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

Episode 7 years ago

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

The next morning came. Everybody was in an elated mood at the single thought of leaving the camp except Yusuf who is still yet to recover from the shock Saidat gave to him.

On my part, I was a bit nervous as to what the outcome of the posting will be.

We all had prepared and headed out to the parade ground for the passing out parade.

Owing to the fact that most of us weren’t selected to partake in the parade, we were told to stand at the back of those parading till after the guest of honor is gone.

Through the whole event, I was with Shania and the twin. I tried all I could to make sure that there was no awkward moment between Purity and I but she was making it difficult as she was avoiding my eyes and giving me the one word replies.

After the parade which lasted till 3pm, the guest of honor left and it was time for the posting letters to be shared. We all went to our different platoons to collect our posting letter.

It took a while before they called me.

On getting my posting letter, I was posted to a polytechnic. I couldn’t believe it as most of my platoon members were congratulating me.

Having heard what stress those that teach in secondary schools do pass through, I thought myself lucky. At least I won’t be able to pass through the stress of writing lesson notes, setting exam questions and the rest. I was also happy that I would be dealing with mature people.

After I left my platoon with my posting letter, I dialed Shania to know what’s up with her. She told me that she was posted to the state house of assembly. Divine was posted with Yusuf to the ministry of youths and sports while Purity was posted in a big private secondary school which I didn’t realize was in the same local government with mine. Precious was posted in an oil servicing firm in the state’s oil region, Eket.

It was disappointing that I wasn’t posted in the same PPA with Shania but the other good part of it was that we got posted to very nice places. On realizing that I was posted to a polytechnic, Shania registered her displeasure.

I told her that we will find a way around it but let’s focus on how to get out of camp and to our different PPA’s first.

I had called Precious after the girls left to get the bags and she came to meet me. After I had asked her what happened, why I didn’t get posted in the same place with Shania to which she told me that it was her platoon officer that chose the place she wanted. We discussed about how she was going to get to her PPA.

She told me that she was going to lodge somewhere in the state capital before moving to her PPA the following day. We bade each other goodbye and left hoping to see after we settle in our different locations.

We gathered our bags before I called my cab man who came and took us back to the hotel.

From there we made plans on how to dispatch to our different Places of Primary Assignment.

*******

The stress of getting accepted and settling down had taken its toll on me. It was the fifth day and yet I have not been accepted in my place of primary assignment reason because the Rector of the school travelled and no other person had the right to accept us.

It was on the second day when I came to check on the Rector that I saw IJ seated on the reception waiting for the rector too.

“What are you doing here?” I had asked her surprisingly.

“Same thing you are doing here” she had replied with a smile.

“I was here yesterday but didn’t see you or anybody.”
“Yea, I came after you left. They told me that a corper just left before I came, I guess that’s you.” She had said.

“Have you seen others?” I asked.

“No, maybe they are yet to locate the place.”
We discussed more while waiting for the Registrar or the Rector. Intermittently someone will walk into the reception and hail us.

When we got tired of waiting, we went to the Rector’s office and asked the secretary to help us with her mobile number so that we can be able to keep in touch with her to know when the Rector comes back.

IJ was staying in a family house while I was staying in a guest house.

The school was pretty much new. It had new structures and facilities. It is located directly opposite the house of the former governor of the state. Story had it that the governor had used the power of incumbency to drag the institution down to his local government.

After what seemed like eternity, the rector came back from God knows where. He was furious at first because the school had written to the state secretariat that they don’t need corpers owing to the fact that they were still new and already has as much staff as they needed compared to the number of students on ground. After deliberating with the registrar who had told him how we had been coming around since we left camp, he had accepted us and signed our posting letter.

Getting a suitable accommodation was another huddle to cross after we were accepted.

After we finished with our local government registration, IJ and I had commenced on the search for accommodation. It took much of our time before we could find a new structure which had comfortable self-contained apartments which was yet to be completed.

The land lord said that he can get our rooms fixed if we gave him half of the house rent.

Staying in a guest house for close to one week had me running short financially.

I had contacted Precious who borrowed me hundred thousand to pay back till eternity according to her. I paid the landlord complete and got a receipt from him so as IJ before I travelled for the three weeks break after camp.

He promised us that before we come back our rooms would be ready.

Before I travelled home, I had gone to the state capital to see Shania. They were three girls posted to the state house of assembly and had been given a well-furnished three bedroom flat at the GRA. I planned to spend the weekend with her before travelling. It was in one of the nights after we had a hot section that she nearly screamed down the roof that we got talking.

“If you are gonna be screaming like that I think you should be coming over to my house, your neighbors might complain.” I had said exhausted as she la!d on my chest caressing my hairs.

“It’s none of their business. Afterall, Tonia was straffed here yesterday by boyfriend and she was crying like a baby so why should they complain? Or is it my fault that you are so good that I can’t just stifle it?”
“Who is Tonia again?” I asked confused.

“When are you ever going to be good with people’s name? That short one that was washing outside” she described.

“Oh! Ok. The boyfriend came around already?”
“Yea, yesterday.”
“So this place has already been desecrated?” I asked smiling.

“Yes o, by you and Tonia’s boyfriend.

That reminds me, you told me you were running out of cash, how did you pay for your rent?”
“I borrowed from someone.”
“You did what?” she asked propping herself up from my chest. “You borrowed money from someone when I could have transferred to you and you refused. What is the meaning of that?”
“Come on, we have spent enough money around here already and I didn’t want to bother you with that.”
“What trash is that? Did I complain? So you preferred to get it from someone else?”
“No not like that. At least I wanted to get from someone I can be able to pay back.”
“Who did you get it from?”
“A friend of mine.”
“Give me his name and account details.

I am transferring it back to him.” She said picking her phone beside the bed.