Aside

That's a willful accusation of the good people of Aba. But what can I say? She's beautiful and she was wearing a nice mini gown and chocks and behaving like she just came into the country and coming to the great city of Aba for the first time.

When she came into the bus, she asked "how many people sit on a row, three or four? I didn’t say anything. I didn't want to. I had encountered her a few minutes ago and she acted like she doesn't go to the toilet, like she just dropped from the sky and that guy with her, he was pampering her so much. But what could I do?  She's so beautiful.

She asked again and the lady beside her answered " three people sit on a row. " It was as if she wasn't convinced because she asked again. Then the lady who answered her spoke in a voice that sounded as if she was alarmed. She said "stop asking so they won't hear your question and carry four people." I was surprised to hear that. I turned and said to both of them "They carry just three people, never four."

I thought that lending my voice to their conversation would convince her but that was when she committed the crime: when she insulted the great city of Aba and her people. She said "Is it not Aba? I thought they even seat five five on a row." I couldn't believe my ears. How dare she? Was she trying to imply that the great city of Aba does not care for her children and visitors? Does she know Aba? The great city that opens her arms to all the other cities around and never tries to scare them with her bad roads? The city that opens her arms in trade,  selling both original and fake goods without any bias for either.

 I was visibly vexed at that audacious and unfounded insult and accusation on the great city of Aba. A man from the back seat told her "They can't carry four people. It's not possible." The lady who was pleading with her kept on pleading with her to stop so they don't increase the number of passengers. She replied "I'm just saying because that's how I thought people in Aba would behave." That was when I turned to her and said in a stern tone, "dem no fit carry four people. Na only three three people dem de carry for seat. Dem no fit try am." And that was all I could do because she was so beautiful.

Throughout the journey, she kept behaving like Oyibo. And for me, I kept stealing glances at the lady who insulted the great city and the guy who was pampering her so much. He was feeling like he got a catch. But who am I to blame him; she is so beautiful.  However, as we got closer to the great city of Aba, we got held up in traffic. I heard my Oyibo lady say something in Igbo and I smiled. "Aba don de touch her small small."  When you come, you will bow. Such is the power of the great city of Aba.

But what will she do when she encounters her very bad roads, her flooded streets, the mosquito infested gutters and all those very nasty sights? What will she  do when she goes to Ariaria and the other markets where shop owners and buyers swim to the market; where a woman sells her wares beside huge refuse dumps? Then maybe, she might make a tour to areas like Ngwa road, Osusu and Omuma roads.  Maybe that's when she will understand the kindness of the great city. That's when she will understand that the great city has the power to kill her children and visitors with diseases and infections. Yet, in her kindness, she chooses to send them to her hospitals instead, where they are treated with cheap drugs that makes them to visit over and over again. I remember my father complain that the drugs his doctor gives him is not effective. He actually calls them routine drugs. 

That's why we remain grateful to our great leader-T. A ORJI, the OCHENDO of the great city of Aba for his large heart and kindness. Can we ever forget him and his huge impact on the great city of Aba?

Long live the great city of Aba.

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