3:48 am- I have my quiet time. I work on the diary before I prepare for the day.
4:50 am- I and Dee leave for the parade ground. We are early today.
5:00 am- My platoon is in charge of the morning assembly. Praise and worship is lit. We are literally having a praise jam and the band joins us this morning. The NYSC official tells us that my platoon gets to play volleyball again. I’m happy, we get a second chance. We lost yesterday and all the girls had to raise one leg each for a few minutes as punishment. Hopefully, I’ll play this time.
6:30 am- We go for early morning lectures. I didn’t listen to the first speaker’s introduction. He talks about the federal government worrying about the honesty and discipline of the youth. The joke. I’m pretty sure security should be the top priority on their worry list. He also talks about dressing, especially for ladies and says ‘why won’t we get raped or kidnapped’. His lectures are already cancelled for me. The second speaker is from NDLEA. He talks about the dangers of taking hard drugs and its penalties. The lady with him tells us about an ex-corper who took drugs and got so high, that he roamed around camp naked.
7:30 am- Breakfast is bread, egg and tea. Tea has finished by the time it gets to my turn.
9:00 am- We are having lectures from now till 2 pm. These people want to use lectures and finish us. I can’t remember when last I had to sit for such long hours of classes. I see why they produce the highest number of professors.
The first lectures are Skills Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) classes. They bring up so many skills to join, that it becomes hard for one to choose from. Hairstyling, 3D flooring, bag and shoemaking, Fashion designing etc. I’m going to maximize these SAED classes.
The second speaker is a young motivational speaker talking about the importance of skills. I doze off. I wake up when I hear a familiar voice on the mic. It’s Cici. She’s explaining Sustainable development goals and dating its history as far back as 2000. The people at the high table are impressed, nodding their heads to affirm the truth in her words. I feel proud. She gets a round of applause. I want to sleep back but shame won’t let me; she doesn’t have two heads.
1:20 pm- They let us go, finally. I return to the hostel. I and Dee do laundry. Cici joins us. Dee says Cici is representing their platoon for the NYSC pageantry. Dee says I can’t represent mine because the only talent I have is roasting other people. Smh.
2:00 pm- Lunch is beans. I’m not eating. I and Cici go to Mami. A plate of yam and one egg is #500, ‘minerals’- #200. There is God. We are gisting and having lunch. A guy sees Cici and comes to sit at our table when there are other empty tables and chairs. Cici doesn’t notice. She mentions her husband, uncle is shooketh. He interrupts her to clarify what he just heard; it’s the look of disappointment on his face for me. He tells her she doesn’t ‘look’ married.
4:00 pm- Cici and Dee leave for pageant walk practice. Other platoons are practising the march past. The clinic is quite busy, most people are taking exeat or relocating. I grab a chair, sit under the tree and listen to music while observing.
7:30 pm- Lunch is Jollof and meat. Sand wants to kill this Jollof. It’s plenriii. I manage it.
8:00 pm- Social activities continue with drama and dance competitions. Platoon 12 has already won this drama competition. It’s not been announced but we know. Everything was well taught out. The story is about a rapist who was caught and judged by the village elders but one of the elders is his aunty who molested him as a child. Other acts after their drama just pissed people off. They should have gone last but who knew?
9:40 pm- We return to our hostels. We have less than 20 minutes to be tucked in bed. They are blowing whistles to make sure no one is outside. I wash my underwear quickly. I can’t store dirty clothes. I’m rushing that I’m panting while having my bath. I don’t even sponge.
11:03 pm- Still pressing my phone. I just panicked for nothing.
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