In the mind

He was more anxious than excited.He had never been on an airplane.He was scared stiff of flying after watching those two planes slam into the twin towers just a month ago.That was the reason he changed his mind about flying to the Abuja embassy to pick up his visas.
He braved the roads.He said his rosaries all the way since that route wasn't completely innocous either.

Now as he sat in the lobby of the new improved Murtala Muhammed Airport,he vividly remembers the last time he was here.It was in the 80s.He had come to say bye to his dad who was leaving for a course in the UK.Those days,you were still allowed to accompany passengers almost to the tarmac.He had sworn that one day,he too would be getting on one of those aircrafts.Here he was,not entirely enamored with the idea.But go he must.

The situation at home was getting worse.He was one of the lucky ones with a Residency slot in the Lagos University Hospital,LUTH.Even that was not all he thought it would be.He constantly felt his training was substandard.He wanted something better.He was able to live reasonably well on his resident salary,but he worried whether that would be the same once he got married.

Marriage!That's the taboo word.He cast a quick furtive glance on the lady beside him.She had insisted on taking him to the airport.He had barely maintained eye contact all the way to the airport.That was another nebulous void in his subconscious.He wonders when he'd actually meet that one.These girls all fall in the same category.Desperate for commitment,one not much different from the other.

It was becoming alarmingly easy to score these days once he became a senior resident.All the female med students simply flung themselves at him.It made his task worse rather than easier.He still remembers the Deaconesse's strong words.He had to bring somebody home in a year.Anybody!But things don't have to be this way.He just doesn't feel that special connection with any of the current possibilities.Something tells him that once that special lady comes along,he'd know it.

Then the flight was called.The poor girl had tears rolling down her cheeks.They were tears of uncertainty.She knew he was going for good.Away from her forever.She genuinely loved him,but she'd found it difficult to read where his mind was headed.Even the sex had become insipid in the days running into this departure.She must say goodbye now.But one last kiss.She knew it.Very indifferent.She waved one last time.Then he disappeared into the check-in area.Gone.

He looked out the plane's thick,tiny window.He had been seated next to this caucasian lady probably in her 20s.He momentarily wonders if he might end up with one of these once he arrives in England.She flashed a charitable smile and nods at him.
Are you going to London?
He answered in the affirmative.Once she said she would be ending her journey in Frankfurt,he knew he would not continue this conversation much further.

Are you German?
No,I'm American she replied,catching a connecting flight in Frankfurt.He had so much admiration for the United States,but resented how applicants were handled at the embassy.He wonders if there might be a chance to visit in the future.For now,he had to concentrate on passing his British Medical Licensing exams.He doesn't have that much cash,and the clock will start ticking once he sets foot on Heathrow.
He slept.

The huge 747 finally touched down in Heathrow.He wasn't even aware 6 hours had passed.He'd slept throughout the whole flight from Frankfurt.He felt a strange wave of anticipation sweep through his inner core.Uncertainty.He knows this is a completely different chapter in his life now.He was beginning again.He had received a lot of kind advice from his more fortunate colleagues who had left the system straight out of medical school and were now established in the UK.Now is the time to start putting them to good use.
"Please step aside",a drawly, strangely familiar voice seemed to be directed at him.
Excuse me?
Yes, you sir.

He now realized why the accent sounded familiar.It was the same queens English he was well acquainted with in the Bond franchise.This big burly man in his mid 40s had no-nonsense written all over him.
He had been set aside for special screening.He had been warned by his colleagues that his green passport will assail him constantly like the mark of the biblical Caine.Well,here he was.After a long and detailed special search of his person and carry-on luggage,it was finally time to go check if his checked-in baggage arrived in one piece too.Several tales of valuables missing after the customs clearance in Lagos abound.He hardly had any valuables,so that wasn't going to be a great loss.

He had been prepared.He fished out some coins to use the airport payphones.Where are the guys?They were meant to have been waiting for him at the arrival lobby.He took another careful effort to scan the whole lobby.No sight of his friends.He had to call the cell phone number he was given now.It was getting dark.It was a strange city.
"Your call cannot be completed as dialled,please try again later".
This was not possible.It was the umpteenth time he had slotted in his coins.And he was running out of coins.

He was flummoxed.Completely out of ideas now.He had made no contingency plans.The last passengers have now left the terminal,and the cleaners were trying their best to mop up for the day.He felt the first pang of hunger.Even the McDonald outlet he'd noticed in the lobby earlier was now closed.But food is not the most important worry at the moment.Where was he going to spend the night?Should he walk up to a policeman and request for help?More confusion.He had never felt more alone in his entire life.

"David"!
He was jolted out of his misery.Almost too scared to turn around,he doubted it was really him the person was calling.Afterall David is a western name,there must be a gazillion davids here.He prayed hard he was wrong.Very slowly,he turned around.The young black male calling his name appeared vaguely familiar but not overtly so.He was tall,muscular and in airport cleaning staff uniform.He also had an accent.

"David Noah"!Now this was not getting any easier for him.
"Have we met sir?".
He half hoped so.He needed any kind of reprieve very badly now.His legs were getting numb,tired from hours of roaming this truly humongous airport for any sign of his friends.
"Sure,we have"!

He later discovered Ayo Bello was someone they'd attended St Barth's boys together,almost a decade ago.He had arrived the UK 5 years ago straight out of College and now combines 3 jobs to make ends meet.But he was a more robust Ayo.His cheeks were all filled in and his skin much healthier looking.The scorching heat of the tropics does things to the skin.

Ayo was familiar with similar horror stories having been doing this part-time airport job for a couple of years.Several passengers have had to sleep in the terminal overnight after their hosts failed to show up.He however also offered another possibility.Who knows what happened to his friends?They could have been in an accident or something.Anyhow,Ayo offered him some help with accomodation.It was not a 5-star hotel,he warned.
David was over the moon now.At least he's going to have somewhere to lay his head tonight.Tomorrow will take care of itslelf.Ayo had to make a quick call to alert his wife who wasn't expecting any guests.

The trip to East Ham on the underground service was much longer than his fatigued soul could handle.He was knocked out again through most of the trip.Ayo had to wake him up at stops to change trains.
The council flat where Ayo lived was on the 7th floor.And the elevators were broken.He could not help but notice piles of overflowing refuse in the common area on ground floor.The volume of occupants in this huge apartment complex regularly overwhelmed the waste management team's efforts.

The battle to make it to 7th floor was tough.There were no helpers here and the stairs were steep.It was now 1:30AM. His light blue shirt was crumpled and sweat was everywhere.He knew he looked like a refugee.But wasn't he?
Ayo's wife,Linda appeared very kind.She received him well.Linda showed him to the bathrooms first and indicated the couch was not too uncomfortable as this was a single bed flat.He had a long bath.By the time he emerged from the bathroom,Linda and Ayo had hit the sack.The TV was on.

The images on TV were dominated by the storming of the Indian parliament by terrorists.Throughout his own ordeal of the day,he'd been oblivious of the mayhem transpiring half-way round the world.As he saw some disturbing images of violence,he realized he needed to be grateful to God.He was alive afterall.Tomorrow,the battle really begins.His clock which started ticking on arrival at Heathrow had appeared to stand still through his ordeal.But that was only a mirage.He began slipping into deep sleep.

For the first time in a very long time,he dreamt.

**********************************************************************************

He could only describe it as red hot coal scalding the flesh on the inside of his stomach.His last regular meal was in Lagos about 24 hours earlier.He had slept through all the meals served on the flights.Now as the strangely familiar hunger pangs gently eased him into wakefulness,he had the opportunity for the first time to take in his surroundings.

The living room was the size of a regular Lagos domestic water reservoir with only enough room for a loveseat,a sidestool and a 14" color TV.The carpet was well worn and indicated how long the occupants had been staying in the apartment.Hanging on the wall above the TV was a family portrait of Ayo,Linda and a baby.He saw no sign of a baby yesterday.

On the stool was a note that must have been scribbled in a hurry.It was as blunt as it was barely legible:
"Dave,if you are going to be squatting with us for a few days,you have to learn to conserve energy.You left the TV on all night and Linda wasn't pleased.We pick up breakfast on the go at McDonalds, so help yourself. On your way out,please leave the key under the doormat.Welcome to London!
Ayo"

He stood holding the note completely stupefied.This was not the welcome he had envisaged.He couldn't possibly start harbouring any hard feelings so quickly after what Ayo had done for him last night.But this was completely unnecessary.He hauled his bigger bag off the wall and began to prepare for the morning.

After a quick shave,he jumped into the shower again.He had turned the knob all the way to red and opened the tap full blast.A freezing jet of ice-cold water pushed him out of the bath as quickly as he'd jumped into it.There was no more hot water.He did not know how to operate the boiler.It was December and that meant inclement weather in England.There was no way anyone could survive a cold bath at this time.

He washed his face.He dressed up and fished out the underground map they had received en route the airport last night.First things first.He had to locate some restaurant.Anywhere they sell anything edible.The feeling in his stomach was killing him.He was so scared of developing an ulcer.But he couldn't resist the thought of calling his friends again straightaway.He picked up the phone lying on the sidestool.He located the scrap paper bearing his friends' number and dialled.
"This line is temporarily out of service,please contact BT"

That was it.He added a pay-as-you-go cell phone to his "to do" list of the day.He couldn't continue dropping coins in phone booths. He zipped up his bag.Checking to see he had everything he would need for the day,he noted the apartment number and slammed the door shut.He left the key under the doormat as requested.

On his way down the narrow staircase,he noticed two ladies, a brunette and a blonde.The brunette was tall and slim with several body piercings.She had huge rings hanging off a corner of her mouth.The blonde was short and plump.She was covered in tattos.She must have been proud of them because very little was covered on her body in this terribly cold weather.They both smelt of a mixture of alcohol and nicotine and God knows what else.

Hello handsome!That was the blonde."New neighbor?"
No,just visiting,he muttered.
Well,we like visitors,they both almost chorused.He just managed to squeeze past them,trying really hard not to make any body contact.
"Well,see you around,tiger!" enthused the brunette.
He pretended he didn't hear the last part.

Now he got it.This is a completely different kettle of fish.His life had only two options from henceforth.Either his luck picks up and he really breaks through or he slides completely into the abyss.He knew there was to be no midway.His hunger pangs were in control now.He was on autopilot.

Shivering badly in his light weather-inappropriate sweatshirt,his eyes constantly scanned both sides of the street for any fast food joint.He was too shy to ask any passersby for help.He only needed to open his mouth and everyone would know he was as lost as a stray cat.His accent would give him away.Or will it?

At that moment,he overheard two middle-aged women walking towards him not only speaking his language but actually speaking the dialect of his tiny village in Nigeria. The subject was a friend's husband caught by the Metro Police for advanced free fraud popularly called "419" after the relevant section of the criminal code.The man would now be deported, they were saying.

He couldn't care less.He pleaded with them to tell him where the next fast food joint was.His heart sank.There would be none within reasonable distance.He had to get on a bus or on the tube.He was advised to buy a daytrip ticket on the underground service.That should serve him throughout the day.
He did.

He examined the underground map again.It looked like a crazy maze.More like a puzzle to be solved than a travel guide.The ticket sales agent had tried to explain his journey to him,but it sounded like greek.For now,he had no specific destination.He only wanted to eat.He jumped on the next train.

He was on the District train service.At least that was the inscription on the train.He fixed his gaze on the relevant portion of the travel map pasted on the upper sidewall on the inside of the train.Depending on what direction on the District line this train was headed,the next station should be either Barking or Upton park.
Upton park!!

He was an ardent football fan.He noted that West Ham football club have their home ground in Upton park.This was unreal.He often felt that Nigerians loved football more than their jobs.Several relationships had come under strain when the wife or girlfriend tried to stand between the guy and his football.In Nigeria,football wasn't a sport,it is a religion.Being an Arsenal supporter,he knows he'd now be able to fulfil his long term dream of visiting Highbury.

"The next station is Upton park",the recorded message blared out of the overhead speakers.
He was bracing himself to get off the train.
"Are you heading for the PLAB tutorial?"
He had failed to notice the other passengers up till then in his utter confusion.The words were coming from a petite but very pretty indian lady.She was about 5' tall,dressed in pink sweatshirt and fading sky blue jeans.She had a leather boot on that threatened to go above the knees.Her heavy Punjabi accent suggested she was probably as green as he was.So he relaxed a little.

Shilpa was getting off at Upton park too.After the initial exchange of pleasantaries,he discovered that she was a fresh graduate from India looking to train in the UK.She had only been around for 3 months and was preparing for the PLAB exams.PLAB is short for Professional and Linguistics Assessment Board.Every foreign trained physician must pass the exams to begin work or training in the UK.

Through his rough first day in England,he had almost forgotten his main purpose of visiting in the first place.He had been issued a 2-year multiple entry exam visa but was allowed to stay only up to 6 months at any one time.He saw a golden opportunity in this small ,beautiful indian girl.She should be able to guide him somewhat.

Shilpa agreed to take him to the nearest KFC.They ate quickly.He asked if it was OK to drop in on the PLAB tutorial sessions.It turned out it was run by two young Pakistani doctors who had been doing this for so long it was now almost their main source of income.The sesions would cost 300 pounds.He was allowed into the first session to sample how they operated.

He was quickly informed by several of the attendees that it was virtually impossible to pass the exams without attending one of these programs.He might have been tempted to think this was an India/Pakistani conspiracy to dupe him if he hadn't met Segun and Steve there.Segun had finished from University of Ibadan not too far from his own medical college.Steve was British-born,but received his medical education in the tiny College town of Ife in western Nigeria.He was surprised to learn that even British citizens trained abroad must pass these exams.

He looked into his wallet.All he had was 900 pounds.It was the totality of his savings from internship through early residency training.It had looked like a lot of money then.Now he realized how little money was availbale to him.Mentally,he removed the tutorial fees from the "available money".Somehow,he had to make the remaining 600 pounds count.But how long will he last with that kind of money?

He concluded he would have to pass the exams quickly and return to nigeria to raise more funds.Segun and Steve thought he was mad.Returning home was not an option.They promised to show him how things are done.Both of them had been around for almost a year now.Neither had been back since they arrived.They advised him to pay for his tutorials immediately while there was still space and to hang out with them after the day is over to show him around.
He did.

NB: TO BE CONTINUED.

OMC.