CAMP DAY 1: STRESS AND SACRIFICE FOR NIGERIA

Nights are meant to be composed of sleeps and a time of the day designed to bring our dreams alive virtually. My first night on camp was quite the opposite, for some strange reasons, my mind chose to stay fully active hence making my body to suffer the consequences. 

Observed people started bathing around 2:00am(supposed early ‎risers), unfortunately my bed is in a relationship with an early riser, so I had to just go and bathe by 3:00am.

So it was all year 1 mentality again on the registration ground as registration meant to start for 7:00am had people on the ground for 3:00am. I went back to bed, I cannot come and kill myself.

6:30 officials came out to introduce and brief us. And then the line was scattered, the spirit within laughed at them. Some how, the joke was on me as I stood from 5:30am till, whereas the early risers finished way before me. On getting to the front of the que for documents registration, I was sidelined again, cause of sje didn't believe my Unilag documents were legit. Her boss set me free from the 'Ahhhhhh' situation though that was after I had a wierd conversation with a female military personnel.

I felt at ease around 11:00am, when I got my kit. Decided to give myself the Oyo Amala treat with good soup. Then I remebered Yoruba's basically don't have interesting soup, their attempt at Ogbono was a total disaster, but they made up for that with the Amala. Iya Basira's Amala had a totally different feeling from Lagos Amala. On getting back to my room and preparing to offload the kit, the highlight of the day lightened my face. The commonadant stepped into the room and chased us out, I thought it was a joke at first, until the counting started. I had to pack my shoe and clothes and ran out semi-nude, it's not new though, I am more comfortable in that situation. The commandant on seeing me was surprised cause I was laughing all through. I'm here for the adventure, want to have maximum fun, so glad I had my adrenalin pump on standby.

I enjoyed every bit of the training especially the commander's shouts, I made sure I perfected every move, I even danced when it was time to get morale, something I would never do unless it is fully dark. At the height of my performance, my leg started acheing and 'Stand at 1' command became an issue. I couldn't keep my leg up without shaking, so I deviced a method which was distributing my weight on both legs and resting the leg in the air on the knee of the standing leg. It worked up on till the NYSC tennis shoe started itching my legs, basically it was too tight, but the commandant would not allow me exit to change.

I endured for my mother's land and at the expiration of the training, went to change my shoe, at that point, saw my own guys on the long registration queue, all looking tired. I pitied them though.

Back to training ground replenished and ready for another round of shouts, it went well until I lost all my strength and could not keep up with the pace again. Was happy when it was 6:00pm and the flags had to be dropped. A nice activity, I talked all through though, then we were dismissed after picking of stones of which I heard screams of snake and I had to just turn back, I watched from afar while the military personnels killed the baby snake. 

Jogged back to the hostel screaming on top of my voice, all on my head was to shower and wash my 'was once white' but I was welcomed by angry voices.

We have been told to leave the hostel and move to a room filled with about 1000 guys. The news pierced through my heart, like a pin piercing into a foam. The room I came early to get, the room I have been so excited about, the room that had 24hours rushing shower and tap and slightly dirty toilets. 

I packed my bags but went out to voice my disappointment, girls were to be admitted into this room. We have been cheated. From my experience at higher institution, you can never win a fight against one in power, so I just kept on with my protest with others. It was actually exhiliariting, I have never protested for something before. While protesting, I went to the barracks room and secured a not so bad space, then went back to protest, I can't act foolishly you know. I gave up the protest when soldiers were brought in to move some people out, my innocent face became prominent automatically and the Mistress in charge told me to not join them and just move my stuffs. As a law abiding citizen I have always been, I moved silently and went to settle down in my new camp. 

Went to eat Iresi after the action filled day, saw a lot of tired faces which brought back the adventure spirit in me, and the day was crowned by God with rain, so my first night in the barracks is going to be cool, tomorrow, I am going to fight for fan. I cannot come and die.

P.S. All sockets have been disconnected, Mami market is going to make money shaaa, thank God I brought my PB.