On the day of the journey, a group of students, professors, and staff gathered at the university entrance. Five large buses were patiently stationed in front of them.
A certain boy outside the history department was acting as a moderator as he called out the names of people who would be traveling. If your name was mentioned, then you would head to a designated bus.
"It's a pity that Prince Alu won't be touring with us by bus; I heard he is taking a private jet," Ewe commented to Nandi, Edi, and Renny as they waited for their names to be called.
"Well, he has to be surrounded by security wherever he goes; it wouldn't make sense for him to go with us," Edi noted.
"You are right, but still," Ewe replied with some regret.
"I wonder how the prince will react knowing he has such fun people like you," Nandi laughed as she commented.
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted when their names were called out by the moderator.
"The four of you can head to bus number five," the boy acting as the moderator said.
"Yay! It's great we won't be separated," Ewe jubilantly celebrated as the friend group headed to the designated bus.
After taking their seats, they waited for about 20 minutes for the staff outside to finish their respective roles of cross-checking the functionality of the buses, whether all that needed to be taken on the trip was put in the buses, etc., before the buses started moving forward.
"We shall spend days on this journey. It seems there are also security guards following behind us; this can put my heart to rest. I did some research, and some parts we will be passing through are not safe," Nandi said as she unscrewed her water bottle.
Edi was about to comment when a tall, handsome boy headed their way.
"Chedi?" Nandi suddenly stopped her actions of drinking water and called out in surprise.
"Hello, can I take this seat in front of you guys?" Chedi requested. The four friends were seated opposite each other on two-seater seats; Renny and Ewe on the right and Nandi and Edi on the left. The front seats were empty.
"No problem," Edi said. It's not like they owned the bus; people were allowed to sit wherever they pleased, Edi thought. Chedi politely smiled and sat down.
After making himself comfortable, Chedi turned around to face the group.
"It's great that you agreed to come. History students like us should have a spirit of inquiry about the past of the continent," Chedi said to them.
"You are right, thank you for telling us about the trip," Nandi politely replied.
"No problem. I was always intrigued by the Sahara. Through my research, I discovered that it has changed through different stages. Some say it was once underwater, while others say it was once a vibrant land with lush vegetation. This leads me to think that some people lived there," Chedi commented.
The group silently reflected on his words.
"Or it's just a desert; rumors aren't always true," Chedi laughed as he added when he saw their faces lost in thought.
Ewe had forgotten about the past inconveniences Chedi caused her. She discovered that he was always thirsty for knowledge, researched hard, and always wanted to get to the cause and effect of events, especially those of the past.
Chedi continued to give them a decent background of the countries they would pass through to reach the Sahara. Four hours eventually passed in that atmosphere.
"Hm? It seems we will have to stop here and refresh," Chedi noted. The rest looked outside the bus window and saw other students moving out of the buses one by one and heading to a certain restaurant.
In front of the bus, just beside the driver, a muscular man wearing a cap stood up and commanded, "Alright, everybody, this will be our first stop. Those who want to use the toilet, buy some snacks, and take a breath of fresh air can go. Please note that the next stop will be after another four hours."
Students who didn't want to go out eventually conceded. No one would love to sit for eight hours straight without stretching and moving around.
The group of four, plus Chedi, also stood up and followed the rest outside.
"The air outside is refreshing," Ewe said with closed eyes and a sigh of contentment once they were outside the bus.
"What would you guys like to eat?" Chedi inquired as he looked at the four.
"No need; I came with snacks," Edi said.
"Me too, thank you for asking," Nandi added.
"I also have my own," Renny replied.
"Chips and ice cream," Ewe absentmindedly said with closed eyes, then immediately registered the implication of Chedi's words. She didn't want him to buy snacks for her; that was just her inner thoughts that came out loud.
She immediately opened her eyes at the speed of light to express her thoughts to Chedi, but Chedi was faster; he had already disappeared into a nearby restaurant.
"Wait, I..." Ewe's words came to an abrupt end as she was unable to catch up with Chedi.
Nandi laughed at her misery. "You love eating so much," she commented.
"Those were just my inner thoughts; I didn't mean for Chedi to buy me things," Ewe helplessly said.
Ewe, Nandi, and Renny headed to the women's restrooms, while Edi headed towards the men's restrooms.
When the girls were done with their business, they headed towards the bus and entered. Some students had also returned and were seated in their respective seats.
Edi and Chedi had long arrived. Chedi was holding a big, bulging takeaway bag.
When they took their seats, Chedi called out to Ewe. "I brought chocolate and berry ice cream; pick the one to your taste. Also, these chips have different brands; see the one you like," he said as he handed the bag to Ewe, who received it in embarrassment.
"Thank you. How much was everything? I will pay you," Ewe quietly inquired.
"No need for payment; we are all classmates. You can just help me with advice at school when I want it concerning my research," Chedi said.
Ewe remembered how Chedi would ask millions of questions and felt a headache.
After calculating the pros and cons of helping out Chedi at school, Ewe decided that paying him was a better option.
"Haaa, thank you, but I think paying you is the right thing to do," Ewe laughed and said with pleading eyes towards Chedi, who just smiled. His teeth were white and contrasted well against his skin; he was handsome.
"No need. Don't feel burdened. What is money among common students like us?" Chedi replied.
"Haaa," Ewe laughed in frustration. 'But I am burdened! It's better to pay you! I can't stand your questions!'Ewe internally thought as she turned to her right to ask for Nandi and Edi's help. The two immediately pretended to be dead and started playing with their phones.
'Don't think I didn't see you earlier looking in my direction! Hmph!' Ewe internally thought. She then turned towards Renny, who was always rational and well-balanced; she would surely understand her frustration and chime in!
"It seems there are four bags of chips. If you can't finish them, I will help you," Renny suddenly said with a straight face as she looked at Ewe's expectant eyes. Besides her, Nandi and Edi erupted in chuckles.
Ewe's eyes immediately dimmed in disappointment. What kind of friends had she made? Was anyone among them normal?