The bus I travelled with last week on my way to Delta, stopped at Ore, their normal stop point for feeding when they are plying the Lagos Benin road. We all alighted from the bus and the driver locked up, each one of us fourteen passengers, parading and buying anything of interest. When we were ready to continue on our journey, we discovered that three passengers were missing. Three of them sat together at the back of the bus and were travelling together. We searched the place, sat and waited for another one hour, but they did not appear. A passenger noticed that a box they carried which was in front of them, wasn’t in the bus, meaning when we all got off the bus, they alighted with the box.
Another passenger said one of the three passengers- a guy, a talkative woman and a lady in her twenties- had said initially that when we arrived Ore, they would alight and return to Lagos, because the person they were going to see in Warri was on his way to Lagos. We all had our opinions, we thought they behaved wrong because they ought to have informed the driver to avoid the confusion we found ourselves in and avoid time wasting, since we still had a long journey before us.
The driver reported to his company supervisor who was stationed were we stopped, and we proceeded. On getting to our final destination, a woman carried her bag and was shocked that it was empty.
I thought the three missing passengers had mistaking taken her small carry bag, thinking it was theirs. But the woman said the bag she was holding was hers, because her face towel was left in the side pocket and the main zip was still locked with her padlock.
The only explanation was the three passengers were thieves, who didn’t mind paying the complete fare from Lagos because they had a mission. They must have had a master key to have robbed someone off her money and Holland wrappers. One of the thieves, the woman among them, was always on the phone with whoever discussing her good news – Yar ‘ Adua’s death. She was evidently happy about it. We all heard that morning at the park. She was apparently very noisy in the bus to distract others, while her colleagues opened bags that were under seats and on the walkway, while some passengers were sleeping. That must be why they took the back seat. That must be why they paid extra for an air conditioned bus. They must believe that their operation will be more productive in the AC bus compared to the ones that are not air conditioned.
Other passengers might have gotten home to discover some things missing from their bags, unlike the woman who discovered at the park because her bag was small and everything in it was taken.
Every time, thieves learn a new method of operating. It is only God that can save us.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
DRUG EXPERIENCE
It was Saturday and I felt I needed to go to the hospital for checkup, because I had some serious pains in a breast, and while I had to be positive it was nothing, some negative thoughts of breast cancer kept rearing its ugly head.
Anyway, I went and saw the doctor and after examination said no big deal that it’s probably pain due to cold. He said I should ignore the thought of cancer, that I am too young for it, unless it runs in my family or I am a mother and not breastfeeding. None of the above so he asked if I had ulcer and prescribed my drugs, which I bought from the hospital pharmacy and home I went.
Back home, I was furious. Looking at the drugs, I realised I had all of them at home. B.co, folic acid, vitamin c and that little red iron caplet (which I don’t have). I complained of pains and the guy packed me full of multivitamins?
Anyway, my friend and neighbour was a bit down so she went to the pharmacy to get a malaria dose. Because I had plenty multivitamins, I gave her the ones I was given at the hospital and forgot about the whole thing, me still struggling with pains I could feel but which location was still unknown.
Tuesday, I went back to the hospital because the pains persisted, and the previous night while sleeping, I had turn on my chest and screamed from the pain. I located the origin of the pain and couldn’t wait for morning so I could return to the hospital. I was more worried because the pain came from underneath my breast, the bone surrounding my tender heart. I didn’t want a cardiac arrest or anything to be wrong with my heart where it was, and I definitely didn’t want any pain originating from there.
So later that morning, my friend accompanied me for support. The doctor examined me and asked if I used the medication he gave me.
Me: yes I did and the intensity of the pains has increased.
Doc: the drugs ought to have worked. That is what it is for. Ok, I will give you a stronger one now.
I hesitated thinking that I actually didn’t take the multivitamins he gave. But how could those help with pain?
Me: which of the drugs was for the pain?
Doc: the little red one
Me: (confused. Isn’t that the iron caplet) I thought that’s the blood or iron drug. The red one.
He looked at me. ‘You didn’t take it?
Me: I thought it was multivitamins.
Doc: How long did you use it?
Me: once
Doc: ok. I won’t give you anything else, you still have it right?
Me: no.
He looked at me askance
Me: I gave it to my friend who was ill. I thought they were multivitamins?
Doc: Does your friend have ulcer?
Me: no.
Doc: you are very lucky for that. That drug is not recommended for ulcer patients.
So doctor prescribed more of the red little round caplets for me and I left to get my prescription. In the reception, I met my friend.
Me: do you have ulcer? I asked her.
She shook her head and I told her what happened.
It was very funny. We recounted it to anyone who cared to listen, but it wasn’t really funny. It was a dangerous thing and had she had ulcer, I would have sang differently. Back home, I collected the drugs from her. She insisted she had headache and needed two. I refused because they weren’t panadol. I collected my drugs. Later, while we were watching Bayern destroy Lyon, another neighbour said he needed multivitamins and the others said ask Uzezi. Seriously?
Anyway, I learnt a lesson. Before this, I never abused drugs, now, I am extra careful.
Anyway, I went and saw the doctor and after examination said no big deal that it’s probably pain due to cold. He said I should ignore the thought of cancer, that I am too young for it, unless it runs in my family or I am a mother and not breastfeeding. None of the above so he asked if I had ulcer and prescribed my drugs, which I bought from the hospital pharmacy and home I went.
Back home, I was furious. Looking at the drugs, I realised I had all of them at home. B.co, folic acid, vitamin c and that little red iron caplet (which I don’t have). I complained of pains and the guy packed me full of multivitamins?
Anyway, my friend and neighbour was a bit down so she went to the pharmacy to get a malaria dose. Because I had plenty multivitamins, I gave her the ones I was given at the hospital and forgot about the whole thing, me still struggling with pains I could feel but which location was still unknown.
Tuesday, I went back to the hospital because the pains persisted, and the previous night while sleeping, I had turn on my chest and screamed from the pain. I located the origin of the pain and couldn’t wait for morning so I could return to the hospital. I was more worried because the pain came from underneath my breast, the bone surrounding my tender heart. I didn’t want a cardiac arrest or anything to be wrong with my heart where it was, and I definitely didn’t want any pain originating from there.
So later that morning, my friend accompanied me for support. The doctor examined me and asked if I used the medication he gave me.
Me: yes I did and the intensity of the pains has increased.
Doc: the drugs ought to have worked. That is what it is for. Ok, I will give you a stronger one now.
I hesitated thinking that I actually didn’t take the multivitamins he gave. But how could those help with pain?
Me: which of the drugs was for the pain?
Doc: the little red one
Me: (confused. Isn’t that the iron caplet) I thought that’s the blood or iron drug. The red one.
He looked at me. ‘You didn’t take it?
Me: I thought it was multivitamins.
Doc: How long did you use it?
Me: once
Doc: ok. I won’t give you anything else, you still have it right?
Me: no.
He looked at me askance
Me: I gave it to my friend who was ill. I thought they were multivitamins?
Doc: Does your friend have ulcer?
Me: no.
Doc: you are very lucky for that. That drug is not recommended for ulcer patients.
So doctor prescribed more of the red little round caplets for me and I left to get my prescription. In the reception, I met my friend.
Me: do you have ulcer? I asked her.
She shook her head and I told her what happened.
It was very funny. We recounted it to anyone who cared to listen, but it wasn’t really funny. It was a dangerous thing and had she had ulcer, I would have sang differently. Back home, I collected the drugs from her. She insisted she had headache and needed two. I refused because they weren’t panadol. I collected my drugs. Later, while we were watching Bayern destroy Lyon, another neighbour said he needed multivitamins and the others said ask Uzezi. Seriously?
Anyway, I learnt a lesson. Before this, I never abused drugs, now, I am extra careful.
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