I heard about the train from Lagos to Ibadan but still did not have the courage to try it. I decided instead to go by the long and tortuous traffic-ridden express road to Ibadan-a road I have plied so many times since 2002 when I began teaching at Unilag. Anyway, I decided to catch the train on Friday to save myself the trouble of the usual Friday traffic. I bought an economy class ticket for 2,500 naira. The vendor yelled at me to dictate my telephone number and that of my next of kin. I whispered it for fear that others might be listening. My ticket arrived with the name ‘Olayiwola’ written on it. There was no need to correct the error. I was more concerned about leaving the fairly congested space. I reassured myself, ‘COVID is not my portion!’I was ushered towards the train. It was a six-minute walk to the platform. I saw a man hauling a humongous bag. I didn’t offer any help because my hands were also full. I bought a bottle of malt, and a bottle of water. I was determined to enjoy this trip and to sip both drinks till I arrived in Ibadan. I entered my cabin, the AC was blasting away. It cooled me instantly. I smiled. I looked for my seat and sat down. I took out my sanitiser and anointed my space. The cabin was impeccably clean. I wondered “Was I in Lagos or in Leipzig going to Frankfurt?”. The announcement blared through the speaker in an unmistakable Yoruba accent reminding me that I was still at Ebute Metta in Lagos, Nigeria. The announcer told us the train will leave in five minutes. It was 3.55pm. Ewoo! At exactly 4pm the train began to glide! Hey, On time? This can’t be true. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, welcome on board. This train is headed towards Ibadan, we will have a five minutes break at Abeokuta and then continue to Ibadan. We will arrive at 6.40pm. The trip will take 2.40 minutes……..’I was grateful. Only 2.40 mins? I remember early in the day, it took me 1hour to drive from Ibadan toll gate to Lagos toll gate. But increasingly, it became crazy to travel on this route. On one occasion, I stayed overnight in my car on the highway. That was the day the camp had a meeting to anoint and deliver all firstborns from demonic oppression. The devils that were released from these firstborns must have clogged the highway. That day was a very bad day! Anyway, back to our trip. We glided smoothly through Yaba, Cappa, Oshodi, Ogba and I saw a view of Lagos I had never seen before. Before long I began to search for warmer clothing in my hand luggage. I dozed off. My malt and water were still in my bag. I woke up at Papalanto near Abeokuta. The train slowed down almost to a halt. From a distance, I could see Ewekoro cement factory. We passed by some Hausa boys chewing Ireke (sugarcane)happily. My mouth watered. I put the bottle of malt to my mouth, I almost chewed on it. We continued. I took in the picturesque view of the Abeokuta hills. I knew somewhere, not too far off, were beautiful rock formations. We passed by a huge heap of sand built to a plateau, and I remembered the Cahokia mounds in the US. I saw a lone cow. I looked again and saw a Fulani cattle rearer with his herd. My heart skipped a bit. I dozed off again. I dreamt. In my dream I was haunted by the last image I saw of the Fulani cattle rearer. About a decade ago, I would have been at peace seeing the herdsman. I remembered Sam Ovraiti’s very expressive rendition of Fulani male and females in the 1980s. The emphasis on their clothing, calabashes, jewellery and tattoos; and how quickly overtime, these lovely memories have degenerated to images of Fulani men with Ak47 guns and other Shakabulas! Fast forward. We arrived in Ibadan at 6.37pm. ‘ My Oga at the top’ was waiting to pick me up. God bless his soul. He has never failed to pick up his sojourner wife. By now I am wearing a thick sweater. I got into the car and we drove home. What a pleasant experience. My return trip is assured. Please next time catch the train. It is for real!
What an interesting story , with a flawless diction . It felt as though I was part of the journey. What a beautiful travelogue
Wow I love this story, most especially the oga at the top (your husband) part of the story, I boarded train once, that was the first time I came to university of lagos. I love you ma’am
Your student