock also displayed the time in green colour and it was just 5:49 Am. I was still within the time range to get a space in the bus.
I had munched up the remaining food I had last night and was not prepared to make another meal so that it wouldn't distract me from catching up with the bus.
Luckily enough, I got to the bus terminal and joined other passengers who had reached their earlier than I. Only two spaces were left after I had boarded. Few minutes later, the bus was filled and we started the journey.
As we drove out of Lagos into Ogun state, my stomach started announcing to me that it needed food. I had only a bottle of water and nothing more. It was my usual time to eat breakfast. I thought that my body is already used to the timing.
The lady who sat beside me, brought out a food flask. This was the beginning of my torment.
Do you mind joining me?
She said to no one in particular. The fellow seated on her right-hand side responded.
Thanks, ride on.
I was quiet with a smile on my face but was surprised when she turned toward me and asked me to join her.
Oh! Many thanks.
She devoured the spicy yam and sauced eggs before my naked eyes. The aroma of the food caused my stomach to rumble the more but I have to put my stomach under subjugation.
Five hours into the journey, we had a stop over at Benin. The driver joined other bus drivers in a large restaurant where passengers ease themselves and fill their stomachs before setting off on the next phase of their journey. Since I had no money left with me, I just leaned on the bus and watched events happening around me.
Thirty minutes later, we boarded the bus and zoomed off. My uncle who invited me over to Ndokwa to help him supervise an estate building project kept following me up with phone calls. I shared my location each time his call came through.
I was hungry and I knew it. I love to eat good homemade food. Nothing would have been able to make me stay away from eating except for a trip like this particular one. I was starving. My body system was hibernating. I just couldn't wait to reach my uncle. All I could do to forget the hunger was to use my headphones and play slow music that helped me to sleep.
When I woke up, we were already at Enugu. I called my uncle to meet me up at the park. Before we arrived at the park, he was just there waiting for me.
We hugged each other and boarded his car and drove to Ndokwa, a community that is about twenty minutes drive from the metropoli.
Uncle Obi lives in a duplex with maids and his family which is made up of three children. His wife was glad to receive me. After we had exchanged pleasantries, I was shown the visitor's room. There, I took a warm bath as the harmattan breeze dried up my skin.
I forgot my hunger when the excitement of seeing my uncle and his beautiful family overwhelmed me. But as soon as I had taken the war bath, I joined them in the living room where a sumptuous meal had been prepared. My uncle led the way as I followed like a sheep that is being led to the slaughter. My hunger had taken a toll on me but I hid it with a smile as I followed.
Ekene, this is all for you.
My uncle spoke to me in a voice like a whisper. With my eyes wide open, I sat opposite him as his wife, Aunty Vero dished white rice with sauced stew.
Without praying over the food, I used the spoon as a shovel to mix the rice with stew and started to munch.
Uncle, you are enjoying oooo. So, this is what real homemade food tastes like. No wonder you are all fresh.
Uncle Obi laughed so hard like my words are a joke to him. I didn't mind, I used my left hand to hold the chicken lap and my left hand to scoop the rice into my mouth.
I ate till there was no more space to take in the food. I didn't bother to care what my uncle's thoughts about my eating styles could be. I just craved all that was in the dish.
Ndokwa became a second home for me sake of Aunty Vero and Uncle Obi. I helped a great deal to supervise the building estate and got a handsome reward. But of importance is that I ate graciously prepared homemade delicacies.