“Camp”,
the one word understood by every Nigerian graduate as the National Youth
Service Course Orientation Course, is one of the most discussed topics among
fresh graduates in the country. Facts and rumours fly around concerning the
course, most of which has to do with the “suffering” aspect of the camp.
However, these stories are usually over exaggerated. A drive is taken into these rumours and a story is generated there forth.
After
an almost boring trip, I arrived at the camp location, in a never visited state.
Having counted the days down to D-day, today, I was getting the “here we go”
feeling. This about that, and after a few days of registration, the Nigerian
factor in play, and settling down, the story begins.
Let’s
start with the bugle, yes, that “noisy” trumpet looking thing used to inform
we, youth corpers alias “otondo” that it
is time for this or that event. Its effect however is felt on three occasions;
waking up hour, lecture time and lights out. Though blown in the wee hours of
the morning to wake us up, we are most of the time awake, hours prior to
freshen up for the day. I earlier mentioned something about overly exaggerated
stories; well, one of them falls into this waking up hour: taking a shower. Our
predecessors always paint this grimy picture of absent amenities in camp,
especially at the toilet, bathroom section. Popular statements we hear from
them are: “You better learn to shower in the open, because you will take your
bath outside. The bathroom is crappy”. Another is: “Get your nylon for
short-put”. Now, short-put should not be
mistaken for the Olympic sport, however, if you do not know what it stands for,
well, ask someone who has “been there, done that”. She/he will tell the story
better. Having had that image in my head, prepared for the worst, it was kind
of relieving to see some toilet amenities, however, minute, in place. And that
was like a “star” experience compared to what was prepared for. Yes, I got my
short-put material.
…to
be continued in “Parades”.
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