Morning
4:09 am- I wake up. A roommate is playing Judi Kay’s Holy Ghost. It reminds me of my church, CCI and that memory suddenly gives me the strength to get up. It’s raining. I go to brush and prepare. We are all praying for the rain to pour harder. It starts to stop. When thunder would strike and I’ll shout “Yass Lord”, my roommates would laugh. I climb back on my bed hoping the rain would continue to fall.
5:00 am- The bugle is blown. We’re not moving anywhere. It’s still drizzling.
5:16 am- Soldiers come to chase us out of our rooms. I know they won’t let us rest. Today is our final morning assembly in camp. I’m off to the clinic. I’m sorry for normal people. They have to deal with the cold.
6:08 am- Someone faints at the assembly. There would not be morning drills because of the cold. I go to the hostel to get my daily nap. I’m supposed to sleep till it’s time for breakfast at 7:30.
9:08 am- The bugle is blown. I can hear Dee saying I’m supposed to be working 24 hours not sleeping. I check the time; I know my face is swollen, and I’m going to get slack for sleeping more than I said I would.
9:20 am- My swollen face is laughed at at the clinic. Cici is telling one of the lab scientists to do a pregnancy test for me. Today is the SAED practical competition. Each platoon is supposed to bring out a representative for each skill. I’ve always wanted to represent us for hair making. I know I would win but I’m late. They already selected someone else.
Afternoon
12:21 pm- All skill assignments are completed and awards are given. My platoon doesn’t place in any skill again. I would never know what would have happened if I went out earlier. Pharm AD’s platoon wins one of the three trophies. He brings it into the clinic to boast. The screw holding the trophy together breaks; he is confused. He doesn’t want to buy a new one. I’m laughing so hard. Who doesn’t know that these trophies are ancient and one has to be careful handling them? Our chief Pharmacist would help him fix it.
2:00 pm- Lunch is rice and fish. I didn’t eat my egg in the morning so I add it to make a sumptuous meal. After eating, I practice twists on Folu’s hair. People are saying we are playing love and warning Folu that this is how Samson lost his strength to Delilah. Folu says no one should disturb him. He’s enjoying the ASMR.
Evening
4:00 pm- Rehearsals for the Unity parade tomorrow starts. The platoons that placed in the top three are the ones marching in the unity parade. We sit outside. I’m reading “On Monday last week” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Cici and Prince move their seats away to watch a movie. I go to warn Prince; he’s been taking Cici’s attention. Cici and Prince are laughing. Prince is trying to bribe me by singing ‘Chioma my lover’ but I don’t want.
6:00 pm- I and Cici go to the dining hall to pick up her platoon shirt. Theirs is not bad. On our way back, I’m trying to take a picture of the entrance when the OBS coordinator asks me to do a video instead. We do videos and take pictures. We hear shout-outs for Dr. GO’s birthday; from his bae and medical team.
Night
7:30 pm- Dr. GO is taking us to Mammy to celebrate his birthday. We get a private lounge that would be described as ‘pitiable’ by Lagosians. We have drinks and catfish pepper soup and we are all happy. Folu is the MC; he’s the master of cruise. We play games. GO is using his birthday as an opportunity to tap current that he would normally not tap. Folu is shouting my name when the song ‘Will you marry me’ is playing. We laugh at it. We have cake.
9:00 pm- Cici wants to charge her phone a little longer. I try to talk her into waiting till the next day but she doesn’t listen. Heavy rain from nowhere starts falling. It doesn’t stop and the lights go off. I and Cici run under the rain back to our hostels with Cici shouting her apology at me.
10:00 pm- It’s lights out but a girl has to use the toilet or else fart would choke my roomies. I use it. I try to hide from the female officials. I’m successful.
11:35 pm- I’m still working on my diary. Thank God we don’t have to get up early tomorrow. My bunkie warns my roommates not to wake up by 2 am or 3 am with the excuse of taking their baths.
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