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The past week was busy and at the same time hectic for Moses and his mother. They have been running around tidying up things so that Moses can travel to Lagos. Moses has never been to Lagos. The idea of going to Lagos was mixed with excitement and apprehension. Excitement because he was leaving the village to stay in the city. This was one of his expectations in life. He prayed for the day he would leave the village so he could make it in life just like every other person.
The idea of travelling to Lagos state was initiated by his mother, who spoke with her younger brother to accommodate her son so he could start life as a young man. A young man of 30 years should be able to take care of himself and not necessarily depend on his parents for survival. This was the situation that Moses found himself in. His brother did not hesitate; he accepted the idea after discussing it with his wife.
A couple of days to travel, Moses’ mother had packed in garri, yams, vegetables, okro, pepper, fufu, palm oil, plantain and other things they could afford. She wouldn’t let him go without giving him advice in full doses. A typical African mother.
“For the past few days I’ve been advising you, please take my advice and it shall be well with you in whatever you do”. She said
“Mama, I’ve heard all that you’ve said, I will do them, and I am sure that I will make it in Lagos and take this family out of poverty”, he said confidently.
“Amen, and God will help you my son”.
After everything, she prayed for him. They both went to bed early so that the following morning, he could begin his journey.
Moses' phone has been bad, he’s been managing it pending when he could afford a new one. On several occasions, his mother has given him money to fix it, but he will divert the money into something else.
“I hope you've written your uncle's phone number in a book in case anything happens to your phone”, his mom advised as Moses was about to embark on his journey.
“Good,” he waved at his mom.
“Bye, my son,” she replied amidst tears.
The journey to Lagos is approximately ten hours from his state. Moses has never embarked on such a long journey. The journey was smooth and interesting. He was amazed at some of the beautiful plàces as they journeyed across states. He wondered at the beauty of nature as they passed through natural habitats. He felt bad that he had a malfunctioned phone. He would have snapped lots of pictures to show his uncle ànd to show his mom when he visits the víllage.
Such a long journey has never been without intermittent sleep from passengers except those who are frequent with suçh a journey. For the ten-hour journey, Moses had slept off on several occasions, such that if put together, they can amount to five hours.
Before he could wake up from his fifth session, they were already in Lagos state. At the park, his first assignment was to contact his uncle. The last call to him was when he left home in the morning. He dipped his hands into his bag to take oút his phone, lo! and behold, his phone was nowhere to be found. He suddenly remembered his uncle as well as his mother's advice. His uncle had earlier told him to be vigilant in Lagos.
How do I reach out to my uncle? He reasoned. How do I also reach out to my mom? It was a dicey situation for Moses. His mother at home has been waiting to hear from him. His number was not reachable, and everyone began to worry about what might have happened.
His mom could not sleep until her phone rang at 2 o'clock am.
“Moses what happened”? She asked.
“Mama, it's a long story, however, I am at Uncle Joe's house”.
“Please extend my greetings to him.
“Okay ma”
It happened that Moses had written the house address of his uncle in his jotters about a year ago. When he got there, he was told that the man and his family had relocated to anóther house. He was given his new address, and he got there late at night.
If you are dull just go to Lagos, you will be the smartest. I'm glad Moses didn't get into the hands of kidnappers. Greatvwrytebup
It is a good thing Moses wrote the uncle's house number somewhere if not, it would have been a disaster for him.
This life someone must be smart
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Thank you.
Lagos is not for the weak , Lagos is another kind of jungle. Wel thank God.
Excellent narration, your story is very good, the plot captivated me from the beginning and kept me on the edge of my seat. I like these themes; the journey and the loss of the phone were pure tension from the start. Your voice feels very honest and has great potential for fiction writing. Best regards and have a blessed day.
Thank you
Your story about two friends drifting apart because one of them wanted material possessions is lovely. Have a wonderful day!
I love it when stories end on a positive note. thank God that he wrote his uncle's address in a jotter; if not, he would have been worse for him. Lagos life is not for careless people. he was welcomed with a missing phone.
I enjoyed your story.