Go Well, Anna Hibiscus!

Anna Hibiscus on the Bus
 
Anna Hibiscus lives with her mother and her father, her grandmother and her grandfather, her aunties and her uncles, her many-many cousins, and her own two brothers, Double and Trouble. They all live together in a big white house in the big, busy city of Lagos in a country called Nigeria on the wonderful continent of Africa.
   Millions of people live in Anna Hibiscus’s city. Millions of people who shout into their mobile phones, who blow the horns of their cars and taxis and motorbikes, who crash into one another and call, “Yam head!”
   Visitors to Anna Hibiscus’s city are often so frightened by the noise and wahalla that they turn around and fly straight back to their own countries quick-quick!
   Anna Hibiscus is not frightened. Anna Hibiscus was born in the city. She is used to the noise of millions of people shouting. But Grandmother and Grandfather were born in the village. The shouting still gives them big-big headaches!
   For Grandmother and Grandfather, home is where there are more goats than people, more trees than houses, more chickens than cars, and no mobile phone signal at-all at-all.
   Now that Grandfather is very old, he has decided that it is time to go back to visit his village. Grandfather says he wants to be somewhere quiet enough to hear his memories think.
   And today was the day that Grandfather was going! He was going with Grandmother and the big girl cousins, Joy and Clarity and Common Sense. Uncle Tunde was going to take them there. None of the aunties and uncles were going. None of the other cousins were going. Nobody except Anna Hibiscus.
   “Anna Hibiscus!”
   Grandmother called. “Come on! We are ready to go now-now!”
   “I am coming, Grandmother!” Anna Hibiscus shouted.
   Anna Hibiscus’s bag was packed and she was almost ready. Now she was just trying to catch Snow White. Anna Hibiscus never went anywhere without Snow White.
   It took a long, long time to trick Snow White into his basket.
   “Hurry! Hurry!” shouted Grandmother.
   “Hurry! Hurry!” shouted Common Sense.
   “Hurry! Hurry!” shouted Clarity.
   Grandmother and Grandfather were already sitting in the car! They were sitting in the back with Common Sense and three suitcases.
   Uncle Tunde was already in the car. He was in the front with Clarity and five baskets.
   Joy was hurrying to the car with Anna’s big-big pink bag.
   Anna Hibiscus followed her with Snow White’s basket.
   “Quick, quick!” shouted Uncle Tunde. “Le’s go!”
   Anna Hibiscus and Joy tried to get into the front of the car with Clarity and Uncle Tunde and the baskets. They tried to get into the back of the car with Grandmother and Grandfather and Common Sense and the suitcases. They tried moving Clarity to the back. They tried moving Grandmother to the front. But whatever they did, Anna Hibiscus and Joy could not fit into the car.
   Grandfather groaned. He was hot and his old bones were uncomfortable.
   “Anna and Joy,” Grandmother said. “Maybe you will have to follow us on the bus.”
   “Good idea,” said Grandfather. “Le’s go!”
   So Uncle Tunde turned on the engine. The aunties and uncles and cousins waved.
   “Don’ cry, Anna Hibiscus,” said Joy. “We will follow them on the bus. It will be fun!”
   “Don’ cry,” said Anna’s mother. “I went to the village on the bus before you were born. It was fun.”
   “Don’t worry,” said Uncle Bizi Sunday. “Follow me!”
   It was a long, hot way to the bus station. The many people rushing along the roads pushed and bumped Anna. Snow White’s basket and Anna’s big pink bag got heavier and heavier. Soon Uncle Bizi Sunday had to carry them. It was not fun.