But this time I didn’t do that. I traveled from down south to up north, passed my home (in the north) and didn’t stop, and came straight to school in the Upper East.
I found that out when we got to Tamale and everyone alighted and I was the only one left on the bus looking like I’m waiting to be given change for my ticket.
Background
(started writing this 13.5hours into the journey, when we stopped for some passengers to free themselves)
A journey this long is just as much tiresome. This is why I like to travel in the night, so that I can sleep the whole time without feeling guilty of anything. 😂
I mean I could read, but then the lights in the bus is always turned off. And who am I to ask a bus of over 40 passengers to turn on lights for me to read when everyone else wants the lights off so they can have a good sleep..? Huh? Who am I ? “The audacity!” I know they would say.
This is not an excuse it’s just the reasonable thing to do.😂
Don’t tell me I could read on my phone. The book I’m currently reading is not on my phone. Also, I just prefer reading hard copy 📖. (I shouldn’t be alone on this one 😂).
Jokes.
A little more background
I live in Tamale in the northern region of the country.
I visit Accra in the greater Accra region (Which is located in the southern part of the country, and also is the capital city of the country) every now and then and in between school breaks and holidays. I started traveling more(to the southern part) in 2019, but from 2020 I’ve lived down south more than I’ve lived in Tamale, up north.
I school in Navrongo in the upper east region. (Which is located to the east of northern region).
These 3 locations when viewed from the map, Tamale(northern region) will be in the middle.
Now back to the story..
So I’ve been in Accra since the beginning of October. (I was in Accra 2nd October)
Did my internship there. Started my internship from 21st October and ended on 22 December. I had so many experiences of ups and downs during the period of the internship, but those are stories we’ll tell another day.
For the longest time I’ve been in Accra, even as early as October I’ve always know when I wanted to leave. I’ve told myself I’ll be leaving Accra on 7th January. It just so happened that school resumes on the same day, but then I normally go to school a week after school resumes. This means that if I’m not home (in Tamale) I’d have to travel home from wherever I am at least on the day school resumes so that I can go to school after a week. I don’t really need the week to do anything I just decide to wait a week before reporting to campus.
But this time I didn’t do that. I traveled from down south to up north, passed my home (in the north) and didn’t stop, and came straight to school in the Upper East.
As I mentioned, I normally would just go home and do nothing for a week and then now get up and go to school. This time round I gave it some thought and just decided it’s best I go straight to school.
I know by now some family members are thinking I’m running away from home, and it also looks like that too. 😂 tbh. But I’m not even thinking about it that way.
For the record I am not. 😂
I’m just at a place in my life where I feel I need to be somewhere that challenges me to get out of my comfort zone. And my home is everything but that. It doesn’t give me that feeling I want; it’s just a little too comfortable (this has nothing to do with money tho.. just for the record😂). I don’t feel challenged anyhow, it just feels so safe, you play by rules, and follow the crowd. That life is not for me.
Thought I cheated the system
I initially bought ticket for Tamale(from Accra) but later on decided on just going straight to school and not stopping in Tamale again. But it was too late to return the ticket and buy another one(I would’ve just missed the date I wanted to travel).
So I was thinking about it and I remembered something;
The last time I used the same bus to travel from where I am to my school we stopped in Tamale at the bus’ station and some passengers alighted and we continued to where my school is. So since I’ve bought ticket for Tamale, I can decide to not alight in Tamale when we get there and continue the journey with them to my school(and not actually paying for the journey from Tamale to my school). I thought.
To confirm I could actually do that, I confronted and asked one of our drivers if I could go with them to Navrongo(where my school is) even though I’ve only bought ticket for Tamale, and he said yes, but I could feel he didn’t really think about it.
Now, feeling like I cheated system, I was excited 😆
…just to find out that the particular bus’ ticket that I bought is actually making their last stop in Tamale!!!!!! 😬😅
I found that out when we got to Tamale and everyone alighted and I was the only one left on the bus looking like I’m waiting to be given change for my ticket.
When literally everyone had left the bus and it was only me sitting inside, I knew I wasn’t so lucky as I thought I was. So I quickly got down and asked one of the drivers whether they’re not proceeding again and he said no.
The time I was asking him I saw another bus about to move out of the yard so I asked him if they’re going to my school’s location and he said no. I obviously wasn’t satisfied with the answer so I asked another driver who said they’re actually going there. Then he pointed me the driver of that particular bus and said I should go talk to him.
I went and spoke with him and told him I wanted to join them and he mentioned the amount I should pay. I paid 16% less than I would have paid for the ticket.
It wasn’t so much of a discount tho, but at this point all I cared about was getting in the bus whatever it would have taken.
This particular bus didn’t seem to have any space in it for me to sit so the drivers offered me their reserve seat in the front just beside the driver and just at the door. (I had to get up every time anybody was to pass through the door to go in or out of the bus.