X .Workers or robbers?

     The next morning the security boy opened the door and we drove out. I wasn't happy that we had to drive back for a while before heading to Anambra. I wanted to have a different view and see new places. As we did not know the road, we used to ask the way to the next city we were passing through. At a crossroad Alex slowed down and a bunch of man came close to the car and places wooden beams with nails under our wheels. We couldn't move because they would have spoiled the tires. They said we should show them the documents from the car. They started fighting because Alex  was telling them he leave us alone and choose another car to stop. They told us to park the car on the other side and they were keeping the beams near the tires in case we wanted to drive off. After we parked they brought big rocks and places them in front of the wheels. One of them was holding a rope and he was folding  it around his hand in a noose shape. Charles said he wants to talk with their chief and he went out of the car with him. I did not understand what they wanted because i asked Alex before if he renewed the documents from the car and he said yes and I also knew Chemo took care of it. They gave us a bunch of colorful papers that they said they are required. I took a look at them but I was too tense to realize that most of them were not about driving and cars because I never herd of a Sanitation Certificate for cars. I tried to call my brother and Elena to tell them what was going on in case they will not hear from us again. But there was no network. Bianca was scared and was asking what is happening, Charles came back from the chief and asked me to give him 7000 naira. I gave him and he went back to negotiate with them. He came back for another 3000 naira. Alex was regretting reducing the speed and stopping the car for them because of not knowing the road. It was a deserted area. Other cars were passing fast in that area and I was wondering if they stop their own citizens too or only strangers. Knowing the situation of this country and after reading other stories in internet, all kind of thoughts passed through my mind. Charles came back again saying that we have to buy the papers they required that they say that is possible for others to stop us on the way and he collected another 5000 naira from me. After paying them they came and removed the stones and nails under the car and we drove off. 

IX. 3 nights in Abuja

   Later that day we went to a local restaurant where they wanted to order fish. They picked the fish they wanted to eat . Uncle A. bought a mix of sweetened popcorn and peanuts for me. Soon the girl serving came and said she cannot cook it because she is alone and she cannot serve and cook at the same time. So she brought them cow head or tail with pepper soup.  I drank Eristoff and uncle A. took a soft drink.. We left after they finished eating  because the mosquitoes were biting me. Back to the hotel I went inside room where they sprayed Flit and I slept while the man continued drinking at the bar. 

   The next day we went to the Ministry to stamp the birth certificate. A policeman working there helped us and we supposed to come back and pick it 2 hours later. Near the parking where we left our car there was an outdoor restaurant. Woman working there were enticing the costumers by telling them out loud which good foods they cooked.  I took a bottle of water while they ate semo with soup.  Bianca ate with them. We found a taxi to show us the road to the embassy located on Nelson Mandela street. At the embassy the consular attache  couldn't help us much because the council was travelling and we supposed to book an appointment long before. He was so frightened and insecure, i couldn't tell why. The fact that we took the risk of driving 700 km and that I was leaving the country before the council was coming back did not matter. A kind man working there that we encountered when we arrived seemed to be more willing to help but had no power. He excused himself that he cannot on the air condition because it had a lizard inside. 

We asked the attache if we can transcribe the document we needed there and he said that he must check because the procedure is complicated. He asked us to call back in 1-2 hours so that he will find out. When I called he said that he cannot help us and that we should book an appointment in 2 weeks time when the council will come back. I wasn't expecting to make this long travel without working things out. We left there  surprised by their lack of interest in helping us. 

    Later that afternoon we went looking for an old friend of Alex. The road was extremely bad that area. Charles bought pineapple that we kept in the trunk and he also bought some sliced watermelon pieces that we ate with a toothpick from a black bag. We went to the place where his friend used to live and we could not get any information about the guy so we came back through the capital to avoid the bad road. Back at the hotel I gave the pineapple to one of the boys working there to cut it for me  and I drank strawberry yogurt milk with uncle A. I regret not going to uncle's house to meet the other members of the family. Who knows when I will be in that city again to have that chance. 

VIII. Arriving to Abuja

    We crossed through a  deserted area. From time to time we could see planten sellers on the edge of the road. Later on we encountered some villages where children of all ages, dressed in colorful uniforms, where walking on the edge of the road. Many of them were 2-3 years old and Alex was driving very slow because  they were so unpredictable and he was afraid one of them will fall or jump in front of the car. We stopped at a gas station to fill the tank. Charles went inside the shop to get some Guinnes beers and i went to buy 2 oranges from a nearby stall. An ambulant seller came and i took a Halls. 

   After a few hours of driving without stopping  we stopped at another restaurant because i needed to go to toilet again. Charles bought some suya meat and we ate it in the car. The meat was strong and very spicy but i was too hungry to bother. It was getting dark and we had to hurry up because it was dangerous to drive in the night. I did not want to think about what will happen if our car spoil in the middle of nowhere. 

    14 hours after we left Lagos, after  missing the road 2 times we finally arrived to a city near Abuja where Alex's  uncle said that was waiting for us at a crossroad. We arrived there before him and we parked the car. Charles went and bought more  suya meat hoping that this one  was going to be softer . I ate 1 orange that i bought before. It was very juicy and tasty. A few minuter later uncle A arrived and we fallowed him the one hotel he knew. The read on the highway was good but the moment we entered a secondary road it was like hell. The ground was scratching the car under and we were afraid it will spoil. We needed 2 rooms and the hotel had only one available. We considered  that Charles can spend the night at uncle A. but i did not like the place. It was still under construction and there were cables hanging on the walls, even on the hallway we entered, we had to bend our heads to go through and i felt is not safe for my daughter. That's why we decided to look for another hotel. It was crazy to drive on those roads but we had no choice. We had to check about 7-8 hotel until we finally found a room. They had a restaurant and the rooms were in another yard across the street. We parked the car that was making a weird noise and we send one boy to carry our bags to the room. We stopped at the restaurant so that we can have a word with uncle A. I was angry with him because he did not make good arrangements and he did not look for a room before we arrived. Bianca wanted to go to toiled but she changed her mind when she saw the place. I wondered if everybody goes out with  toilet tissu in their pocket because it was extremely rare  to find a toilet that had it.  I was tired and upset and i almost finished the Alex's Guinness beer. They brought some food and Alex and Charles ate. I was surprised to see that a man with handicap was serving at the bar. I told them that i am tired so we dismissed uncle and we went to the room.

 The place was awful but none of was was ready to keep on looking. It had an iron door with a padlock on the outside and a latch on the inside. The small tv had an iron case with locker so that it will not be stolen. The bed was big but the sheets were old and Alex said they are smelling bad. I did not want to know how they smell. I wanted to put the water in the fridge but i opened it and felt the mold smell and i changed my mind. The room had a noisy fan on the ceiling and i had to cover myself with the scratchy blanket during the night. The bathroom door had iron latches both on the inside and on the outside. It had a small sink, a WC without cover and a shower without bathtub. It was equiped with bucket like everywhere and an extra tap so that u can easily fill the bucket. I don't remember if it had a boiler. All this at only 3500 Naira. Most of the hotels in that area had this price. 

   In the morning, after i took a shower and dressed up we moved to Sunset Hotel that had was a way more comfortable. When we arrived with the car they used a mirror attached to a stick to look under the car. I dont know what they were looking for, maybe weapons. I told Alex to tell them to check how damaged was the car underneath. He laughed. They also checked the boot. Then they opened the gate and allowed us inside. We went to choose the rooms. They were ok so i went to pay them the  7000 Naira for 2  of them. The bed had old sheets but they were clean and ironed. We had an lcd screen on the wall, a desk and a chair. The bathroom knob was  broken on the inside and there was a chance to remain locked but luckily you could open it bu using the key. The bathroom was clean and it had a big mirror , a glass shelf where i placed cosmetics. There was a soap and toilet paper and the WC had a clean cover. Near the big sink there was a toothbrush hanger and a towel hanger.  The shower was build in the same style with no bathtub and sometimes the water was not flowing. Outside in the yard they had a terrace with a straws roof  and enclosed with PVC carpentry, where the bar was placed. I asked them to boil some water for me so i can make a coffee. I took a chair and a table and i sat in the sun. Everybody was asking me to go into the shadow and  they were surprised to find out that i licked the sun. Bianca wanted to eat Indo'mie and we asked them to cook it for her.Uncle A. was waiting for us since 7 a.m. at the hotel but we woke up late.

     The view from the hotel was fantastic. The place was surrounded by mountain rocks.

     I was anxious to see capital and soon we went there. On the highway we could drive 160. The road was perfect but in some areas the traffic was slowed by bad drivers using the same speed on all the lanes and by the buses stopping under bridges to pick passengers. In about 45 minutes we were in the center of the capital . Nobody was outside, the roads were deserted like in  an empty city. We went up and down the roads and we saw the Ministry of External Affairs and the  central mosque from where some people were leaving by foot. We could rarely see cars on the road and the traffic lights were off. We went to an enormous hotel that Alex knew. We found out that it wasn't open for public that they were only sing it for conferences and the restaurant was closed to we only took some pictures there. It had a few children playgrounds but i think it was impossible to play there as they were made of iron and it was extremely hot. We went to look for a place to eat and i noticed a mall along the road. We barely found a parking space because someone was leaving.  We went inside and at the last floor we got a place where we could eat. The sellers were crowding, fighting which one to serve me. I paid more than 2000 Naira for some chips, a piece of meat and  Bianca's fried rice. I also took a Cola and a Sprite. I was hungry so i ate. The view was wonderful and we took some pictures. Bianca became friends with a small girl that was there with her family. The mother took pictures of Bianca and her daughter. She then told me i should make some brothers and sisters for my daughter. I told her i am working on it as i was telling everybody. The mall had also a Spar shop and A Nike or Adidas one. When we left the restaurant i bought an ice cream. We left and went back to the hotel