The story:

I was weak after a long day on the road to Unilag for a training and coming back, it was stressful. I did not eat before leaving the house and I wasn't hungry when returning home either but I was tired and I slept for the first time inside every bus I entered, its so unlike me, I must have been really tired.

While inside the last bus, I prayed for traffic to be long and slow because, I wanted to sleep very well but getting to the island was so fast. I don't know but, there are so many linked roads because, when I opened my eyes, we were already at First Gate despite the traffic and before I could even open my eyes well, we were already at Ilaje (sad).

I asked the driver if he would go through Ajah under bridge but he said, nope he was going through the top of the bridge.

I came down and thought of how I was going to walk that long distance (laughing) I knew I would just fall down and people would gather but its funny how they would react when they see that, I did not faint but was sleeping (laughing) some would show concern while others might just take stuffs from my bag.

I remembered, I could actually cross the big road to take Keke home and I crossed it desperately because the sun was hot and I needed to go into a keke and sleep. I got to where I could board a keke only to find some with their front seats vacant. I decided to hide my shame and tell the guy that, I wanted to sleep and if I stay at the front, I will sleep and fall down.

Then, a guy volunteered to sit in front leaving his babe at the back seat. My journey home started. While on our way, no one was talking, very quiet and boring. Suddenly, this guy at the front started a funny conversation which got us laughing, I couldn't resist laughing. This is how he went about making funny jokes even the keke man joined in making funny conversations too.

The journey was full of laughter, smooth and so short (laughing) Ajah to Badore for the first time was so short cause, we were just laughing. I couldn't sleep anymore, I was just laughing my tired laugh. Till they dropped, we kept on laughing and the keke man made a statement.

He said "there is nothing more than carrying passengers who make journey flow so easy, funfilled without noticing the traffic. He also said, he can't remember the last time, he felt so refreshed and happy carrying people and laughing so hard. He wished, the journey never ended so quick and we all made his day with our tired but happy laughs."

This got to me, now I realise that, there are people who just want to laugh, want to be happy but our faces most times have the "don't talk" look and we go through some boring long distance in traffic grumbling.

Life is so simple if we make ourselves blend to some people. Most times, start a conversation, compliment people, laugh when people make jokes and I bet you all would always remember each other even if you meet someday unexpectedly.

I can't forget my co-passenger's faces neither can I forget the keke man's face, I would always watch out for him. There is nothing more than being happy with some good strangers. Sleep I did not sleep again but happy I was after the journey.

Written by Faith Otu.

Faith Otu is a graduate of Mass Communication. She is a writer and she loves to share/express her feelings, experiences, ideas and more through writing. You can follow her to share your views on her articles:

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