THE CAMP. Episode 3.
She ran after me but I didn’t wait.
“Ade stop! What’s going on? Have we done anything to offend you?
I stopped and turned.
“What did you all exclaim? What’s so funny in not attending a university, if i am not cleared do you think I’ll be here?” I poured out.
She panted hard as she moved closer.
“”You know we don’t mean it that way and aside that we didn’t know there is any other school here aside university, I’m sorry, you know what? Let me just go and discharge them and I’ll come back to you, I don’t wanna leave you like this, you’ve been so helpful today” she said and ran back to meet them.
I watched them from afar as they bid themselves good bye. She came back to me and suggested we sit at the pavilion which was few steps away from the hostel.
We sat and I was quiet, she tapped me and told me to stop giving her silent treatment. I gave a faint smile.
“A polytechnic is diploma issuing school, I don’t know the rational behind it but it’s just like a college in Europe ”
“Oh….now I get it, its not that bad, why did you now react as If its that bad, my best friend attended a college too before he came to my school, come on Ade, its not that bad” she exclaimed.
“So where is Greenwich university?” I asked.
“London”
“Oh so you schooled in London and decided to come and serve in Nigeria, why?”
“Because I love it here and I wanna meet wonderful people too, I wanna feel at home,I wanna feel what it look like being a Nigerian after spending all my life amidst white people and huge cardigans, I love this weather” she said excitingly.
In my mind I was thinking this one did not know anything, maybe we should just exchange, stay here and let me go over there.
She continued.
“I wanna travel around Nigeria before I go back to London, will you take me around?” She asked
“Me ke? Where do I know, you should go around with someone you know and not a stranger like me, and aside that, I’ve not really travelled around Nigeria” I said.
Her friends showed from afar, they approached us. When they got to us, they didn’t speak to me, they spoke to her and left. I ignored them. There were almost 4k people in camp, I won’t allow just few to spoil my stay.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” She suddenly asked out of the blue moon.
I looked at her quizzically. ” Why did you ask?”
“I just wanna know, can i see her picture? Is she beautiful? Ade answer” she tapped me as I stared at her in surprise.
Like wetin bring about girlfriend matter enter this one now.
“It’s getting dark Britney, let’s go have some rest, the beagle is going to wake us by 5am tomorrow ” I said.
“5am? That’s too early” she exclaimed.
I stood up and pulled her up.
“This is a military camp and not our house so we have to obey any rules and regulations in here” I explained as we walked hand in hand towards the hostel.
I walked her to her hostel, she hugged me before going inside, I left too. On my way to the hostel, I was wondering what she has in mind, I didn’t know her motive, is this how they do over there or I am missing the green light.
Whichever way, it’s too early to get attached to only one person amidst thousands of people.
I won’t allow that.
Getting to my hostel, I climbed my bunk and was pressing my phone when I saw one of her friends approaching, his bed was few beds away from mine. Our eyes met and he gave me a scoffy look, I ignored him.
The night was early to crawl in.
It was 10 pm, the beagle for light out sounded. Meaning all of us should go to sleep, the camp generator was switched off already.
The soldiers were moving around hostels to check who is still awake as there was a punishment Waitimg them for disobedience. A soldier entered our hostel and saw light under someone’s duvet.
“Kai, you wan be frofesor ba? Na you sabi read well well, you no hear light out ba?”
“I didn’t put the light on, it’s just the light of my phone, I was reading from my phone ” the guy explained.
“Stand up! Phone light no be light? Now go out” he ordered.
People raised their heads to see what was happening. The soldier yelled that if he sees anyone’s head up, the person would hate himself. He matched the guy out and made him join other victims outside for frog jump.
When I sighted the guy that was caught, he was one of Britney’s friend.
The soldiers made them do frog jump around the camp, when the Nepa light came, I peeped out the window that was just behind my bed to see those that were caught.
Alas, Britney was among them, she was crying.
My heart started beating faster.
To be continued…
