The last time I traveled was two weeks ago, on a Sunday morning. I love traveling on Sundays since the traffic is free and the journey becomes faster. I enjoy traveling in private cars, but commercial buses? They make my traveling experiences miserable. If I had a choice, I would never travel by a commercial bus, sadly we don’t always get what we want. Two weeks ago, on a Sunday, I traveled from my parent’s place to my school; from one state to another. That journey was my worst experience ever. Not only did it increase my dislike for commercial buses, it almost traumatized me.
That morning, I was the first person to arrive at the park. I had woken up very early and gotten there early because I wanted to get to school very early, arrange my things, and rest well. It was a 20-seater bus. After about 40 minutes, other passengers arrived and we were good to go. I should have known from the start. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. Immediately the driver tried to start the engine, it gave off a weird sound- like a yelping puppy. It did this twice and on the third attempt, the engine turned on and we started our journey. As usual, commercial buses always buy fuel before the journey, so after about 5 minutes, we arrived at a filling station to buy fuel. Again, the car turned off and gave off that weird sound. So I just assumed it was acting up due to fuel.
The journey started fully, and I was fully engrossed in observing my environment- the bushes, buildings, and people walking by. It was almost as if they were communicating with me, which is why I enjoy sitting beside the window whenever I travel. Everything was going well until about 1 hour into the journey… The bus suddenly broke down in the middle of nowhere. It was exactly 11 am and the sun was scorching. You know, the kind of sun that could kill a vampire within seconds and melt butter. The driver asked us to get down so the weight inside the bus would reduce and he'd be able to push it. There were no shades around- we were literally in the middle of nowhere. What if something jumped out of the bushes? What if someone was hiding there, waiting to ambush us? My head was unsettled. Since there were no shades, we had to sit beside the road, suffering under the scorching sun. The driver tried all he could but nothing worked.
The worst part? Since it was a Sunday, most road mechanics would go to church. The driver had to take a bike and go far back to get a mechanic who'd fix the car. I couldn't stay in the car because the heat was crazily unbearable. If I dared to stay, I'd get cooked. As if everything was against me that day, it started to rain. The perfect combo, right? After the sun had dealt with me, the rain came to have its fun. After about 1 hour and 30 minutes, the driver arrived with a weird-looking man who just wouldn't stop laughing and telling unnecessary stories. “Nothing is funny, man. Just fix the car and stop laughing.” Of course, I said this in my head.
The man checked everything. When he tried turning on the car, it started bringing out black smoke. It was as if the car was smoking from the inside and outside. The man concluded that the fuel pump was faulty. He did everything to fix it. Come on! Fix it, Felix Junior! However, he warned us that the car would only take us to our destination and that the driver would have to get a new fuel pump. I was really happy when the bus worked. All my worries magically vanished and I totally forgot about the scorching sun and rain that had clobbered me with all their strengths. We, the passengers, were all happy. Sadly, our happiness was cut short after about 15 minutes when the car broke down. “That weird-looking man lied to us. He promised that the bus would get us to our destination without breaking down, but here we are.” Thankfully, there were shades nearby. Again, we all got down and stayed under the shade. This time, the car totally refused to turn on.
Again, the driver boarded a motorbike to go search for a mechanic. This time, he came back after 2 hours. After several trials, the stubborn car refused to work. “Please, just work. I am begging you.” Some passengers angrily left to find their way out. I would have left too, but I couldn't because my luggage was too much. We sat there for more than 3 hours. Luckily, just as I was lost in thoughts, one of my schoolmates came with a car, and I almost missed the golden chance. Hurriedly, without thinking twice, I got my luggage into his car and he gave me a ride to school. Usually, the journey from my house to school takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, but that day, I spent more than 8 hours on the road.
That journey was my worst ever. You know, it’s the kind of story you’d want to tell your children and grandchildren. Now, when I see a white 20-seater bus, I'm reminded of that awful experience. That experience is definitely not what I want to attempt ever again.
Thanks for reading.