Lagos, Nigeria.
Ifes got to the last bus station and took a cab to the hotel at Ikeja where she and the other student who was offered a scholarship were to lodge while they waited for their flight to Philadelphia. She had been informed that only two of them were from Nigeria, and each West African country had only two slots for the scholarship program.
Indeed, Lagos was too crowded, just as she had been told and had once read in an article. With their little landmark, Lagos still had the highest population in Nigeria. It was no wonder that during elections, their votes were usually the highest. Approximately eighteen million in number.
Ifes saw everything. Almost everything. The yellow and black Danfo buses, those who were walking on the road, students who were coming back from school, the rich, the poor, and many more.
The driver drove through some parts of Lagos before getting to Ikeja. Of all the things she read and was told about Lagos, only places like Lekki, Victoria IslAnd Ikeja and Banana Island fit into the descriptions. Or so she thought.
The driver pulled over in front of the hotel gate. She alighted from the cab and opened the trunk, brought out her box and closed it back before the driver sped off. She stood for a while and took in the exquisiteness of this grand hotel. Everything was primp and sparkly. She felt out of place, clad in her simple top and skirt, her hands gripping the handle of her fading travel bag. Summoning up courage, she went inside the building and straight to the receptionist as she was directed.
"You are welcome, Miss Ifesinachi." The receptionist smiled cheerfully. She introduced Ifes to the other scholarship benefactor, who was a nice-looking male, handed them the keys to their separate hotel rooms, and directed them to the elevator. Following the direction the receptionist gave, they found the elevator and entered with their luggages.
Ifes didn't know how to use the elevator as it was her first time, but the other student knew how. He pushed the button and the elevator moved up quickly.
She staggered, thrown off balance by the sudden uplift of the elevator. The other student caught her by the waist, preventing her from falling. He pressed his lips tight to restrain himself from laughing as he felt that she might feel embarrassed.
"Thank you," Ifes said shyly, avoiding his gaze as she released herself out of his firm grip.
"You are welcome," he replied, letting go of her. "By the way, I am Ayomide Alex Balogun. And you?"
"Ifesinachi Uzondu."
"Pleased to meet you, Ifesinachi." He brought out his hand for a handshake.
"Likewise." She accepted the handshake.
The elevator stopped at the seventh floor. Ifes and the other student took out their luggage, said goodbye to each other and entered their separate rooms. Ifes dropped her luggage in the proper positions, refreshed herself, and did all the necessary things before it was time to sleep.
Before she slept, she said her prayers and brought out her Bible to read.
Opening the Bible, she flipped over to the book of St Luke.
"Luke 4:16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."
When she finished reading that chapter of the Bible, she knew she was not just going to Pennsylvania for studies alone, but she knew God was sending her for a special purpose. She went on her knees and raised her hands towards heaven.
"I am yours Lord. I am honoured to be your vessel. Just use me the way it pleases you." She didn't know what lay ahead of her, but she gave thanks to God that night and slept peacefully.
Ifes and Ayomide came out of their separate rooms opposite each other, almost the same time in the morning of the next day. "Good morning." Ayomide greeted, Ifes replied as they both made their way out of the hotel. They tossed their keys to the receptionist, and thanked her cheerfully.
The receptionist grinned. "Have a safe trip to the States."
"Yes, Ma'am ," Ayomide said.
"Thank you so much, Ma'am," Ifes said.
The receptionist nodded and waved her hands as they walked out of the hotel building.
Ifes and Ayomide flagged down one of the cabs that drove them to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
"Welcome on board. Thank you for flying with us," a voice spoke through the intercom when Ifes, Ayomide and other passengers were already seated inside the plane.
With every passing second, Ifes felt closer to the US. The hostess gave some instructions. Ifes felt her heart leaping for joy. The whole thing was a new experience for her.
Ifes felt her heart melting inside her stomach because of the way the airplane shook as it started going airborne. "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" Ifes gripped her seat so tight her knuckles turned white, thinking the aeroplane would crash.
"Stop it. You are embarrassing us." Ayomide looked around, his gaze returned to Ifes and this time, he wasn't able to stop himself from laughing.
How much drama had he seen from the girl under twenty-four hours, and how many would he see in time to come?
She was beautiful and weird. What a combination!
Ifes bent her head, feeling embarrassed. "I am sorry. It's my first time flying in an airplane."
He leaned sideways, and held her right hand. "And yesterday was also your first time using an elevator?"
She hissed, jerking her hand away as heat poured into her body.
"You don't have to feel embarrassed. We are friends now, ain't we?"
Ifes didn't budge or say anything.
He took one of her hands between two of his. "I want you to see me as your brother. Be comfortable with me." He gave her a reassuring look as he smiled affirmatively.
"You know, this is also my first time traveling outside the country, but not my first time flying," Ayo said.
"You travel with the local flights?"
"Yep," Ayo replied.
"Umm! This means..."
Reading her facial expression, and knowing what she was driving at, he laughed. "No, I wasn't frightened when the aeroplane went airborne. I'm not one who is easily scared, and I had other friends who had travelled with the aeroplane, so it wasn't a new thing for me. Enough about me now, I'd like you to tell me about yourself," Ayo said.
Ifes stared out the window. "Nothing much to talk about me."
Ayo leaned forward and fixed his gaze on her. "But I'm sure it'll be interesting."
"How sure are you?" Ifes moved her gaze from the window and raised a brow at Ayo questioningly.
"Well, everyone has something interesting about them." Ayo tilted his head and leaned backward.
"Mmm! My dad is a commercial driver, and my mum is a pepper seller. I'm the first born of my parents. I have three siblings, two twin brothers and a sister. Umm! I am a Christian."
Ifes was almost certain that she saw him mutter, 'Thank you, Jesus', under his breath after she said she was a Christian.
"Oh! Twin Brothers. Can you tell me their names?"
Ifes wanted to ask what he needed their names for, but decided to keep quiet and answer him anyways.
"And your sister?" he asked.
"What about her?"
"What's her name?"
Ifes hesitated, but later told him.
"What about you? Tell me about yourself," Ifes asked, defying the silence that encompassed them.
"I thought you'd never ask." Ayo smirked.
Ifes looked away. "Never mind, I am not interested."
"Oh come on! You know I wasn't serious with that."
She didn't turn to look at him.
"Okay, I am sorry!"
When she didn't move or say anything, he started making fake sobs.
She gave him a sly look. "You better keep quiet, you are now the one embarrassing us."
"Not until you tell me you have forgiven me."
"Why should I? Did I tell you that you made me angry?"
"No, but your action says it all."
"Well, I am not angry."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am not."
"Yes, you are."
"Okay, okay! I have forgiven you."
He glanced up at her, beamed and wiped his fake tears. "Thank you."
"My father is a police officer, DSP to be precise. My mother is an on-air personality, I have two siblings, a brother and a sister. My brother's name is Sola. My sister who is the last born of my parents is Bukola. I am also the first born of my parents and also a Christian. You know what else? I traveled a lot with my Dad when he got transferred."
Ayo went on to tell her the names of the states he'd lived in nationwide, and the languages he learnt.
After flying for eleven hours and twenty-three minutes, the aeroplane finally landed in Philadelphia which was the capital of the State, and also where the university resided.
After what an average Nigerian considered the 'initial gragra' by the immigration officers, Ifes and Ayomide were finally allowed into the country.
"You are welcome to America."
Ifes was grateful that Ayomide was with her as he understood the immigration officer's accent. All thanks to those days she refused to watch foreign movies with her brothers. Her brother's would have done better. But here she was, disgracing herself, her family, her country, Nigeria, and Africa. She wished she could go back in time to change some things, but what was done was already done.
Ifes heaved a sigh of relief as soon as they got out of the airport. They boarded a cab that drove them straight to the University of Pennsylvania.
"That was impressive." Ifes tilted her head to look at Ayo.
Ayomide grinned. "Well, thanks to my diction instructor back in secondary school, watching foreign movies and documentaries."
"So you like watching them?" Ifes asked, remembering her brothers.
"Ah! I watch them a lot, I've watched Black Panther, Avengers, Mortal Kombat, Acrimony and even..."
The driver pulled over in front of the school gate, letting them know they had arrived at their destination. They alighted from the cab, brought down their luggages from the trunk, paid the driver before he sped off.