Missing out ... Neoxianprompts #31.

If someone had told me that I'd have an unlucky encounter as I left my house to attend an event, I would have looked at him or her like they're having four heads. That possibility was slim as I always tried to avoid unnecessary trouble anytime I went out.

That fateful day, the rays of the sun wrapped its golden arms around the sky. The trees around swayed lightly at the touch of a breeze. The whole environment spoke of serenity and I was loving it.

I had a wedding to attend that day. You guessed right, it was a Saturday. A day popularly set aside for events like this. I was dressed in a purple gown, which happens to be the colour of the day. I paired up my outfit with peach coloured shoes, jewelry and matching purse.

Stepping out and heading to the bus stop to get a cab, I could feel all eyes on me. I knew that I slayed and I smiled with every step. Getting a cab was proving difficult and so I opted for a commercial bus instead. That move turned out to be a big mistake later.

”Fine sister, where you dey go”, the bus conductor asked me.

”I am heading to CMS. How much is your fare?” I asked the dark skinned bus conductor.

”Is only Five hundred naira. You dey go or not?”,he fired his answer at me. Since I was already a few minutes behind time, I boarded his vehicle and the journey continued.

Half way gone, the bus conductor began asking his passengers for our fare. I wanted to wait a while before paying my fare but I recalled how some bus conductors rain insults on passengers and I didn't want any of that, so I handed him my fare.

But not quite long, we heard a loud bang. Obviously the sound came from the engine of the bus. ”Eh!”, ”Jesus!” and ”eewoo!" were the shouts of some passengers inside the bus. We were confused at what happened to cause such a sound. The driver sensing our worry parked his vehicle by the side of the road, opened the bonnet and began touching some things.

Later he called his conductor to himself and they began arguing in hushed tones but it was not missed by me. I feared the worse but the worst happened as we were told to alight the bus while part of our fare would be returned to us.

I felt uneasy as I wondered why the bus conductor asked us to alight.

”Oga driver, what happened? Why did you ask us to alight?”

”Em…my vehicle is faulty and I don't want to delay you guys. Meet the conductor for your balance”, he responded.

”What is this? Why are you giving me only a hundred naira balance? How can this money help me get to my destination?”, a female passenger was ranting at the conductor who seemed indifferent to her rants.

Before I could blink, the woman held the conductor by his collar in a tight grip and a scuffle ensued. The conductor was trying his best to free his shirt from her grip but it was almost impossible. Other passengers were also ranting and only a few made an attempt to separate the scuffle.

I stood at a spot that I felt was safe and watched everything unfold. I was more worried about missing my event than their squabble. I put all the blame on the driver and his stupid vehicle, mtchewww.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the woman left his shirt and the conductor handed her another hundred naira to make her balance two hundred naira. She took the money and walked away while still grumbling but who cares.

Seeing the coast clear, I walked up to the bus conductor and opened my palms to him for my balance. ”Madam abeg you go hold on. No money remain for my hand like this”.

”You say wetin. No just try me o”, I said forgetting that I was a slay queen all decked up pretty. Anger began to brew within me and I cared not if I was disgracing my father's school fees by speaking fluent pidgin English in public. I just wanted to get to my destination..... period!

Unconsciously, my eyes fell on my wrist watch and I saw that the time was 3: 30pm. *”The wedding reception had already started since 1:30pm. What I'm I to do now?” I thought worriedly but no one shared my pain.

After rigmaroling for a while, the bus conductor came with two hundred naira and shoved it at me. By calculation, my balance was three hundred naira. I walked to him to demand my balance but he paid me deaf ears. Feeling frustrated, I left him after raining some abuse at him.

It took me another forty-five minutes before I could get another bus that took me down to my destination. The second journey was just as bad as the first. The bus carried a woman with a basket of ponmo (cow skin) and the pungent smell of it saturated the whole bus.

By the time I alighted the bus, my body was smelling of ponmo. I was tired, hungry and angry. Plus I was late to the wedding reception. By the time I arrived, they'd finished serving the food and I was given only a can of malt drink.

As I sat down at the reception venue, I could not help but pity myself. I sighed sadly as I exclaimed, what an unbelievable day!

Thank you for reading.

Images are mine.