“We are going for a wild ride guys, so fasten your belts”. Just as the same guy in the other car rolled down his side glass and raised up a long stretched item, pointing it towards the SUV driver…

Taking Off

About thirty minutes after exiting the main toll gate, still about the inter-state’s highway road, Kemi heard a continuous bumpy sound outside the window. “What’s that sound coming from your seat Kemi?” Segun asked, sitting next to the driver. “Well, if I had a clue, I’d have stopped now, won’t I?” Kemi gave a curious response. “I think it’s the sound of a flat tyre” Chichi, sitting next to Kemi at the back seat in Segun’s silver coloured SUV. “Really! We barely just left the city, not even halfway to our destination yet. So much for our calculated two-hour road trip” Kemi sighed.

As the driver slowed down to pull over and check the tyre, he hardly noticed a biker coming from his right side. “Thanks to your rock music Segun, we almost ran that biker down because we didn’t notice him on time”. Kemi remarked. “Look on the bright side, the music keeps our driver from dosing off while the rest of us dream away”, Gab commented, sitting just behind the driver. 

“Another twenty minutes gone, now and the tyre is fixed, can we start moving already?” Kemi couldn’t hold it seeing the driver leaving the car to go take a leak. “Let’s just give him a break guys, we are leaving already” commented Segun. As they continued their journey, Gab asked, “is anyone giving the bride’s peeps updates about our little drawback?” just as Kemi was about to reply, Chichi held her hands saying “the network is a little poor here, no calls are going through”. 

The Checking Point

Just about a few miles from the tyre issue spot, there stood a black pickup van with four-uniformed men in black outfits and berets, each holding a gun and standing at strategic lengths from each other. As the closest man raised his left hand up, swaying it downwards with an expression that says “pull over to your right” the driver couldn’t but understand what he needed to do. “What do these Policemen want again? Why did they have to stop our own car out of all the cars passing through?” “I’m sure it’s just a regular routine check” Segun responded, trying to calm Kemi down. “And there goes another time length wasted” Chichi exclaimed as the men left them and they drove on. “I’m surprised all they did was ask for the car papers to be honest”. 

Road Diversion

“Before we cease getting surprised, please why is there a road-diversion ahead?” Gab asked, hoping the driver or Segun will have a better view and know what’s up. “There is a road block ahead hence, everyone going has to divert right and take the route through the village” the driver replied. “And there goes another one. Hopefully, we’ll get to meet the leftover souvenirs from the wedding party” Kemi sarcastically remarked.

Shortly within the village road, the car came to a complete halt again with a crowd of villagers standing about two cars ahead of theirs. “Hello, please what’s going on in front there?” Gab rolled down the glass to ask a passer-by coming from the scene. “A street hawker was hit by that car (as he pointed towards a Volkswagen Passat ride) while she was crossing the road. They are trying to sort a medical option for her” the passer-by responded. “Thank you Sir” Gab replied the young man. After picking up the hawker and the Passat headed for the hospital, Segun and his crew continued on their trip and shortly after, “Thank goodness we are back on the main road” Kemi’s remarked. 

Highway Bandits

As the freeway looked clear straight ahead, the driver raised the speed, Segun turned his music back to the highest mode and Gab picked up his discussion with Chichi where they left off before the road diversion. Few moments later, “Oga is it just me or does the car behind us seem to be tailing us?” the driver asked Segun. “It’s probably just you being paranoid” Kemi responded to the driver as she turned back to look at the car in mention. As the driver kept on his usual speed, the same car drove towards the left side of Segun’s SUV attracting the attention of all five of them.

“What sign is that guy beside the driver making?” Chichi asked out of curiosity. “He’s telling Sulaimon to pull over I guess. Sulaimon, get ready to fully step on the throttle, we are going for a wild ride guys, so fasten your belts”. Just as the same guy in the other car rolled down his side glass and raised up a long stretched item, pointing it towards the SUV driver, Sulaimon switched his gear, raised the car sound and the next thing, Gab was looking at the other car behind them as theirs kept speeding off like they were on a race track. Shortly afterwards, the cars on the road increased and the bandits’s car took a left turn into another village or bush as they tried to avoid unnecessary attention. “Whew! That was unexpected I must admit” Gab sighed as he turned his face forward, only to see Chichi’s head on his laps, with her entire body fitting to the left base side of the car and Kemi’s body fitting into the other side’s base, behind Segun’s seat. “You can both sit up now ladies. The party is over” Gab exclaimed subtly. “I’ll know the party is over when Sulaimon isn’t over-speeding like he’s driving a sport car”. Kemi responded before raising her head up to check the status.

Change of Plans

“Finally, we can meet the reception even if we miss the wedding train photo shoot session” Chichi said, with an optimistic tone as they got closer to the wedding venue. “But why is the street this crowded today? Where are the wedding vehicles, what’s the red and white tape barricading the street for?” as Kemi and everyone got highly curious. “Good afternoon,” Segun asked a bike transport guy around the same street, “what’s going on here?” “Oga, there was a robbery on this street last night and about five people were shot, dead or alive, nothing is confirmed yet. But the security operatives have barricaded this street from any regular activity throughout today” the biker responded. “But, there is a wedding service and reception planned to hold on this street today” Gab mentioned to the biker. “Yes, the whole activity was cancelled here. Heard they moved it somewhere but you can confirm from anyone you know who’s attending”.

“Hi Mary, how are you? What’s going on? Where is the wedding holding?” Kemi merged all the questions over the phone to Mary the Event Planner’s Assistant. “Hello Ma, so sorry we couldn’t inform you earlier, the phone lines were bad. The wedding has been shifted to another location due to unforeseen circumstances, but you will need a biker to guide you to the new wedding service and reception venue. Can you ask any biker if they can come to Nebu-Bay? They will know where it is. Or rather, just give the phone to a biker and I’ll explain to him how to get here while you follow his trail” Mary advised.

Shortly after they got to the new venue, Mary was already waiting for them at the bay’s main entrance, she took up sorting the biker’s fee as the travelers went on into the wedding. They were just in time to meet the part where the bride kissed the groom as the sun rays fell on them right next to the sea waves, also blowing at them. “Guess the planner has a strong contact at this beach to be able to source for a hut and arrange all these to cover the attendees on such short notice.” Chichi noted with an impressed aura.

“So much for all the drawbacks on our way here, only to attend a wedding service and party at the seaside” Gab remarked. “Well, everything happens for a reason in the end, even for a proposed two-hours turned six-hours road trip” Segun’s final comment as Gab took Chichi’s hand and they both headed to dance with the newly-weds.

Micheal Tadese