PART ONE
The sun is blazing hot across the sky. Its reflections cutting glare over the steel railings that strut the eastern Niger Bridge. The light is blinding as I look on- from the window of the Hummer-bus I'm boarded on. We are crossing over from Onitsha in Anambra- where the dregs of a shabby city settle to the bottom of the lower Iweka- towards Asaba in the Delta. The lower Iweka like a body stricken with sores and poxes stretches over the underbelly of the old city. Filth is everywhere, two and three storeys buildings jut out and cluster haphazardly, humans clutter and rush like soldier ants over the length and breadth of the old dirty city. Commerce is at its peak, and the woman next to me is already nodding towards my direction, fifteen minutes into the journey.
We make the cross, perfectly; and in few minutes, the car is smoothly gliding over the tarmac towards Asaba; the air around changes, switching from the ever hanging stench of urine- typical of Onitsha to the cool breeze of deepening vegetation as we approach Asaba.
The environmental change is phenomenal: scenic, serenade view.
The woman gives me a light head-butt this time; wakes lightly and mutters her sorries.
I want to get even- I want to doze and nod her too; on our way through Delta to Ibadan for this Peotry Slam.
Catch you after the nap!
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