Sister and I, aged five and four
On to U.S.A. to join family;
All was set
To Murtala Muhammed International Airport we went
Along journey it seemed,
Trees moving, clouds flying,
The car was moving too:
All in opposite direction
Lagos here we come,
Well lavished with lights;
Many nicely people all around,
Looked like a fairy land to mine.
Darkness came so fast,
Then the noise of big giant bird;
It was fun to think l would be up;
In the air like the bird.
All a-sudden a-long lane we tarried*
It grew smaller, then bigger and colder-
Inside the bowel of the bird we went:
Wondering what a big stomach had he.
All aboard, seated in rows,
Then the big deafening sound;
Looking sideways,
Alas! Grandma was gone!
Out I rushed like a haunted squirrel.
Faintly, at the background l heard,
Come back Bussy! Come back
It's only the sound of a "Papa plane"
Big, strong arms caught me.
Hugh! It was Grandma's.
Back we went, to sleep with little comfort;
The soothing sleep aided by the rocking birds:
Awakened, by same rocking jolt
Eye to eye with a strange lady.
Her best she did to comfort us,
Even though our language
She cannot decipher,
Yet we did communicate
And played a lot too.
Flying was fun, cloud was above and below;
Nothing else could be seen below,
The sun looked beautiful up above,
The dawn heavenly holy looked.
Days we spent up there.
Then with screeching speed it stopped,
The hostess farewell bid,
And bags and baggage on wheels move.
Many different coloured beings I saw.
They looked like me but speak not my tongue.
Up came a tall dark figure.
That looked like me and could speak my tongue.
T'm your Dad! He announced,
Hard to recognize
But the glasses switched on memories
He carried us 'home'amidst luxuries of petting-
Ahappy reunion it was for all.
Adapted from my teacher's poem