It was back in 2019 when we attended a family wedding. My eldest brother was tying the knot, and we all travelled from Uyo to Ebonyi state for the joyous celebration. After the event, we spent an extra week accepting warm wishes from friends and well-wishers.
Then, on the following Monday, we decided to hit the road. It was a sunny morning, and the driver who would take us back to Uyo had just arrived. We packed all the necessary items into the car and finally boarded, bidding farewell to my mum and others who were yet to return to their respective destinations.
In the bus, were 7 of us, including the driver. The newlyweds, my younger brother, my cousin, and myself, along with a passenger the driver picked up along the way. We were all crammed into the bus, chatting and laughing for those interested, while some were sleeping. The drive was going smoothly, and we rested assured that we would reach our destination without any trouble. Little did we know that the opposite was about to happen.
We passed through many villages and towns until we reached Aba. The Aba road was in a very bad state, with potholes and dust everywhere requiring drivers to drive with care. As we navigated a one-way road, our driver, out of negligence, failed to notice a large obstacle ahead. By the time he tried to apply the brakes, it was too late, and a large truck was approaching from behind at high speed. Despite our driver's efforts to avoid a collision, it was futile.
Both drivers failed to control their vehicles as the truck tried to overtake our vehicle. In the process, the speeding truck crashed into our bus, causing it to lose stability and veer to the side of the road. The side mirrors on the affected side shattered, and the bus became stuffy as we all screamed for help and were pushed to one end. The truck fell and fortunately for us it didn't land on top of our vehicle. The truck driver quickly rushed out to assist us, as did the villagers nearby.
One passenger seated by the side door sustained injuries, and a few of us suffered minor injuries as well. I was injured near my eye, leaving a scar that remains to this day. My cousin appeared lifeless, which frightened us all. When we managed to get everyone out of the car, we discovered that she had fainted. We immediately administered first aid measures, successfully bringing her back to life.
As we regained our composure, we thanked God for sparing our lives. We heard stories from the villagers about how many lives had been lost in accidents on that road. In just 20 or 30 minutes, I realized how fragile life can be – one moment we are alive, and the next, anything can happen. There was no point in blaming either of the drivers; what mattered most was that we survived.
The experience taught everyone on the bus about the unpredictability of life and the importance of not taking our lives for granted. The reckless driving of both drivers led to the incident. With the car damaged, we had to wait by the roadside until we could find another vehicle to take us back to Uyo.