Chike and the River

14 Chike on the Boat

Chike’s dream had come true; at last he could go to Asaba. He jumped up and down several times and sang “One More River to Cross.” It was one of the songs he had learnt at the C.M.S. Central School, Umuofia.

He joined the queue of other passengers. When his turn came he gave the shilling to the cashier who gave him a ticket and sixpence change. His heart was aglow with happiness. After today he would be able to say to his friends, “I too have been to Asaba. There only remains Lagos.”

The next ferry was a long time coming. Chike became very impatient. He walked up and down, whistling:

Leave your wife and join the Army

One more river to cross;

One more river, one more river,

One more river to cross.

At last the ferryboat was coming. It looked very small in the distance. Chike’s heart beat like a hammer. He sat down on one of the long wooden seats, then stood up again. He turned away from the approaching boat in the hope that when he looked again it would be much nearer. He shut his eyes and counted up to two hundred. He did everything he could think of to make the time pass more quickly.

At long last the boat arrived. Passengers from Asaba began to stream out, some of them carrying head-loads. After the passengers, the cars and lorries came out one by one.

Many of the cars were covered with brown dust from their long journey. So there was dust on the Lagos road, thought Chike. He had not expected that. Such a great road should be free from dust, he thought.

When the vehicles from Asaba had all left the ferry the vehicles from Onitsha began to drive on. Sometimes it looked as if a car or lorry would fall into the river. But none did. Chike saw the car he had washed enter the boat. It looked very clean and new. He had already memorized its number, PC 7379.

The last car to go in had a radio blaring out at full volume. Its owner was not there and so the chauffeur was having fun. He was even offering to take passengers to Lagos at a moderate charge. When this last car had boarded the boat a marine official in a white-and-blue uniform waved the passengers on. Immediately there was a big rush for the deck. Chike was in the forefront of this rush.

The ferry’s engine started. The siren sounded above. Then a bell rang in the engine room. It sounded like a giant bicycle bell. The boat began to move backward. When it was clear of the ground the bell rang again and the engine increased its sound. Then the boat swung round and began its journey to Asaba.

It was all like a dream. Chike wondered whether it was actually happening. So this is me, he thought. Chike Anene, alias Chiks the Boy, of Umuofia, Mbaino District, Onitsha Province, Eastern Nigeria, Nigeria, West Africa, Africa, World, Universe. This was how he wrote his name in his new reader. It was one of the things he had learnt from his friend Samuel, alias S.M.O.G.

During the journey Chike felt as proud as Mungo Park when he finally reached the Niger. Here at last was the great River Niger. Chike stuck out his chest as though he owned the river, and drew a deep breath. The air smelt clean and fresh. He remembered another song he had learnt at Umuofia and began to whistle it:

Row, row, row your boat

Gently down the stream

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.

When he became tired of whistling he began to think of Lagos. He wondered what Carter Bridge looked like. He had heard it described on the radio. He also knew of Tinubu Square, the marina, Tafawa Balewa Square, Bar Beach, Yaba, Apapa, statehouse, and so on. But the place he wanted to see most of all was the City Stadium where all those football matches were played. Chike liked nothing more than a football commentary broadcast by the N.B.C. Whenever there was a match some of the neighbors would come to listen on his uncle’s radio. They all admired the commentator. When he cried, “It’s a goal!” everyone shouted, “It’s a goal!” Some would even jump to their feet and shake hands with their friends. Of course they only did so when their favorite team scored.