Vegas Bread
"Vegas!" I shouted as I waved down a tricyclist, popularly known as Keke Napep. I was all smiles.
"50 naira," the keke man echoed.
I have never been to Vegas Restaurant and Bakery, the new bakery in town. Everyone is either talking about it or visiting it. It seemed I was the only one that had no appetite for not only food, but good things.
My best (female) friend always go there with her boyfriend. Any time she comes home, I'll definitely have a fresh Vegas bread to eat. The said bread has low sugar, and is preferred by many.
"Vegas bread is the best," my friend said cheerfully.
"Have you calculated the cost of going from here to the place? Just to get a loaf of bread," I hissed.
I had no plans of going to get it myself. But on my graduation another friend of mine demanded it. Because I was excited, I promised to get it for her. There's nothing there! I thought. Just bread. Nothing more.
A week later, to fulfill my promise. I left home and instead of the keke man to take me to the place I paid him for. He took me to the ministry of works, close to the Ebonyi State Prison Service.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes, just cross to the other side of the road," he advised as I gave him the note.
I trekked down just as he advised and asked someone where the bakery was and I was surprised to know that it is located somewhere very far from where I was stopped.
I laughed. For the second time, Abakaliki city has cheated me.
I waved down a bike man who charged me a hundred naira to commute me there.
My confusion and anger walked me into the bakery where I got the bread (350).
When I walked out of that place, I knew for once that I had not journeyed into the Abakaliki hinterland as I always claimed. There are still many places yet to be visited. But how can I ever visit these places if the commuters we so much trust keep duping money off us like that?
Bread in hand facing my friend. She giggled. "Wow, you fulfilled your promise."
I smiled to hide the pain and the stress getting that single bread caused me. She never knew. She smiled. I smiled. We smiled until I pick up my phone to write this.
"50 naira," the keke man echoed.
I have never been to Vegas Restaurant and Bakery, the new bakery in town. Everyone is either talking about it or visiting it. It seemed I was the only one that had no appetite for not only food, but good things.
My best (female) friend always go there with her boyfriend. Any time she comes home, I'll definitely have a fresh Vegas bread to eat. The said bread has low sugar, and is preferred by many.
"Vegas bread is the best," my friend said cheerfully.
"Have you calculated the cost of going from here to the place? Just to get a loaf of bread," I hissed.
I had no plans of going to get it myself. But on my graduation another friend of mine demanded it. Because I was excited, I promised to get it for her. There's nothing there! I thought. Just bread. Nothing more.
A week later, to fulfill my promise. I left home and instead of the keke man to take me to the place I paid him for. He took me to the ministry of works, close to the Ebonyi State Prison Service.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes, just cross to the other side of the road," he advised as I gave him the note.
I trekked down just as he advised and asked someone where the bakery was and I was surprised to know that it is located somewhere very far from where I was stopped.
I laughed. For the second time, Abakaliki city has cheated me.
I waved down a bike man who charged me a hundred naira to commute me there.
My confusion and anger walked me into the bakery where I got the bread (350).
When I walked out of that place, I knew for once that I had not journeyed into the Abakaliki hinterland as I always claimed. There are still many places yet to be visited. But how can I ever visit these places if the commuters we so much trust keep duping money off us like that?
Bread in hand facing my friend. She giggled. "Wow, you fulfilled your promise."
I smiled to hide the pain and the stress getting that single bread caused me. She never knew. She smiled. I smiled. We smiled until I pick up my phone to write this.
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