"From Otondo to Corper shun" [Writer's contest 3]

When I saw my call up letter I quickly rushed my eyes to see the state I was posted. Of course I was expecting Abuja or Kaduna or Lagos so you can imagine the look on my face when I saw Ebonyi state. My mom was very worried, I too was but I tried my best not to let it show. All my life I had never been to the east before...so not only was this scary and new it was also a huge challenge. As I'm sure people from various parts of Nigeria carry tales about other parts of Nigeria that they haven’t even been to their whole lives, I also have heard tales about the east which I'm glad are just tales if not I wouldn’t be writing this for you to read instead you would be reading my obituary.

My dads confidence in me was what changed my mind in not working my relocation I didn’t want to let him down. I started doing research about Ebonyi state and realized it was still a baby state with nothing but salt to offer! No airport and the distance was just a negative. But I’ve always been a huge fan of the Igbo tribe, the language, the proverbs, names and food so that part of me was very much ignited.

I got to the park very early in the morning to board a bus to Afikpo, the location of the NYSC orientation camp. At the park I met four other “otondos” and i was a bit relived that I wasn’t all alone. The journey was very long and uncomfortable as the road was in a very terrible state, I think it’s safe to say it was a miracle we made it safely, and I saw a pot hole that was as deep as a well. We reached the camp at about 8:30 pm and on arrival, some of the batch A corps members were already at the entrance waiting...they helped us carry our bags while making fun and telling us about what to do for the night and expect throughout camp.

The following morning, we were told to carry our bags out again for check in, we were also assigned our respective dormitories and then we made a presentation of our documents to the NYSC officials...I still feel sorry for my colleagues that came late as they were made to carry their boxes on their heads to do frog jump..It was hilarious though.

Now the journey begins...after we got our NYSC kits which were mostly either over sized or too small, most of us had to look for our right sizes or something close to exchange which left me wondering why there was a section dedicated to size of kit on the online form. The following morning, at about 4:30 am I woke up to a song and I just started laughing the lyrics were “good morning beautiful, how was your night? Mine was wonderful with you by my side” I laughed because of the irony and considering the fact that we were 50 in a small room with two fans that didn’t work and three tiny windows.

I went to the mosque to observe my fajr prayers and then proceeded to the parade ground to join everyone else for the morning meditation (which I’ll come to hate with all my heart). The morning meditation comprises of the NYSC anthem, the National Anthem, National prayer, the morning Praise, and the Morning news by the O.B.S and then followed by any important announcements before everything freezes while Nigeria wakes and the flags are raised to the biggle. After that, the Man  O war would come and raise our ‘moral’ with their funny songs and dances by then the soldiers are ready to begin their parade trainings which lasts until breakfast.

Camp life was very interesting and funny from the parade ground to the kitchen to the ‘mami market’ and around the premises at large but also very stressful and not to mention very time consuming. The soldiers would call us out to command the parade and its very funny when we mix up the commands and when the soldiers make fun of us being graduates but not being able to call out simple commands.. you would hear something like “parade we remove governor for the swearing in ceremony” instead of “parade we remove head dresses” .there were a lot of camp activities that required both individual and group effort such as the socials and sports, kitchen , sanitation, the carnival and the camp fire/ paradise night which each platoon took very seriously as competition.

I remember one particular morning we were running late and then this dude came into the bathroom I was already in as if it wasn’t traumatic enough that the doors were broken..  he was like “guy abeg time don go, make we share” I didn’t even bother to protest I just dashed out with all the speed I could gather. The Man o War drills were fun as I much anticipated and I got to pay for excess pictures that I didn’t ask for, thanks to the photographers who took advantage to exploit almost everyone. These are some of the things that ill look back at or remember at a point in my life and just start laughing like a mad man.

There is no possible way I can write it for another to fully understand the experience. All I can say is Ebonyi called and I answered, I was beat by both rain and sun (not totally by choice, the soldiers told us not to move), bitten by electric insect (or vampire) and I survived but most importantly I've graduated from “otondos” to corper shun!!!

NAME: Muhammad Mubarak