To the North Again II

by Ezenwa Obumneme Ugochukwu

On the 25^th of March; three days after the surviving Lorries left after the war had failed to come through my village, I rode on a bicycle with Chima sweating ahead of me with our weights towards Onitsha to board any of the persuaded Lorries to the north.

“Makurdi is the farthest we will get,” a driver advised some north-bound passenger.

“Is there no bus for Kano?” a woman asked.

“Madam, please! What I know is what I have just told you,” the driver raised a hand to prevent any further argument from the woman.

“ONAGA! ONAGA!!” a lorry boy cried with his last breathe, announcing the entrance of the North-bound lorry.

To the North Again

by Ezenwa Obumneme Ugochukwu

Two weeks after the family buried our mother, and the letter of resignation sent to the Cam’ Herald was approved; I got another manila envelope besides the one whose content wished me well in my career ahead.  The letter came from Miriam querying why I decided to quit my job. She was disappointed and was the only colleague of mine who wrote to me from my former workplace. Candidly I wasn’t surprised, given that the moment I wrote my address on the upper right side of my resignation I knew she was going to write back.

“Merde!”

 “Nothing happens in this outfit without her busy-self knowing.” I remember hearing a frustrated worker complain of Miriam’s energy.