4:00 am- My bunkie taps my leg. I appreciate that she’s waking me up and at the same time I’m angry. I’m still tired. I say my prayers and clean up for morning assembly.
5:00 am- I go to the clinic to avoid the morning assembly. The clinic is filled up; medics are all present for the same reason as I am and normal people are here with different ailments, 70% of which we would discover are just for show. Our clinic coordinator tells everyone to go out so the cleaners can clean. I and Cici go to our special spot. We rest there till cleaning is over. Today is Cici’s Day- she’s contesting for Miss NYSC so she needs all the rest she can get.
6:30 am- Normal people are by having their parade rehearsals and drills. I can hear my Man O’ War inspector’s voice but I’m not leaving this clinic. I’ll do the evening drills. I take the first nap of the day.
7:30 am- Breakfast is pap and akara. I’m eating.
9:00 am- The beagle sounds for the next activity. Someone says SAED lectures are next. I’m feeling very sleepy. I decide to stretch on the bed.
1:00 pm- I wake up because of screams. It wasn’t SAED lectures but a debate competition. I regret the pap I drank. I thought the debate competition was on Sunday. They are teasing me at the clinic that I slept for 5 hours. I’m listening carefully to the result. Dee and Cici’s platoon come in second. Jess’s platoon wins. Mine doesn’t place. I’m not going to hear word today.
1:16 pm- I return to the hostel. Dee wants to finish us with talk. She’s talking about how her platoon is the winning team. They are also in the volleyball finals. Jess is laughing. I’m arranging my documents in my file for inspection. Cici joins us. She’s rushing now. She has to start preparing for tonight.
2:30 pm- I and Cici go to meet her platoon’s Social director (DS). We go to a skincare shop. The DS wants to scrub Cici’s face to enhance her facial glow. There are all sorts of cosmetics on the shelves. I see breast and hip enlargement cream. I become skeptical. I really don’t advise using just any products on the skin. I start declaring over Cici’s skin that she won’t suffer side effects and plead the blood of Jesus. Later, when Cici would gist them at the clinic, everyone would say I needed to pray because cancer is real. The DS buys a vitamin C facial mask.
2:50 pm- We go to a salon to get Cici’s nails fixed. The stylists are gisting about other contestants. One of them says one isn’t fine. I say all the girls are beautiful. The woman says I have to support one and not everyone. I tell her I’m a positive person. They also tell Cici possible questions that the judges could ask. The woman somehow convinces me to paint my nails. I pay #100 for the service. Now she’s trying to convince me to fix on top the painted nails. I tell her to focus on Cici’s nails.
3:47 pm- Lunch is Eba and soup. We buy noodles and eggs with “minerals” and go to the clinic.
4:00 pm- I go for the evening parade rehearsals. My parade commander asks me about the ‘second’ doctor, Folu. I’ve run out of excuses. He sends me back to come back with him. I can’t find him. I come back alone.
6:00 pm- We have drama rehearsals but I’m not invested. I find Folu. We both go to look for Cici. It’s time for her makeup session. She’s already dressed in her uniform for their choreography. The DS is doing an excellent job with the make-up. I’m running upandan but I don’t mind. People think Folu is dating Cici because he’s assisting. They don’t reply. I don’t understand why romance has to be involved if a guy is nice to a girl.
7:40 pm- Cici goes backstage. I go to the clinic to take dinner and ginger everyone to cheer for Cici. I have exclusive access to the dressing room. I get the notification about Chelsea’s match. My heart is beating fast.
9:00 pm- The program starts with the female contestants performing a choreography to Adekunle Gold’s Okay. The crowd screams when one of them starts twerking. The contestants for Mr Macho come out. People are losing their home training. The men are putting on small white shorts, their chests and arms covered in oil. Each person comes to show off their abs and muscles. Someone is so ripped, his back has packs too. It’s the poses for me, Johnny Bravo has nothing on these guys. Someone poses as if he’s about to take a shit.
9:57 pm- We, Chelsea fans start screaming. We’ve won. The DJ plays our anthem.
10:05 pm- The guys and ladies come out to showcase their dinner gowns and suits.
The Q&A session is where most of them start to get nervous. One of them says he doesn’t know the meaning of NCDC. I think he knows, he is just too nervous to remember. They ask questions about the state, platoons, NYSC, lectures etc.
Winners are announced. Cici doesn’t win but she did an awesome job. I’m proud of her. We pack up and return to our hostels.
11:07 pm- We just got to our hostels. The male officers are around, flashing lights into the room making sure we’re asleep. Dee is shouting about one of them flashing their lights at her while she was not dressed properly. I’m laughing so hard. I do a quick recap of the day in my mind before I sleep off.
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