After I scolded Sholly for selling his conscience while she was alive, she disappeared and my door swung backward. Looking at the door's direction, I saw my brother rushing into my room.

“Who are you fighting?” he expressed concern.

“Who did I tell you I was fighting? Please go back!” I transferred the aggression to him.

Hours later, exactly the following day, I got myself ready for the journey to my hometown where I would be exercising my franchise. On my way out from the house, I saw the white reflection of a lady who was sitting on a public seat at the opposite of the house. She was sitting alone, nobody saw her but she could see everything that was going on.

On sighting Sholly, I pretended like I didn't see her so as to escape embarrassing myself in communicating with her publicly.

“I wonder why she keeps hanging around me, useless ghost,” I complained silently.

Sholly saw me and the contact was obvious but she didn't stand up to follow me as I went to the park to board a bus to my town.

Finally, I found a bus that was conveying passengers and I quickly occupied the front seat. Later after some minutes, the driver started the engine as we embarked on the journey.

I felt the fresh breeze that was influenced by the motion. Other passengers initiated Political discussion in the vehicle, the driver also joined the discussion.

“I just hope our people will be wise this time around and vote their conscience instead of voting for the money,” a passenger started.

“Anyone who doesn't collect money before voting for any candidate is daft. What's the point of voting for free when the one who will eventually emerge is visible? It's better to sell the vote so that you don't loose from two sides. Whether you collect the money or not, the person who will emerge will emerge, so, why not collect the money and let's face the fate together?” the driver shared his contradicting view.

“Driver, that's the point! You are right,” another passenger supported the driver's thought.

I was disappointed after hearing the thought of the driver.

“Will this country ever be great, with this kind of mindset?” I questioned my mind.

“I don't think so!” the voice emerged by my side.

I looked sideways to see who was speaking but I couldn't find any mortal, later, I heard the voice again.

“It has been like this for a very long time and I doubt if anything could change in the next decade,” the voice added.

As I looked by my side, I saw Sholly in the car, sitting beside me. I could not feel her body but I saw her clearly.

“Why do you keep following me? Don't try to embarrass me, we are in a public transit,” I cautioned Sholly without letting people notice me.

“But that is the truth, look here, Olawale, many people who are going to exercise their franchise are going there because of the money involved, including the Youths who have been busy spending their time canvassing for a new nation, the few among them who do not love money will be at home watching their favorite channels and rendering online support, some will be discouraged by their peers who believe that votes don't count and then, they won't go out. You see... ”

“Just stop! Sholly, enough. Don't talk again,” I interrupted and shut Sholly up.

“Well, I'm telling the truth,” she said while her face turned downward.

“That was then, we are now wise and we will decide rightly,” I refuted her assertion.

“We shall see.”

While I was having the conversation with Sholly, the driver and other passengers were dragging another conversation, so, I doubted if they ever noticed that I was talking alone.

The driver and others were carried away by the topic they were talking on at the other end.

Suddenly, the unforseen and deadly event occured; the driver had lost his mind to the discussion and he lost control over the vehicle as the it changed direction and headed to the river which we were riding by the hill covering its side.

“Driver, watch out!” the passengers screamed.

I was scared, too, because of the danger that lied amidst the trouble. The driver could not maneuver the speed of the vehicle, therefore, we were possessed by fear and we prayed that God should take control.

As we all expressed fear, I noticed that Sholly was no longer by my side, out of curiosity, I checked the front of the car and I saw Sholly, she kept blowing an intimidating wind on our vehicle until the vehicle's speed was limited and the driver twisted the steering to avoid entering the river. Soon, the driver marched the brake.

No one knew the impact that Sholly took but I did. While everyone kept rejoicing, she came to the window side.

“I just saved your life, I will be back to ask for a payback. You have no reason to decline writing my story now,” Sholly declared as she vanished.

To be continued...

©️Olawale Ogidan

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