The skies are musty, red and vile, did global warming eventually happen. The rusted old buses which were the then popular Lagos yellow danfo buses were covered in dust and hidden in fogs,
I stood gazing from across the third mainland bridge at how poisoned the once blue sea that spread across the lagoon was now a toxic acidic bath, graffiti on the side of the bridge indicating the 'suicide bathtub', maybe people would jump in, to end it all at a time like this. Speaking of time, I still don't know what happened to me and why I am standing on the bridge and what could have been, am I even alive or dreaming, what year is this ?
All I could remember was the streets of Lagos or what remained of it. Then i see it, a name tag around my chest, a bit rusty but with three words on it FES as if two more letters were missing, I wanted to understand my situation, I believe I have a mind because I can understand my thoughts, it's getting cold and dark, sometimes hot then mild, every step I took on wards became a loop in time, all I could see were more and more yellow Danfo buses, no cars.
I had attempted crossing from one side of the bridge and back to the other side, but still couldn't help but hold sway over my frame, all the bones in my body just wanted to go further, Seeking an unknown exit to the unknown,There was no ending to an end.
Walking this bridge, I had wavering thoughts, even if this was global warming, or the end of the world. why are there no sign of people,one of two weird things I noticed, straight down the middle, the main road was a clear path with no obstructions, the other weird thing was the sight of only these yellow rusted buses on the sides, on each bus there was a number, peculiar numbers, with one or no tyres at all, weird, but very peculiar.
Suddenly…"Fes"
I paused for a minute
It was a voice, faint, but a voice...
someone had called out my name tag or this rusted badge, it must mean something,
I'm not alone, I'm definitely not alone
As darkness covered, fogs thickened, a musky atmosphere,
I turned around only to see this figure calling my name tag through the window of one of the Danfo buses, I was curious, shadowed figure, but from the shape of the head, voice and the two things dangling around the ears, I was certain this was a woman.
So I embraced some courage and walked towards bus number 69.
Sun finally set in, red rays transcends the clouds into a warm night, while still trying to process my thoughts. I heard her call out to me one more time as I drew nearer, just ten feet away from her, I noticed that musky smell again. I could have sworn I saw something or someone moved.. and it's getting dark for me to see.
Pam!!! A slam on the window of the bus, it was someones palm.
Tried to slide open the bus from the passengers side but it wouldn't budge, I tried to glare through the dusty windows to see if I could see the figure in question, but to no avail. She maintained her position, all these weird thoughts going through my head, why is she sat still. She called out Fes, I would assume that was my name, on top of that I am right outside the bus, why hasn't she moved ?
I go around the bus to see if I could open the door from the drivers side, no avail.
Maybe she was suffocating and needed help, so I quickly turned my curiosity to heroism, I tried to look for a stone or metal to break the window of bus 69.
I came closer and noticed something strange.. all the buses from before had vanished all around me. Felt very lost and didn't know what was going on anymore.
I quickly ripped a part of my shirt, tied it round my fist and gave the glass a good shatter, put my hand through the drivers door from the inside and quickly let myself in, at that point the safest thing to do before I vanish too... I am in now
look for the figure in the shadows, she had vanished herself, why was this bus the only Danfo with complete tyres. I tried to look for clues, first checked the visor for a key maybe, there was nothing but a note that said 'open me at the final bus stop.'
Hmmm...
I reach out to the glove compartment, and voila there was a key and another note that said 'start ignition.'
I insert the keys in the ignition and just before I could put it on gear, I was surrounded by flames, like I was transported to another dimension, I couldn't feel the heat outside but I knew in front of me was bus 52 with one tyre and in front of bus 52 was bus 67 in no order at all.
All of a sudden, the heat from the flame around us starts getting warmer, I started feeling the heat inside the bus, still nobody was burning in any pit of hell,
I realised I was in a cue, but was this the final bus stop the note foretold,
suddenly a flashing figure appeared right in front of me, it was her, the woman from before, sitting right next to me, this time so bright I couldn't see her facial features just her figure, 'what the hell?' I panicked, but just before I could jump out she called that name tag again
'FES' ...'FES'...
What in hell ?
Las I tried to compose myself and asked her who she was and what I was doing here, I asked her why it was so hot outside, all of a sudden she blew out through her mouth, a calm breeze that brought shivers down my spine,
Is this hell ? I asked.
'no' she replies.. open the note she said to me.. then again just as I was hesitant to open the note, 'Open it!' she says again.
As I opened the note slowly, finally some answers....
As I anticipated reading the note, the lady figure vanished right before my eyes.
Maybe she was an angel, or maybe she was a demon 😈
THE NOTE:
'Wake up bros you've been dreaming, you are stuck in traffic, you still dey third mainland traffic and your fuel don finish like this.'
I woke up immediately with a slight relief, I look to my front, cars and buses, to my left the ocean washing across the lagoon, the Ac breezing through my nostrils, the musky aroma of my air fresheners, no wonder I thought the figure was an angel. my name is not Fes,
The engine of the car goes off.
"Festac!! Festac!! The conductor across me screaming at the top of his lungs, under this heat, traffic was even still, who was he shouting at ? Fes wasn't a name it was a place I heard in my subconscious.
My name is Albert, I remember clearly and Festac was where I was heading to before I fell asleep 3 hours ago.
It's 8pm now,
People still walking along the side of the bridge, no apocalypse, just Lagos traffic.
The End..