It was during the long vacation that I decided to pay a visit to my home town, Egbelubi Ndashi in Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State. For about five years that I have been in secondary school, the news from home have been fascinating. Although I had been in my home town before, but I was young then and as a little boy, it would be difficult to recall the experiences I had for some years. My parents were afraid if I would be able to travel alone without anyone accompanying me. I made them to understand that the journey would not only be a safe one, but as an SS 3 student, I am matured enough to trace my steps back home.
I got to the motor park early in the morning in order to catch the first bus that would be going to Port Harcourt. As usual, the motor park was filled with prospective passengers who were waiting to board buses to their various destinations. One could hear the sound of vehicle horns and the hustle and bustle of people within and outside the park. Eventually, I got inside the luxurious bus and after all the processes had been observed, the bus was cleared to move out of the park enroute its destination. Just after about an hour, the vehicle had left the shores of two states and everyone was elated that the driver would be at our final destination soon.
As the journey continued, the bus was no longer moving as fast as it was when we started the journey. Passengers were worried over this development. When people could no longer keep quiet, one man spoke out and called the attention of the driver, who allayed passengers' fear that sometimes, the bus used to move slowly after some hours on the road. His response brought disquiet among the passengers who wondered why a bus should suddenly slow down its speed after some hours. People were not comfortable with his explanation and he was rather casual in his response. Everyone remained calm as the bus moved, but somebody perceived an unpleasant and foul odour and called on the attention of others. He quickly walked towards the back seat of the bus and saw smoke coming out of the engine compartment. He shouted and called on the driver to stop. The latter was defiant as he sped on, but when all the passengers shouted at him, he applied the brake and the bus stopped.
After the bus came to a halt and the passengers alighted, the driver went to open the engine compartment. What he saw there shocked him, because the smoke that blew to him at first drove him back. When the engine cooled down after about thirty minutes, and it was examined, it was discovered to the surprise of the driver and passengers. that a major damage had taken place. Many of the passengers, especially those who said they were hurrying to meet up with appointments in their destinations, were furious when told that the bus could no longer continue with the journey. The driver had to start appealing to them, while at the same time making frantic efforts to secure another bus for the now stranded passengers.
Everyone agreed that if the driver had heeded advice and stopped the bus earlier to examine the noticed fault, the damage to the engine might not have been too serious, and the bus could still make it to its destination This supports the saying that a stitch in time saves nine