THE CAMP. Episode 2.
She rested her head on my shoulder and slept off.
Her head was heavy on my tired shoulder, maybe because of her long bunch of braids or her fat cheeks added to her big skull. I tried adjusting but she seemed to have crossed to the dream land.
I endured and concentrated on the woman. She continued.
“Mind the way you talk to people here and watch your tongues, words are like swords, when they hit their target they leave a scare that is if they didn’t kill their victim, be nice to people and keep mute when angry instead of saying what you would regret for the rest of your life…”
She suddenly looked up and saw the lady resting her Head on my shoulder
She fury.
“See these ones, they are already doing love in the camp in the first day, wake her up now, do you think you are in your father’s house?”
People diverted their attention to us and started giggling. I shook her and she woke up. I could see the tiredness in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,I’m sorry…” she apologised.
Her diction was perfect. It doesn’t sound like a regular Nigeria student intonation.
After the session, we were left to where we would collect the tag for our hostels and beds. There were many corp member loitering around. Some had already gotten their bed numbers and hostels. Those were the ones that came a day before camp opens.
We joined the queue of the people that wanted to be assigned to different hostels. I had her heavy bag in my hand while mine was with her. I was tired and hungry but we needed to be assigned to our hostels if at all we would want to rest.
I told her to stay in front of me, when it got to her turn, she got her hostel ticket and bed number while I got nine too. We headed to her hostel, I stopped at the entrance and handed her bag to her.
“Thank you so much…” she looked at me quizzically like someone trying to tag a name to me so I spoke up quickly.
“….Ade, Ade is the name” I said.
“Thank you so much Ade, I really appreciate” she came closer and hugged me before going inside. She wore a nice cologne. I felt it and coolvalstories at that point I sensed either she didn’t school in Nigeria or she attended a private university.
I left for my hostel too. I was hungry so I went out to mammy Market to get something to eat.
Corp members normally called otondos were already mingling as if they’ve known one another for years. People that attended same school were ready making friends with oneanother.
They were in white already with crossed bags to keep their stuffs, but I was in my house wear. I sighted a hausa man selling indomie so I settled at his space and requested to be served, he was preparing for me and other people when someone suddenly sat beside me. It was this same girl.
“Ermm….did you tell me your name?” I asked.
“No, you didn’t ask” she replied.
“Anyways, my name is Britney ” she said.
“Oh beautiful name, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“I am famished Ade, I came to eat before sleeping,I heard they won’t allow us to stay out so late at night, I might not even come out because i have no friend here yet,i’ll just be in my bed sleeping” she said and turned to me…
“What will you be doing tonight?” She asked.
“I don’t know, probably be in my bed too because I am damn tired” I replied.
I was served and i devoured like someone that has not eaten for days. I wanted to pay but she handed 2k to the hausa man I was surprised and told her she didn’t need to do that.
“My dad gave me 50k to the camp and my mum gave me extra 40k making it 90k, how on earth will I finish it in 3 weeks if not spending it with someone, its not that there are clothes or shoes to buy here aside food, let’s spend it jare.
“What are you going to eat now?” i asked.
I’ll buy suya and take it with coke”
“Oh, you eat suya?”
“Ofcourse,i love it”
We went to meet the suya seller and she should 3k suya.
She bought two bottles of coke and we stepped down with it. Me that went to camp with 10k and I had already spent 3k on transport, I was left with 7k.
Okay, if this is how she want it to be, I guess I would get fat before leaving this camp.
I was happy.
After eating, we were heading back to the hostel when she suddenly screamed when she sighted some ajebutter looking guys and ladies approaching us. She ran into their arms and they hugged oneanother.
Like 5 of them.
I stood aside staring at them.
“Are you serious, i cant believe my eyes,oh my gad, i am so happy, wow” she exclaimed as they hugged oneanother repeatedly.
“Meet my friend Ade, I met him here and he’s been a good guy, Ade, meet Ben, Shalewa, Jane, Helen and Mary, we all attended the same school, oooohhhh….I am so happy to meet you guys now I can feel the vibe in this camp I didn’t know you would come down to serve here” she exclaimed excitingly.
We exchanged handshake.
The one of the ladies asked Britney, pointing at me…
“Did he attend Greenwich too?”
I looked confused, what’s Greenwich?
I thought.
“I don’t know, Ade, do you school abroad too?” Britney turned to me and asked.
So, this is how my village people want to disgrace me, why can’t I mingle with my local hampions jeje, now these ones will think they are better than me now because they school in abroad.
“No I didn’t school abroad,I schooled here in Nigeria.
“Oh I see, what university?” One of them asked again.
But, what’s all these now, must you know my school, how did I want to tell these ones now that i attended Polytechnic Ede.
How will it even sound to them?
“I didnt attend a university” i said and thet all exclaimed “what!” As they concentrated on me.
I felt bad, without thinking twice, i took the other way and walked away.
“Ade! Ade!!” Britney called out but i didnt answer her.
Na me f**k up.
To be continued…
