I got to watch one of my phobias happen live a while back, but thankfully it wasn't to me, but to someone else.
One time when I was travelling with one of these transport company vehicles. Our driver had pulled into a gas station, but just before he got down from the bus, he had announced to us that he was about to fill the bus with gas and that for the duration of that time, we could come down to stretch our legs, take a piss, buy something to eat, or basically do whatever it is we wanted to do.
But he had also mentioned that the moment he was done filling the gas, he wasn't going to wait for anyone. He was going to get into the vehicle and drive off.
Ever since I've been travelling on my own, I've always had the phobia of getting left behind by my vehicle in places like this, so I always make sure to hang around or have a clear sight of the vehicle so that if I see the other passengers going in, I quickly rush over to them.
I almost had a panic attack the last time I travelled because after I was done buying the stuff I needed, I spent the next ten minutes trying to locate our vehicle. I had almost given up hope, thinking they had left me behind, before I eventually saw it sitting quietly in a corner. So the last thing I wanted was something like that happening, especially when the driver had made an announcement before even opening the vehicle doors.
And for that reason, I had decided there and then that I wasn't going anywhere. Even though I had badly wanted to buy some suya meat, the fear didn't let me leave my seat. And to be fair, the driver did waste a lot of time pumping gas into his vehicle because he bought like three hundred thousand naira worth of diesel. I knew that because I could see the machine clearly from my window.
By this time, a lot of people had got down from the bus, and many of them were beginning to get in now. I watched them all as they slowly walked to their seats, but then one man who had just walked in had spoken to his wife, and it seemed he wanted him to help her get something, so he turned back and got down from the vehicle.
About two minutes after he got back, the driver walked into the bus, locked the doors, and immediately drove off. It felt like a movie to me as I watched everyone screaming and pleading with the man to please stop so that the man who had left could get in, all of which the driver ignored.
The driver drove for more than sixty seconds at high speed before eventually stepping on his brake, and it took the man about five to ten minutes before he eventually could run up to meet us, and I could tell from his face that he had been running for a while.
Watching that whole thing unfold made me silently thank my God that I had decided to listen to my fears and didn't get down from that vehicle.
