The Lagos traffic is something I am familiar with because that is just what I constantly encounter. If you are a Lagosian, you will be familiar with the ways buses always get hooked on the road, hawkers trying to sell their goods in the traffic, and everywhere looking so congested. On that fateful day, I was inside this old yellow Danfo bus as I was lost daydreaming.
Like I always prefer whenever I am boarding a bus, I always prefer to sit at the window side, and that was the exact position I was inside the old yellow Danfo bus. At that particular time, you can notice that I am no longer in Lagos even though my body might be there.
I found myself in a very big auditorium. The crowd that surrounded me inside the auditorium was echoing my name. "Bimbo! Bimbo!!." I saw them bowing their heads as I was holding a trophy in my very two hands.
At first that moment, I was receiving an award titled "The Best Author Of The Year". The award was given to me based on the book I wrote that happens to be the bestseller for the year.
"Bimbo!"
I noticed this loud and direct voice shouting at my back, and for one, my heart seemed to seize. Blinking my eyes, I discovered the conductor looking at me.
"Bimbo! You didn't hear I was calling your name? Or do you want me to take you to Abuja.?". He was expressing his frustration.
At that point, I was lost for words and was just able to mutter some words together to reply to him. "Please, where are we now?" I gently asked with a bit of nervousness.
"Bimbo, we have passed your bus top! I thought you wanted to stop at Ikeja?" The conductor shouted back to me.
I shouted. "Ah!!! We have passed Ikeja?. Please, conductor, just stop me here now". I responded with total shock and nervousness flooding my mind.
The old yellow Danfo bus halted, and I used that opportunity to get out of the bus, holding firmly my handbag at the same time. Lagos is a city where you need to be careful of your belongings before it is been snatched by roadside stealers.
As I tried to rest at the edge of the road to wait for another bus that would return me to the bus stop I was heading to in Ikeja; the conductor shouted."Bimbo, be fully awake oo before another bus passes you by again" as he laughed, and they zoomed off.
As I tried to adjust my scarf, I began to blame myself. Why would I have slept so long in the car? It was not the first time I had been caught daydreaming on several occasions. I was named "Dreamweaver" by my younger brothers back home due to my frequent daydreaming.
As I was still lost in thought by what happened, I was cut in between by a woman who was roasting corn. "Hello sister, will you mind buying one?". She asked me.
"No, there is no need for ma" I responded.
As I sit down still waiting for the next bus, I hold on to something. What happened to me today is beyond daydreaming; it has just given me a glimpse into my future and what I am capable of doing. The day is already fulfilled for me. I am going back home not with just an ordinary dream but a sight of what my future can become.