The Corps

The Ride

Everybody in the room had woken before the normal time, the excitement clearly visible on each one face, Jide sat on the edge of his bed he had just finish lacing his jungle boot, it’s four in the morning and everybody is already dressed up for the day, if it were to be other days, the soldiers would have come to practically drag them out of bed by half past five in the morning, but today is a different day
Three weeks ago when Jide arrived at the Zazzau orientation camp for corps member he had thought he would not make it to this day, the scorching sun and the incessant orders from the soldiers were initially too
much for him to handle; but he is today dressed in the glorious corps uniform, a pair of nature green khaki trouser with a tucked in white T- shirt bearing the NYSC logo and hard heel orange jungle boot, he had not been a person who love being a military man, but this uniform make him feel like one

fo…fo…fo…..fo…..

The sound they all have been waiting for, whistle at half past five signaling it is time for everybody to get their lazy asses off the bed, but nobody really needed the whistle today though

fo…fo…fo…..fo…..

The whistle sound for the second time and before it could sound for the third Jide had already join the throng of people marching out onto the parade ground, boot crunching the gravel as they all find their platoons which they have been grouped. Jide briskly walked to where his platoon is stationed for the morning devotion.
The morning devotion was hearty one, all sorts of songs were raised, the corps were just too happy this morning, and Jide is happy too but he kept to himself, he has always been a quiet person and the three weeks of regimented life has not change him, most people had gained lot of friends, but for Jide it was a case of "no love lost no love found"
After morning devotion all corp member check in their mattress and other properties that belong to the camp, then its breakfast time; rice and stew was served, and a little briefing after breakfast to let them know how to comport themselves at their places of primary assignment, how they represent the federal government..... this is not something new to Jide anymore, the camp
officials has been saying the same thing over and over again for the past three weeks; the only thing added today is; “As you are handed your posting letter look for the vehicle with the placard of the region to which you are posted to, no one will be allowed to stay the night here, as the camp closes today”

……..there you go…………
At about 10:00 am Jide was handed a neatly folded paper, by an official, he quickly though a bit nervous unfold the paper, scanning through until his eyes fell on
“Place of primary assignment: Kwatarkwashi water works Gwari”
The first thing that comes through his mind as soon as he saw his place of primary assignment was “where on earth is Kwa-tar-kwa-shi ?

He got his bag, he had pack just a little to fill a small back pack when he was coming to camp and make his way to where about four trucks were parked, he did not even need to look for which truck he needed to board as he heard:

……….Gwari pheophle over hia…….

A man with his thick Hausa accent was shouting in front of a rickety truck, Jide joined the people already gathering around the truck

…broda na Gwari I dey go?..... The man shouting asked Jide in his “broken” english

Yes, I am going to Kwa-tar-kwa-shi water works…… Jide replied spelling out each syllable of the name that sound so foreign to him

..yowa! na this moto I go enter, na me be Sule the Drefa of this...... He grin exposing his brownish teeth, while patting the truck as if it is the best one in the world; the truck look like it is not going to make a journey more than two kilometres, it makes Jide wondered whether they will not have to travel that far, he doubt they will anyway in this type of truck.
Soon other corps member start joining them, gathering around the truck and about twenty minutes later about ten of them were cramped at the back of the truck when the driver announced that they are leaving: