Thanks for joining me again. Hope you loved the previous episode of my journey into this new life that I have to live for the next one year?
Well,another saga begins and it starts at the airport on the 6th of July, 2010. I got to the airport with my mum and a very big box on a not too rainy day very early (in fact too early for me), weighed my box and was seriously praying that it didn’t weigh more than 20 kg ‘cos I was not going to pay any more money (I had spent too much). To my surprise and pleasure it was 20.05kg, so I was very fortunate.
Theeen the waiting began. I arrived at 8:45 am, checked in by 9:10 am and started waiting for 11 am which was we were supposed to take off. The problem was necessary the waiting it was the ample time it gave my fears to take a hold of me. I used to travel by air when I was younger (and always with my parents) but I have grown up and know all what can happened to make the plane go down.
I was seriously praying against every form of problem that I could think of. I might have appeared calm but I was practically shaking. 11am came and we were not yet called to board the plane. 11: 30 am and still no call, by 11:45am we heard an announcement that our flight would be delayed due to some technical issues. My mind went into overdrive. I was like I knew it! Something is going to happen. ‘Technical issues’ Is that not the term that is used when something is really wrong with the plane?
By 12 noon, we were called to board the plane, by 12:15pm we were ready to take off. I was shaking and praying while we were leaving the runway. Ascending up was just something else, it is something that I don’t think I can describe. The seatbelts were to be used when taking off, in the case of turbulence, and when landing. Mine was locked THROUGHOUT, I didn’t even move to stretch or go to the ladies. Why would i? I was shaking; meanwhile the 2 guys at my side were busy sleeping. I felt like hitting there heads with my shoe. How DARE anyone sleep when I am so scared?
We got hit by turbulence the first time and it was not a funny issue. Apparently it was not going to be the last one. It was a rainy afternoon in almost every state that we passed through to Akwa-Ibom. We got hit by turbulence too many times for me to count. I was so scared that I closed my eyes every time that it happened. And guess what? People around me were practically nonchalant about the whole flight.
I think I must have finally calmed because I know I dozed off for about 20 minutes and woke up when we were almost near Akwa-Ibom.
Landing was something else. I grabbed the arms of the seat almost throughout and vowed that once I got my feet on the ground I would say a long prayer of Thanks to God. I also vowed not to enter a plane to go back to Lagos. I was going to risk it and take a bus.
After landing, the issue of how to get to the Nysc camp site become prominent in my mind. Fortunately for me, I meet some girls and a guy that happened to have finished from my school going to the same camp site. One of the girls had an uncle who lived in the state, so he was able to take us to the camp site.
Camp life was a very, very, very, very new experience for me and one that is going to be a very long story so why don’t you all join me later on for my thrilling and stressful adventure of camp life.
Hope you join me soon?
Keep checking this blog for my life story.
Luv, Petite Diva.
