It's a quote from Saint Ambrose which refers to the importance of adapting yourself to the customs of the people who are in a certain place or situation and behave like they do. The most important thing in adaptation is to be observant and willing.
I'm starting this article with laughter because the prompt made me burst into one, remembering an incident that took place left me no choice but to laugh hysterically. Sometimes, I am left to wonder about the boredom these private car owners go through almost all the time driving their car to and fro... before you start listing the advantages...ikr...T for Thanks...but come to think of it?
Why not engage in some drama on a mode of public transport?🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
Or why do you think most car owners play loud music with speakers drumming right into your ear?
Primarily, it's drama...and we have a lot of that in the public transport system, phew!
During the holidays, I went back home to spend time with my family and friends that I had left for so long. Actually, at first, I didn't have such intentions but everything changed when they requested my presence at the meeting saying it was urgent. Unfortunately, it was a trick to bring me home.
After several weeks of a successful holiday, they pranked me into coming home. I did the same thing to them when I was about to go back laughing my ass out knowing fully well that we haven't resumed. Well, I wanted some me time because it's freaking cool and relaxing.
I boarded a bus from the bus stand after waiting under the scorching sun. At least most Nigerians know what it's like waiting for a bus. There were so many passengers waiting for the bus too and some had to use a motorcycle mode of transport to leave while some like us going to far distances couldn't use that.
Few of us were already lamenting about the scarcity of buses and the scorching sun that was doing injustice to my entire body, making me feel so restless and upset. Any bus that comes around to pick up passengers filled up too quickly, the scene was crazy sincerely speaking.
The amount of pressure people were applying to themselves by pushing each other just because of the scarcity of buses made me wonder if I should go back to my parent's house and tell them that our resumption was postponed. At the moment, I was nearly blaming myself but I maintained my movement.
Another bus came to pick up passengers but the transport fare was twice the actual fare. I was fuming inside me but do I have an option? It was like the law of equilibrium regarding demand was superfluous and humans will always do the needful.
Before I entered the bus, I had to flounder with other passengers and during that moment, someone stole from me.
I felt it but I had to struggle for a seat on the bus first, I rummaged for the money hoping it might just be the impact of the struggles. To my greatest surprise, the $5 in my side pocket was gone.
At that instant, it's either to maintain your emotions or express your situation by lamenting. I fought deeply when making this judgment, I had just withdrawn that cash, and it was supposed to be till when I got to my hostel or even the next day because I had summed up miscellaneous expenses on it too.
The universe has a pattern of doing things; when the fare collector “usually we call them conductor“initiates the collection of individual fares, an issue escalates from nowhere and that was how two passengers in the first row began exchanging words by that time he had gotten to my turn. He turned towards them and challenged them to fight. With all that drama that happened I didn't talk or even flinch.
For several minutes, the atmosphere of that bus was chaotic. The conductor was even so mannerless and talked recklessly to the extent the infuriated passengers humiliated him lol. Like I said, I didn't flinch! At this moment, he was done collecting fares from everyone and the atmosphere was calm.
I was relieved a little because he did not ask me for mine and the journey became smooth with a calm atmosphere. When we got to Alakija, “a bustop around mile 2 expressway” someone alighted from the bus and another entered, he requested money from the new passenger and requested from me too.
My heart skipped but the little voice inside me said “action”. At this point, I gave the conductor a stern look but he persisted and that was when I asked him “you no dey look face” which translates to “you don't recognize me?” Before I said Jack, the passenger beside and behind me began embarrassing him, questioning him, left and right telling him how many times he would collect the fare from me.
The transport system in Lagos is something else compared to the Abuja transport system, it's entirely different. I took the lifestyle of the average Lagosian to Abuja and I was frowned upon by passersby.
Frankly, I would love that to not happen again. It wasn't his fault that the preplanned fare was stolen alongside the others. I felt bad not paying my amount although to me it just seemed like the universe orchestrated this for me because I couldn't think of coming down from the bus that time after so many struggles and withdrawing another cash and then thinking how to fight my way in for another bus again.
God knows when such means would be made available! Those thoughts roamed my mind but I had to find another recourse.
What amazed me was how passengers were fighting for me and to think of it, I would have been beaten up! If you were in this exact position what would you do despite knowing your money was stolen by a pickpocketer?
This is a response to the #hivelearners word of the week episode two - #hl-exclusive & #hl-w87e2.
Image from Pixabay
Image from Pixabay
Image from Pixabay
Image from Pixabay
Header Image Edited With Canva
