Last Day in Camp

The NYSC orientation camp finally came to a close. It had seemed  like the three weeks of camping would be unending, but here was the last day of the exercise.   Several camp activities made the three weeks somewhat unbearable for a person who had no military training. The routine parades at dawn, noon and   dusk,  amidst military jargons. The compulsory skill acquisition lectures in the afternoon didn't help matters. The lectures were held in a  pavilion, that was not big enough to  house the teeming population of corp members. Corpers scrambled for chairs. Even  the pavement of the pavilion was scrambled for, and used to sit. The lecture was called  SAED, which stood for skills acquisition and entrepreneurs development. But the skill acquisition lecture was more of an oratory class than practical, and  an avenue for sleep.  I won't easily forget the morning  drills after  parade,  under the scorching heat of the sun.  The soldiers seemed more happy and fulfilled the more they drilled us. Another necessary evil was  waking up by 4:30AM everyday except on Sundays by irksome trumpet sound when sleep was sweetest. 

The queue!
Sweet potatoes, the queue!!
Oh my world, the damn endless frustrating long queues for one registration after another. Queuing for various allowances, queuing for wishy-washy meals at the kitchen,  queuing to answer nature's call - a short line of people waiting in impatient turns to empty their bowels in the shabby toilet facilities.

After the ceremonial parade that marked the end of camping activities, dignitaries who came to honour the event dispersed into thin air, corps members were soon gathered in platoons, scattered in clusters as the posting letters were ready to be dispatched by the platoon officer. It was a feeling of happiness interwoven with unhappiness. Even though the camp was miles away from comfort, there were gloomy looks etched on the faces of corp members. Over the three weeks in camp, new friends were made, relationships established, both the genuine ones and the mammy couples.

The camp had become fun amidst the unfavorable camp conditions. It seemed no one wanted to leave after all. On one cluster, you see corpers taking group selfies, on another you see corpers exchanging contacts and on another you see couples hugging tightly like they were about to be separated and would never see again. Actually the odds were against them being posted to the same LG let alone PPA. Walking around were different fellowship associations carrying  placards of which were written the  names of different local governments, to assist those posted to any, easy location and transport usually for free.

Uyo,  the capital city was on the lips of every one,  only a few weirdos wanted to go to places such as remote villages devoid of either electricity, water or most importantly to me, data network, to spend the next twelve months in. Uyo was regarded as paradise in Akwa ibom, where one can get part time supplementary jobs, catch fun at recreational parks, Ibom Tropicana, the stadium, cinemas, clubs and everything a city can provide.

The glitch was that the capital city was just one of about thirty-one local government areas to be posted to. No one knew for sure where he/she would be posted, majority were visibly shivering nervously under the sunny weather, except a fraction whose parent or friend or parent's friend or friend's parent were at the top.

An aura of uncertainty and tension filled the breathing space as the platoon officer called out the state code.
"zero zero one zero " the platoon officer announced ,  his voice straining to the ears, one barely can hear him from a close range. He started calling out the state code in ascending order, it'd take longer time before he gets to mine.

I was claded on my ceremonial crested vest,  khaki trouser, jungle boot and face cap just like every other corper,  waiting patiently but not anxiously for my state code to be called. I was among the fraction that did not shiver nervously under the hot weather, I was quite sure to be posted to the capital city.  Seun gave me a strong assurance I would serve in a government agency therein.

Seun, an ex-corper who just finished serving, called me a few days to posting.  He said he'd seen my biodata online and I was well qualified to replace him in the accounts department of one of the government agencies in Uyo, where he served. He had actually called to seek my consent and told me what was required of me for the job, and  to ascertain if I was up to the task and willing to accept the offer. An offer I gladly accepted without boggling my brain. Not only would I be in the capital city, but I would escape being posted to a school. Who likes teaching by the way?

My phone rang, the caller ID was my bunk mate. We had a bet earlier on who was to get Uyo and who would be catapulted to a remote rural settlement. We didn't stake cash nor anything of value, but ridiculous mockery.

"Hello, guy how far" I answered the phone.
"Guy, guess what? " he quizzed.
" you've been posted to Nsit Atai" I answered, with a hysterical laugh.
Nsit Atai was the rural community were the camp was located.

"hahaha, you wish. I have been posted to Uyo. PPA, university of uyo... "
" What about you?" he continued
"I'm yet to get my posting letter. I'm quite sure it will be Uyo."

"Okay o. Call you later ",  the call ended. I began pondering about the conversation, this guy would surely crack pieces his ribs if I don't get the  capital city.
Aside the mockery, the news of a friend's success naturally stimulates one to replicate similar feat, thereby putting one under nature induced pressure.  At that instant, the pressure mutated into tension, which gradually grew, starting with a cold feet. I started imagining the worst case scenario.  Teaching a remote public school in a  remote village with no remote cellular network; would there be any visible electric cables and poles to keep the hope of electricity alive? How many miles would I have to walk to get water,  probably stream water? Would they speak English? Pit toilet or 'bush'? ...

"zero five eight zero " the platoon officer announced,  his voice jolted me back to reality. It seemed his voice became fainter, as he progressed down the list. To help matters, corp members close to him would rebroadcast and amplify the  state code in choruses,  further raising the tension. Not helping matters.

" zero five eight zero" they re-echoed,  from their facial expressions,  one could tell his/her fate. If they were all smiles, revealing their dental cavities, then it was probably the capital city, otherwise, it was otherwise.

My heart beat began to accelerate as my state code was among the next in line, it seemed as though there was a change in gear with each state code called. I found and forced my way deep into the cluster of people around the platoon officer.

In no time,  my state code was called out,  I proceeded to the platoon officer's desk to collect my posting letter. I stood tall in front of his desk,  spreading my shoulders wide and high like those of a peacock, to shield my posting letter against prying eyes and the longing necks from those behind. The platoon officer handed me the sheet and at a glance, my eyes went straight to the posting address at the top left of the page.  My mouth was opened slightly, a fly could have  easily flown  in, my eyes popped out, they could have fallen off, I felt cold and my joints froze for about 10 seconds after which my heart beat decelerated back to normalcy. I was posted to Nsit Ubium local government. I quickly folded the sheet to half its size not to reveal its content and folded it again and again until it was small enough to fit in my pocket and then i tucked it deep into my right pocket.

Almost immediately, I heard voices at my back asking in unison,
"guy where were you posted to?"

I turned around head held high and with a big grin spreading from my left cheek to right,  and looking from left side to right and smiling again for emphasis I responded,  "Uyo!".