Journey During Pandemic -By Isah Aliyu Chiroma

The cloud of journey awoke me in the midnight, I fasten to run so that I will not be flogged by the heavy rain of pandemic across the roads. I came out early to get the first bus which will convey me with my languages. Hopefully, I got one as expected. Soon, the journey began. The bus began driving into the regions, communities, and states, where we caught glimpses through the windows. We drove past my hometown ( Bauchi state) where we stopped at the entrance gate. I bought some snacks to eat and also bought some cold drinks for refreshments during the journey. I forgot to buy “Masan Bauchi”, after catching my sight from the mirror at the front door of the driver. I bought some also. The journey continued. We were all quiet and hoping to reach our destination in the expected time, but it was a different story, where you could spend two hours standing in one spot without moving. Even the car engine taught the journey was over.

We kept watching through the transparent glass screen of the windows from both sides hoping. We drove past towns no larger than the suburbs of my hometown. Long stretches of the road were poorly maintained from the line taken at the threshold. Some cars parked beside the roadside and the passengers were all out gasping for air. Soon the line moves a bit, where the cars cry for space to maintain the line so as to avoid harassment from the security personnel. Along the way we saw a lot, people going to worship centers, markets, and workplaces. The image that came to my mind then was when the roads were closed no movement and I imagined how people survived. But what I believe was that we are in the post-pandemic era. On reaching where the security personnel was at the open city of Jos town, we step out of the car to be checked by health practitioners to test your health condition using an instrument. After testing the instrument on your body, it will detect your body temperature, then you wash your hands. Soon the journey continued. We drove fast as we could to reach the next stop point on time before others arrive. On reaching there, we were asked to park by the roadside and the driver should meet the other security personnel at the extreme end of the road inside a room. What was the question he would be asked that we are not supposed to know? A lot of us thought about it. It was a language they speak which consists of figures. when you can’t speak the language, you will be left behind and kept looking like a stranger been flogged by fear across the road, watching others passing. Hopefully, our driver spoke the language correctly and came out smilling. We wave them goodbye with the scratching sound of our tyres making sounds of anger towards the angry cloud wanting to shed some tears.

We moved with the heavy breeze like the days, the journey of six hours now turns to ten hours. Then imagine you traveling for ten hours on the normal situation. That was how the journey during pandemic was. Stressful, energetic, and flogged by fear of death. On reaching our destination, before entering the city of Abuja, there was the last checkpoint. We parked at the extreme end of the roadside, where we all step out of the car to be checked. I was the next person to be checked, and the health practitioner was busy looking somewhere else. His sight was caught by some noise he heard from behind. I met the next person for the check. All I was thinking then was a situation where the instrument will go faulty and detect high body temperature. Then I believe it will be a different story. After the checking was done successfully, a passenger from a bus behind us was detected with high body temperature. Which he explained he has malaria, and his body was week also. We left them there and the journey continued. I thought of what will be the end of the story with that situation. It’s already past four when we arrive. It was a strange condition which I have never experienced. I sat down thinking of those moments and hours we spent doing nothing on the road.

Believe me ( some will not) we are now in the post-pandemic era. Where normal activities were back on track. But the education sector is yet to resume. But if the people were allowed to go to markets, worship centers, traveling from one state to another, and carry out other daily activities, why is it that schools and tertiary institutions were still not opened?. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”. If the education sector is yet to resume, how did you think we can solve problems creatively. The research laboratories were also close and the student that is to carry out the research is sitting at home doing nothing. How did you think we can resolve the health issues. But we fold our arms waiting for other countries to find a cure and sell to us, when we have the ability to carry out the research and find solutions. No nation has grown (without exception) without education. For education is the backbone of the society. When the society lacks education or creativity in general, it will be thrown back to it’s early days where a lot we see around we’re not found. It’s a glimpse of what will happen when we don’t give maximum attention to education in society. We will only be left looking and hoping. But nothing will change unless we change the change that has not been changed for long. Only then we can improve and come out to say something to be heard across the world.