Memoirs of a Yikpata Camper 2.

PART 2

Why?

 Funmi saved my eyes and not my ‘ass’ in this context. Loooool! We all slept late , only for me to wake up to her  taps around 3am and a burning face with it… yes my whole face was on fire, I managed to get out of my net and Funmi just screamed.

What? What is wrong?

Funmi talk to me, what is going on?  Trying so hard to get her attention and her torch away from my face… I was scared and only for Fidara to come look at my face and she finally said my eyes were RED.  The mosquito net must have smoked your eyes, followed by series of questions thrown at me.

Did you sundry the net before using it last night?

Did you open your eyes while you slept?

Did you wash your net before coming to camp?

Unfortunately I did none of such things… a big NO! Then came in the bunch of remedy suggestions, flying around the air…

I think you should wash your face…

No! I think its best you go to the clinic,

No! Let her just rinse her eyes…

  I was in pains and as if yesterday’s stress was not enough , see what my carelessness as caused  me, I  gently washed my burning face and the girls helped to remove the net, took my breakfast and prepared for the day, it was so hard for my body to adjust to this new time change. So with Nk, Funmi, Mowtune and Modupetemi we all set out to the registration center around 4am. Only for us to get there and meet a queue of almost 150 plus people.

‘Didn’t they sleep at all’ or they slept in front of the office? ‘We were all puzzled but just managed to keep up, we also started chatting and enjoying ourselves with the multitudes, we were soon chased off to the meditation ground. 

Wow! The meditation ground was something else…. So many people in white and quite a number in mufti just like myself. It was right there we had our first meditation and we were taught the NYSC anthem…

Youths Obey the Clarion,

Let us lift our nation high,

Under the sun or in the rain,

With dedication and selflessness,

Nigeria is ours,

Nigeria we serve.

We were asked to repeat it over and over again… until it was time we were told we would recite the second stanza of our national anthem as the national prayer… “O God of creation” yes! Recited and not to be sang. Trust me it took forever.

Eventually we headed back to the queue with a huge crowd rushing to the muster point… We stood there for almost another four hours till I got a number to enter into the new queue, I got in only to find out the registration process that’s been giving us problem was just mere authentication being carried out by two tired & stressed out innocent IT personnel’s, I registered and yeah I was under platoon 9, moved straight to the kit collection point and almost everything about my nysc kit was perfect… except for my khaki that was to be slim fitted and my white boots I had to start trading out back for a size 6… Lucky me I got within the twinkle of an eye.

Fast-forward to the next morning, all cubicle G girls were fully kitted up and going by our pet names, my sweethearts dropped me off at my platoon stand on their leggediz benz, Looooool! We had too many pictures taken and well we were all hoping for an amazing 3weeks experience with our various platoons… Funny enough I was the only platoon 9 lady in my cubicle and if not hostel. Heehhehehe!

Here I was totally clueless and been forced to go the middle part of the lines because of my height… with my guts and jovial spirit I was ready for the worst. 

The days that followed went in the same routine. After, the beagle blows at 5am; I go to the OBS studio to report as the duty continuity announcer for the morning segment and from there to the parade ground till when it’s time to go for breakfast… the TEA! Don’t even go there! Looool! It was obviously always watery but very hot, so it always worked as a hot water substitute for making my own chocolate tea I make in the hostel, the BREAD on the other hand was quite fresh and if not served with butter went very well with egg, now that I enjoyed with time.

All through my platoon was kind of jinxed, we were just stagnant and had nothing to win, until we emerged the winners in the Dance and Drama competition just had the end of the Camp days…  Oh! It was glorious!

Moreso, I luckily made some quality friendships while on camp, asides my awesome Cubicle G girls, OBS crew, some I met through Parade; Nyanko (NY), Belima (belle), Paul, Sheyi (abacha), Tunji ( who was believed to be on steroids. Loooool!), Valerie (she can talk!) so many people, we were always together to practice for parade and sometimes hang out and also, some at the Mammy…. Mammy was another thing on camp because that was where the life was while on camp, every evening was the highlight of each boring lecture camp day;

Sleeping was the order of the day whenever the lectures started… See people falling off their chairs in various sleeping positions heheheh!

Another event I must not fail to mention was the Camp fire night…. The much awaited Camp fire night….  It was beautiful, crowded and rowdy… It was held the last Friday before our exit from camp, much in spirit to enjoy that night but the body was weak, was eventually rushed to the clinic the next morning and was admitted of cause, Lord sent in his angels, took control and Not only were the Corper doctors nice but my friends were a huge blessing. I love you guys so much!

While still on the sick bed, we at the clinic heard we were being paid allawee under the tree…. See dance!

That was our first official allawee and how happily the sounds of cash flow can jump a recovering corper to her feet. Merrily we swung to the queue to collect our N19, 800 to start shopping… Looool! Though that happened after I was discharged the next day.

Also came the packing of the bags and preparation to leave camp… As much as I could not wait to get my posting letter, same way I could not wait to get out of the dusty camp but then came this sudden wave of not wanting to leave my newly found darlings… but hey! Home is where the heart is… Loool!

Exit day and we were up at exactly 3am, fully kitted with our 7/7, packing and returning mattresses, you needed to see how people were stealing things… who said water could not be stolen;.hahahahah!

The day became clear and bright… Got my posting letter and shouts of joy and tears in the air. The Lord was faithful and I know if he could do it for me, he can surely do it for you. I was posted to where he wanted…

On this note, I wish to halt and let you know there’s just no greater joy than strolling through the sidewalks of Ilorin and having a little girl run to hug and smile at you, touch your khaki and say “I like your Uniform” only for you to see her mother alongside smiling and saying loudly she wishes and knows some day her little girl will wear that same uniform in honour of service to her father land… No greater joy I swear!

xxx

Olowu Modebola Anne.

Creative Publisher & Network Analyst.