ISLAND GIST

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Written by Amarachi Ogbonnaya

Hello, I just found out that island people don't shout "Owa" when trying to come down at their bus tops, hmmmmmmm, adonbelivit, aren't we supposed to be in the same Lagos where if you don't shout owa, the bus driver will carry you Past your bustop? I enterer a vehicle one day and when it was time for a lady to alight, she said, "Driver I will come down at Elf bustop," he actually dropped her at Elf, I was in shock, is it not same drivers that do as if they didn't hear you and then carry you pass your bustop? Or are these ones special breed on bus drivers? Did they school in the abroad? Or location just made them tush? I have been begging for answers, but none is forthcoming, so I want to ask you my readers what you think of this.

I remember when "owa" put me in trouble; I had gone to Port Harcourt for a cousin's wedding and went somewhere, on my way back, I unconsciously said owa, instead of "kopuo" or "I will get down here" as is said in the east, when the driver was passing my bustop, I kept screaming owa at the top of my lungs, thinking he wasn't hearing me, until someone said, "Driver kopuo, she is not from here."  I felt so ashamed of myself and to think I am Igbo, chai.

One day, while I was minding my business inside a BRT, a fight broke out between a supposed policeman and a LASTMA official, just in from of us, y'all needed to have seen the way, our driver put off the engine just to watch the fight and this happened around past 5pm on a weekday, we were practically begging the driver to carry us out of there, that was when I knew that BRT bus drivers are gossips, worse than bloggers and market women.

So, the LASTMA official a stopped supposedly carrying a police officer and he refused to comply, it took the intervention of the car in front of his for him to stop and park, as a result, a barricade was formed around his vehicle until he was forced to come out, come and see how people inside the BRT was analysing the situation and then likely outcome. After begging the LASTMA official and he refused, we saw like a dozen other officials of LASTMA who had come to the aid of their colleague, there and then, I knew something was up, in Lagos, officials do not follow the law, its a known fact. Only for is to find out that the said police officer was a fakey, who wore the uniform to deceive officers on the road, he was beaten black and blue and taken away.

While all these was going on, another outlet was opened to allow free vehicular movement, for where, the driver of the BRT refused to follow, until we shouted and cussed and threatened some more before uncle decided it was time.

Have you realised that island suya is not sweet? Or is it just meme that feels so?

Have a wonderful weekend. Where will you be this weekend? For me, my university roommate is getting married tomorrow and I will be very busy eating wedding jollof and dancing myself out while on Sunday, I would be attending a child dedication ceremony and generally being happy. I am excited already, who is too?

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