Must Read: NYSC Tale: A Clarion Call To Confusion (18+)

7 years ago

Must Read: NYSC Tale: A Clarion Call To Confusion (18+)

After our first week in camp, things changed.

Competitions started between platoons both football, volley ball, sprint race and dance.

Platoon commanders also picked those who have performed very well during platoon march past to join those that will march on the final day. Many people had joined various groups because rumors had spread that people that actively participated in camp activities would be posted to the state capital.

I decided not to join those going to march. When I heard that those in the band crew are state capital assured I went to join them but the number of people waiting to be picked was disheartening. I had also tried joining the camp media known as OBS but they also had loads of people on their list.

After trying so much to secure a group that could favorably land me in the state capital but couldn’t, I decided to be a freelancer.

Shania and Precious were picked to represent their respective platoons in the upcoming pageantry. Divine was representing her own platoon in miss bold and beautiful.

Purity on her own wasn’t in any group like me. Always watching and cheering. She had continued keeping her distance and not talking to me, while on my part I had decided to give her the space she needed.

Yusuf attended a military primary and secondary school and was good with marching that he couldn’t escape being selected by his platoon commander. Talking of Yusuf, he found himself a girl from his platoon after he realized that he couldn’t land Divine. He was always gushing about her and had to introduce the girl to me. He had told me that he was setting out on how to sample the girl and walk her over.

On the Wednesday of our second week, my platoon had a football match with platoon four.

I was in the Pavilion watching the football match when someone covered my eyes from behind. If there is one thing I’m good at, it’s remembering scents and Cologne. I tilted my nose upwards as the scent of the cologne oozed into my nostrils but I couldn’t place it.

I tried to remember but I couldn’t.
“The perfume you are wearing smells familiar but I can’t place it” I said touching the hand and raising my hands up to feel the person’s face which she dodged.

“Why not guess” she said forming a base voice.

Immediately she said that, I recognized who she is although she tried to mask her real voice.

“Chinwe?”
“Noooo!” she replied in her fake base voice.

“Chinwe, it’s you.”
“Who is Chinwe?” she asked with her fake base voice again.

“Doc Chinwe abi nurse Chinwe.”
She uncovered my face smiling.
“How did you know it is me?” she asked sitting beside me.

“I was trying to remember who I met with the scent of the perfume you are wearing, till I heard your voice.”
“Hmmm, you are good then. Lest I forget, so after I did you a favor, you ran away without repaying it abi?”
Everything about Chinwe had escaped my memory after that day with the whole drama that went down in my platoon. I had forgotten that I collected her contact until now.

“Sorry dear, let me not lie to you, I forgot.
That day as I left the clinic, my commander called me. If you see the kind frog jump wey I do that day e, you go pity me. Upon say I tell the man say I dey sick o, he been no wan even hear.”
She bursted out laughing after I said that.
“So what happened with the election?” she asked amidst laughter.

“They elected me but I had to plead with them to give it to another person. After pleading like say I wan die he come carry am give another person.”
“Why are you sitting out here alone, ain’t you in any group?” she asked.
“I don try make I join the one wey go carry me go Uyo, but the kind crowd wey dey there no be here, na e I say make I just sidon, after all no be everybody go go Uyo. What about you, ain’t you in any group?”
“I’m in one already, or do you think working in the clinic is an easy thing?”
“That reminds me, are you a nurse or a doctor?”
“Doctor.”
“Hmmm! Small girl like you.”
“Who be small girl.” She retorted hitting my shoulder.

“You na, abi I lie?”
“You are not serious.”
I got tired of watching the football match because platoon four already has three goals up against my platoon. “Why don’t we go to Mami so that I can repay your favor?”